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Faith communities – we need your help!
The attainable housing shortage in Chester County is serious. “Attainable” means that the household is spending less than 30% of their income on housing-related costs. 27% of Chester County households spend more than that.
For years, the number of housing units built in Chester County has fallen well below the number of people needing homes or apartments. Compounding the development problem, attainable housing is often not permitted by municipal codes.
The average Chester County apartment rent is $1,780/month. A household must earn at least $80,000 to afford the rent comfortably. This prices out many people we need in our communities: college graduates just starting out, EMTs, nurses, teachers, seniors.
Attainable housing for them could include small single-family homes, duplexes, quads, small multi-family units around courtyards, and accessory dwelling units. At township meetings, vocal groups oppose these types of housing. Theirs may be the only message municipal officials hear. We need to change that narrative.
Supporters of attainable housing need to speak up at public meetings, providing municipal officials with support to approve these projects. These advocates should speak to their faith communities and other groups so people understand and support sensible changes.
The 450 faith communities in Chester County could be a major source of support. There is a toolkit for advocates here: www.attainablehousingadvocacy.com, including talking points, videos, presentations, handouts - for learning about this issue, and then speaking to groups, growing understanding in our communities.
Please be an attainable housing advocate! Our region prospers when we all prosper. That means having good, safe, affordable housing within a reasonable distance of their jobs. Advocates need to speak out and support changes to make this happen. It’s the right thing to do.
For more information, contact Burt Rothenberger bfrothen@verizon.net or Ruth Simonson rsimonson19@gmail.com
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