LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) — A historic investment for affordable housing in Lancaster.

Mayor Sorace and her team delivered checks totaling more than $7 million of American Rescue Plan Money to eight organizations.

After months of talks on how to use the funds, it was decided affordable housing was the number one issue. The Stockyards Project got the largest check at $2 million, they will be adding 45 units.

“I’ve been trying to find new and innovative ways to do affordable housing, particularly what I call mix income where we can have a mixture of both market rate and some more affordable units as well and I think this is the first at least for our community.” President of SDL Devci LLC Ben Lesher said.

The more than $7 million will go to adding more than 85 affordable housing units and preserving 443 existing ones through renovations.