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Office of Economic & Community Development

As of 11/18/2020, meetings with OECD staff are by appointment only. Please call 570.208.4138 to schedule an appointment. 

The Office of Economic & Community Development (O.E.C.D.), a self-sufficient department, acts as the United States Office Housing & Urban Development (HUD) grants administration arm of the City of Wilkes-Barre. O.E.C.D. identifies grant programs that could provide sources of support for a variety of community and economic development initiatives and aggressively pursues these funds. 

O.E.C.D. staff are responsible for administering these grants, taking care to allocate funds to activities that best address important community and economic development needs as outlined in the City of Wilkes-Barre’s most recent Five Year Consolidated Plan and ensuring compliance with the HUD regulations for the following programs.   
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
The primary objective of this federal program is to develop viable communities by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment and economic opportunities principally for persons of low and moderate income levels as well as public facilities improvements within eligible low/mod areas.
Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME)
The Office of Economic & Community Developments Housing initiatives also help stimulate housing development, allowing families to thrive and neighborhoods to provide a full range of housing choice and opportunity. The mission of the HOME Investment Partnership Program is to:
  1. Provide decent affordable housing to Low/Mod income households
  2. Strengthen the ability of state and local governments to provide housing and

  3. Leverage Non-Profit and Private sector participation in providing affordable, decent and safe housing options in our city.

The Office of Economic & Community Development also works with private housing developers to increase the supply of quality housing in the City and to ensure economic diversity through new construction and rehabilitation projects. 

Fair Housing
For information or complaints regarding fair housing, please call 570.208.4132

Staff Contacts

Name Title Phone
Ken Drevitch Rehab Specialist 570.208.4130
Nicholas Cave Program Manager/Fair Housing Officer 570.208.4132
Joe Rodano Environmental Review Officer 570.208.4167
Joyce Morrash Zaykowski Director 570.208.4138