Only Eastern Pa. areas damaged by riots eligible for loans, no mention of help for Pittsburgh region

PITTSBURGH — Gov. Tom Wolf announced Saturday that home and business owners only in the eastern areas of the state damaged by rioting partly in response to the death of George Floyd could apply for low-interest disaster loans. There is no mention of Pittsburgh or Allegheny County, where dozens of businesses and shops were smashed and looted as a peaceful protest turned violent on May 30.

In a news release from Gov. Wolf’s office, the program applies to homeowners, renters and businesses impacted in the City of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties. Up to $200,000 is available for homeowners to repair or replace damaged property. Up to $40,000 is available to repair or replace personal property, such as cars. Businesses and nonprofits are eligible for up to $2 million to fix buildings, replace inventory and buy new equipment.

In Pittsburgh, thousands turned out on May 30 for a peaceful protest and march through areas of the city. After several hours, crowds became violent, attacking police officers on horseback and torching police vehicles near PPG Paints Arena. Several journalists covering the event on the ground were attacked. Rioting broke out throughout Downtown as people started smashing storefronts and looting businesses. The city was put on a curfew and all roads and bridges into Downtown were closed off for the night as police worked to regain control.

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Officials with Pittsburgh Public Safety said the next day that 60 businesses and properties were damaged, including hotels, restaurants and small businesses. 44 people were arrested in connection with the damage.

It’s not clear if Gov. Wolf will extend the program to the western portions of Pennsylvania. He signed a disaster declaration May 30 that allocated $2 million in unused funds to help with expenses following the demonstrations. However, that only allowed the Pennsylvania National Guard and Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner to activate more units and officers should they be needed to quell any violence.

Violence also broke out in Harrisburg that weekend. There was no mention of that area being eligible for help in the news release either.

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