Applications for Beautiful Blocks home improvement grants in the cities of Carbondale, Pittston and Scranton are now being accepted for the 2026 funding cycle.

Jointly sponsored by the nonprofit NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania and the three cities, Beautiful Blocks provides matching grants of up to $1,000 per property to groups of five or more residents to help them make exterior improvements to their homes, and up to $2,000 per property for replacement or significant repair of front sidewalks. Eligible improvements might range from smaller landscaping and painting projects to larger jobs like sidewalks, front porch repair, door and window replacements, and more.

Beautiful Blocks was initiated in 2018 by then-Scranton City Councilman Wayne Evans, after he learned of a similar, successful program in Oswego, New York. The program began in Scranton in 2019, in Carbondale in 2021 and in Pittston in 2024.

In 2022, NeighborWorks won a “Townie” award from the nonprofit Pennsylvania Downtown Center, a statewide advocacy organization, for Beautiful Blocks in the category of Physical Improvements & Design/Program-Wide Façade Rehabilitation.

Since the program began, 130 groups of residents who have completed 950 projects received over $1 million in grants and contributed more than $2 million in matching funds.

“We’re very excited to launch the eighth year of Beautiful Blocks in 2026,” NeighborWorks NEPA President and CEO Shane Powers said in an announcement. “Once again, we are pleased to offer this program to residents residing in the Cities of Carbondale, Pittston, and Scranton. Based on the tremendous success of the sidewalk repairs initiative, we are excited to offer the increased grant amount for sidewalks again this year to all three communities. Improvements to sidewalks and to the exterior of homes across the community support vibrant and safe neighborhoods.”

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NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania was recognized for the success of its Beautiful Blocks program with a 2022 “Townie” Award from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. The award, presented in the category of Physical Improvements & Design: Program-Wide Façade Rehabilitation, honors the Beautiful Blocks program, which provides matching funding support to groups of residents in Scranton and Carbondale to assist in making exterior improvements to their homes. In this photo from Aug. 20, 2022, from left, are Miranda Pace, NeighborWorks West Scranton neighborhood coordinator; Gerard Hetman, NeighborWorks community development specialist; Todd Pousley, NeighborWorks neighborhood revitalization manager; and Wayne Evans, NeighborWorks board member and former Scranton mayor and councilman. (PHOTO SUBMITTED)

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New landscaping at Jack Munley’s home on North Rebecca Avenue in Scranton was done under the Beautiful Blocks program in 2019. (PHOTO PROVIDED / COURTESY OF JACK MUNLEY)

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New landscaping at Jack Munley’s home on North Rebecca Avenue in Scranton was done under the Beautiful Blocks program in 2019. (PHOTO PROVIDED / COURTESY OF JACK MUNLEY)

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Among the properties improved in 2020 under the Beautiful Blocks program was this home at 1541 Capouse Ave. in Scranton. (PHOTO PROVIDED / COURTESY NEIGHBORWORKS NEPA)

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Before-and-after photos show front porch posts and railings replaced at a home using grant funds awarded through a prior cycle of the Beautiful Blocks program. (Courtesy of NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania)

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Before-and-after photos of a sidewalk replaced using grant funds through the Beautiful Blocks program. Grant applications are now available for residents in Pittston, Scranton and Carbondale. (Courtesy of NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania)

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NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania was recognized for the success of its Beautiful Blocks program with a 2022 “Townie” Award from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. The award, presented in the category of Physical Improvements & Design: Program-Wide Façade Rehabilitation, honors the Beautiful Blocks program, which provides matching funding support to groups of residents in Scranton and Carbondale to assist in making exterior improvements to their homes. In this photo from Aug. 20, 2022, from left, are Miranda Pace, NeighborWorks West Scranton neighborhood coordinator; Gerard Hetman, NeighborWorks community development specialist; Todd Pousley, NeighborWorks neighborhood revitalization manager; and Wayne Evans, NeighborWorks board member and former Scranton mayor and councilman. (PHOTO SUBMITTED)

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How to participate

Information sessions for residents interested in participating include:

Carbondale: Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. in the community room at Carbondale Public Library, 5 N. Main St.

Pittston: Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. in the John P. Cosgrove Center at Pittston Memorial Library, 47 Broad St.

Scranton: Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. in the Henkelman Room at Albright Memorial Library, 500 Vine St.

Grants will be awarded through a competitive application process. Applications will be judged on the number of participating residents, project impact and coordination, and the likelihood of neighbors continuing to work together in the future. Preapplications will be accepted until March 30. Awards will be announced in May and the projects will take place in summer and fall.

The preapplication instructions and document can be accessed online at nwnepa.org/programs/cd/beautiful-blocks.html. For information, contact Gerard Hetman, NeighborWorks NEPA community development specialist at 570-558-2490 or ghetman@nwnepa.org.

Mayoral support

In statements provided in the NeighborWorks NEPA announcement, the mayors of the cities all expressed support for Beautiful Blocks.

“The city was thrilled to partner with NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania in 2025 to complete 46 Beautiful Blocks projects,” Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo said of his city’s second Beautiful Blocks cycle. “The results speak for themselves and this partnership is another opportunity for the city to advance the revitalization process in our neighborhoods. We look forward to a continued productive partnership with NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania for the 2026 cycle.”

Pittston mayor Michael Lombardo testifies during the one o’clock Public Utility Commission hearing at the University of Scranton on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

“The Beautiful Blocks Program exemplifies what we can accomplish in Carbondale when residents, the City, and our valued partner NeighborWorks NEPA come together with a shared vision for thriving neighborhoods,” Carbondale Mayor Michele Bannon said. “In 2025, we were proud to support 60 projects across 9 project groups, leveraging $69,522.27 in grant funds to help homeowners make meaningful improvements that strengthen community pride and enhance property conditions. This partnership has not only beautified our streets but also reinforced the spirit of collaboration that defines our City. As we look forward to the 2026 program year, we’re excited to build on that success, expanding opportunities, empowering more neighbors, and continuing to transform blocks into vibrant places where people are proud to live, work, and grow together.”

Carbondale mayor-elect Michele Bannon in her office at Carbondale City Hall on Thursday, Jan .4, 2024. (TIMES-TRIBUNE FILE)

“NeighborWorks’ Beautiful Blocks program continues to bring positive improvements to our neighborhoods each year,” Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti said. “Last year’s projects provided over $140,000 in grant funds to 130 projects that help maintain Scranton’s beauty and build a stronger sense of community among our residents.”

Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti leads the Pledge of Allegiance at the renaming of the North Scranton Mini Park on Wayne Avenue on Friday, Nov. 21. The park was renamed to honor the late, retired Scranton firefighter Anthony “Tony” Walsh, who died in 2022. The park abuts the rear of the Scranton Fire Department’s Engine 8 station. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)