Centre County Commissioners Award $215K for Affordable Housing Rehabilitation Projects

Centre County commissioners on Tuesday approved $215,000 for four projects aimed at creating and repairing affordable housing across the county. 

The funding will support the rehabilitation of three homes in State College and Patton Township and provide additional money for a Habitat for Humanity program that helps lower-income homeowners make needed repairs. 

The awards come through the county’s Construction and Acquisition/Rehabilitation for Sustainable Housing, or CASH, Program, which uses Act 137 affordable housing funds. Four organizations and projects applied for funding, requesting a combined $215,000.

Ray Stolinas, Centre County’s director of Planning and Community Development, said the projects themselves represent more than $975,000 in total investment, making the county funding an important contribution to their completion. 

“This is the third year that we’ve done it,” Stolinas said. “Last time was 2023. We had the authorization to open up the cash program back in July.” 

The largest award, $65,000, will help Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County and the Centre County Housing and Land Trust with the rehabilitation of a single-family home on Woodycrest Street in Patton Township.

The project will include renovations and other improvements to prepare the home for an income-qualified household earning between 40% and 80% of the area median income. The property will carry a 99-year deed restriction to preserve its affordability. 

Habitat will receive another $50,000 for its Homeowner Repair Program, which assists homeowners earning up to 80% of the area median income with needed repairs. 

Stephanie Fost, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County, said the program has identified a broad need for assistance throughout the county. 

“These are folks that are doing all the right things,” Fost said. “Maybe they are on a fixed income, maybe they’re aging, whatever that might look like, and they just simply need some sort of repairs.” 

The program addresses projects ranging from accessibility improvements and ramps to damaged floors, windows, doors and siding. 

According to Fost, Habitat for Humanity has completed work on more than 30 homes since launching the program, with projects averaging about $5,000. 

“When we started this program, we had about 750 hours from volunteers, along with our paid staff member who goes out and supervises, and we’ve touched a little over 30 homes during that time…We are hopeful that we’ll be at least able to touch 10 households with this funding.” 

Commissioner Mark Higgins said the repair program helps preserve existing housing that could otherwise become uninhabitable. 

“There’s an overwhelming demand out there from people who are in Centre County that meet your income qualifications for repaired doors, for repairing flooring, basic needs ramps,” Higgins said. “But without those ramps, without those flooring repairs, eventually that house would be abandoned, and it would no longer be available for housing stock, especially affordable housing stock. So this is tremendous.”

The State College Community Land Trust will receive $50,000 to acquire and rehabilitate two single-family homes in State College Borough. Each property will receive $25,000 in grant funding. 

The homes will be available to first-time homebuyers earning 60 to 80% of the area median income and will remain affordable for at least 99 years. 

Colleen Ritter, executive director of the State College Community Land Trust, said the organization has already acquired one of the homes and plans to renovate it before selling it to a first-time homebuyer. However, costs have been increasing.

“It’s increasingly hard to find properties for us to buy,” Ritter said. “I think renovation costs have gone up significantly, so I think having this grant will just really help us do those two properties.” 

The HOME Foundation will also receive $50,000 to rehabilitate a single-family home in State College Borough. Once the work is completed, the home will be sold to a first-time buyer earning between 60% and 80% of the area median income. 

Morgan Wasakonis, executive director of The HOME Foundation and Housing Transitions, said the property requires significant renovations and that the funding will also allow the organization to make improvements that could lower future living costs. 

“The particular home that we requested funds for this year is in pretty dire need of a serious renovation,” she said. “This allows us to not only do the work that we need to make sure that it’s all up to code and in good standing when we leave it in the hands of a first-time homebuyer…

“It also allows us to prioritize things like making sure it’s more affordable to live in, so we’re able to do some of the things that will help make it more energy efficient and a little bit more cost-effective to live in, trying to reduce the cost burden of the people who will buy the home.”

The three home acquisition and rehabilitation projects will carry 99-year deed restrictions intended to keep the properties affordable for future owners.

Commissioners said the investments address affordable housing from multiple angles, creating opportunities for new homeowners while preserving existing homes for residents who may not otherwise be able to afford major repairs. 

“Those are things you just can’t get around. You have to fix them, and this is an opportunity for folks to take advantage of that,” Commissioner Steve Dershem said.

Commissioners unanimously approved all four awards. The $215,000 in county funding will be used alongside other project funds to support the affordable housing and repair work. 

The county previously has used similar funding to support housing rehabilitation and preservation projects throughout Centre County, with officials saying the programs can help expand affordable housing by keeping existing homes safe and accessible to residents who might otherwise be unable to afford necessary repairs.