After tomorrow, local developers pursuing affordable housing grants will have a new reason to set aside special space for the homeless. With the Lancaster County commissioners’ approval, those seeking grants for such projects will be presented with a new “condition” that 10% of the units developed be provided for families experiencing homelessness.
County human services lead James Laughman told NewsLanc that this “condition” would not be a binding requirement. “We don’t ask anybody to develop a program with ten percent dedicated to homelessness,” Laughman asserted, “but if you are going to bring a project for affordable housing together, and you have ten percent dedicated to ending homelessness for families, you get an extra incentive.”
The incentive, Laughman said, relates more the likelihood of receiving funds than to the amount of funds that would be received. In the disbursement of community development block grants, for example, an affordable housing project planning to set aside that 10% will be more likely to be awarded funds than a project that does not meet the new condition.
The resolution came as a recommendation from the Lancaster County Coalition to End Homelessness, which promotes a ten-year action plan to provide enough available living space to end homelessness in Lancaster County.
According to Commissioner Scott Martin, “This is part of a bigger design that’s being put together for how we reach that total number beds in ten years. Some might be the 10% set-asides, but others might be stand-alone projects, like the one being proposed in Ephrata and, hopefully, in other regional parts throughout the county.”
Commissioner Dennis Stuckey noted that this new incentive will help address a tragic and often overlooked face of homelessness: “We certainly have families who end up homeless because of their circumstances, and, as a community we need to keep that in mind. We’re helping families with this effort.”
County to override farm easement for bridge repairs
At Wednesday’s commissioners meeting, the board is expected to approve adjoining land acquisitions for the Eby Chiques Road bridge repair project, one parcel of which is currently preserved by an agricultural easement. The Mount Joy property’s owner has agreed to sell the land; the easement itself will be acquired by the County through eminent domain.
The federally-funded bridge improvement project seeks to improve sight visibility and points of access and approach. According to Stuckey, the project serves specifically to improve public safety. The Agricultural Preserve Board, Stuckey said, acknowledged the easement purchase “as a public safety issue.”
Although Agriculture Preserve Board approval was not required for the commissioners’ action, the entity discussed the easement acquisition at their March meeting and expressed no disagreement.
