York County leaders have a 6-point action plan to address affordable housing crisis
In 2023, the York County Economic Alliance (YCEA) and more than thirty housing stakeholders released a Housing Needs and Conditions Assessment documenting the harsh realities of York County’s housing market. Among many other findings, the study found nearly half of all renters and more than a quarter of all households in York County are considered cost burdened, meaning they spend 30 percent or more of their income on rent or mortgage. The increased cost of housing is pushing many York families to the brink of — or into — poverty, despite working full-time jobs.
Working together as attainable housing advocates, market-rate developers, realtors, planners, mortgage brokers and government leaders at all levels, our housing partners developed consensus around the York County Housing Action Agenda, which we are releasing today.
The Housing Action Agendaoutlines six tangible actions we, as a community, can take to improve access to attainable housing across the housing market:
Action #1 - Support the goal of Friends & Neighbors of Pennsylvania, the York County Coalition on Homelessness, and other emergency shelter providers to develop a permanent day shelter in the City of York through strong advocacy to funders and other stakeholders. The day shelter will provide essential services and comfort to community members from throughout the county who are experiencing housing or essential service insecurity.
Action #2 - Collaborate with Affordable Housing Advocates, York Housing Authority, LifePath, York County Stable Housing Collaborative and other housing support partners to develop a housing stability continuum of care that increases coordination between partners to deliver improved access to emergency housing services, enhanced financial literacy, and clearer pathways to stable housing, which includes the development of an educational support program connecting tenants to responsible, private landlords.
Action #3 - Invest $1,200,000 from the Whole Home Repairs program in training partnerships that create pathways to in-demand construction careers, in turn growing the capacity of the builder community for home rehabilitation, maintenance of York County’s aging residential stock and new home construction.
Action #4 - Support York County Planning Commission’s municipal outreach and education, to promote missing middle housing through zoning reform and model ordinances that help address housing barriers, including opposition to new housing development.
Action #5 - Launch a quarterly Housing Developers Roundtable to provide a forum for information sharing and issue identification amongst the public and private residential development and construction community.
Action #6 - Formalize discussions of employer-invested workforce housing and home ownership or rental incentives through Welcoming Workplaces, a collective of nearly 100 York County employers focusing on equity and workplace culture to attract and retain a talented workforce.
The Action Agenda is more than wishful thinking. In fact, the actions are intended to lift up crucial work already underway across York County and to send a clear message about our priorities to address the housing crisis at all levels — from expanding resources for our friends and neighbors experiencing homelessness to encouraging large employers to partner with us to increase housing access for their employees.
The housing crisis is the result of systemic failures within complex systems that have unfolded over decades. We can’t solve the crisis immediately or influence some of the macro-economic forces that affect the housing market. But we have the opportunity to work collaboratively and break down organizational silos to help make tangible progress for York County residents in the short term.
Thank you to the more than thirty housing stakeholders for your partnership during the last 18 months, for coming to consensus around this Action Agenda and for your commitment to making progress in the future.
To view the York County Housing Action Agenda and the countywide housing report, visit www.yorkcountyeap.org.
Silas Chamberlin, PhD, is chief strategy officer at the York County Economic Alliance.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York County PA leaders have plan to address affordable housing crisis
