Butler city to pilot program addressing housing deficit, receives $250K
The Butler Redevelopment Authority is receiving $250,000 from the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement fund to establish a pilot program addressing deficient housing in the city.
The city’s redevelopment authority and two county-level programs are collectively receiving $650,000 from a $93.4 million statewide investment from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency’s fund.
According to a news release, the Butler Redevelopment Authority will use the funds for an acquisition, rehab and resale program.
The funds will initially be used to purchase blighted, distressed housing for rehabilitation into a safe, revitalized single family housing unit to be sold to a low-to-moderate-income family. Profit from the sale will be reinvested into additional blighted homes for rehabilitation and resale to additional low-to-moderate income families.
At the county level, two initiatives are being supported.
The Butler County Redevelopment Authority is receiving $250,000 for its acquisition and rehabilitation program that combats blight, expands affordable housing, and revitalizes neighborhoods across the county.
The program acquires foreclosed, abandoned, or deteriorated properties and either rehabilitates them into safe, affordable rental units or demolishes and redevelops them as new housing.
The Housing Authority of Butler County is receiving $150,000 to support a targeted eviction-prevention initiative aimed at sustaining housing stability for low-income and hard-to-house individuals in the county.
This program will focus on residents who are at risk of eviction due to challenges maintaining their homes such as issues not related to missed rental payments but rather the inability to manage essential upkeep.
The Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement fund supports a total of 432 affordable housing initiatives.
Funding for these awards comes from two main sources. Since 2012, the program has received a portion of the impact fees collected from natural gas companies operating in the state, and funding from realty transfer taxes. The PHARE fund is often referred to as the state’s Housing Trust Fund.
