Wildheart Ministries presents Allison Hill "Blueprint" results, calls for Elm Street designation to fund housing and business work

Tannon Herman, executive director of WildArt/Wildheart Ministries, told Harrisburg City Council the Allison Hill Blueprint Communities effort graduated in November 2025 after an 18‑month training program sponsored by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania Downtown Center. Herman said the team surveyed residents, reviewed existing plans and identified three dominant resident priorities: affordable housing, business development and stronger connections to social services.

"We asked residents to vote with a fake currency called Allison Hillbucks," Herman said in his presentation, a low‑tech engagement exercise designed to test what people would spend if they chose to stay. He said 203 families participated and that 83% of those respondents indicated they want to remain in Allison Hill. Participants prioritized home purchase/renovation (28.5%), business ownership (25.5%) and other community improvements.

The presenters described a four‑step strategic approach and recommended the community pursue an Elm Street designation through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to secure funding and hire an Elm Street manager. Herman said an Elm Street award would typically include a five‑year commitment from the state and create a staffed position to shepherd plan implementation and attract funding. He added that Elm Street focuses on residential neighborhood revitalization—combating blight and improving access to services—while the better‑known Main Street program addresses commercial corridors.

The presentation named partners and coaches involved in the process, including the Harrisburg Community Development Corporation, S&T Bank (as the member bank required by the program), Penn State Extension, the Pennsylvania Downtown Center and local nonprofits. Herman said the team used local data sources and prior neighborhood plans (including the Heart of the Hill plan and city comprehensive plan) to avoid "planning fatigue" and to identify gaps in prior work.

In question and answer, a resident asked whether the survey sample represented household composition across Allison Hill and whether the blueprint team met federal or programmatic funding requirements; the presenters said the Blueprint Communities program is a training designation and that pursuing state or federal funding is a separate step that will require meeting specific eligibility criteria. Another resident asked whether the initiative sought to acquire property; Herman and a Thrive Housing representative denied that acquisition for private profit was the program’s aim and highlighted the emphasis on community‑led priorities and outreach (including bilingual materials and pop‑up events).

Next steps the presenters described included expanding stakeholder teams for housing, business development and community connections, stronger outreach to residents and local organizations, and pursuing an Elm Street application as the first major funding strategy.

The council did not take action on the presentation itself. Several public commenters who followed raised related concerns about enforcement, infrastructure and trust in long‑term funding, themes council members said they would monitor as the plan advances.