It was announced last week that over 100 residents in Centre County may find themselves homeless within the next several months, as their North Atherton Street trailer park owners wish to rezone the property for commercial and business land use in order to make more money. The announcement was met with a lot of public debate, directed mostly towards the lack of low-income housing in State College.
66 of the 87 available trailer lots are currently occupied, with 105 people total living in the community. This total includes 10 to 15 school-age children.
At the Borough Council Work Session last night, council members addressed their agreement with the public’s complaints, concern for members of the community affected by the relocation, and their desire to discuss the matter at a future meeting.
Council member Jeffrey Kern raised the issue during the Open Agenda portion of the meeting, stating his interest in discussing ways to create affordable housing in State College. He noted that local authorities find money to do what renovations and building they want, but rarely put forth the effort to help look for solutions in situations like this. Kern recommended the council add the item to a future agenda, to “talk about what we as a community can do, or what we as a Borough can do.”
Fellow council member Craig Humphrey agreed that the issue should be addressed by the council. Humphrey said that State College should assist residents in finding affordable housing in the borough, but also expressed his disatisfaction with nearby townships who, he says, have affordable housing but aren’t doing anything about it.
The council will schedule a future meeting to further discuss low-income housing options and what the borough can do to provide a broader range of assistance to residents.
