In Wellsboro, Pennsylvania— population 3,440— one small business owner drives to pick up their employee from the homeless shelter for their shift. There is the willingness to work; but the employee can’t find housing in their price range

Rural communities in the state are struggling to maintain and grow their populations. Housing plays a key role as a cause— and solution— to the issue.

The 2024/25 state budget focuses on fund increases for affordable housing programs and support. Requests range from PHARE (PA Housing Affordability & Rehabilitation Enhancement) fund increases to a continuation of the Whole Home Repairs Program to adding $5 million in the state budget to provide legal representation in eviction proceedings.

In Pennsylvania, for every 100 extremely low income renter households, there are only 69 units available in their price range. Democrats in a recent press conference shared how some affordable housing apartment complexes are switching to regular rates once their contracts are up.

Eviction laws can leave tenants with inaccurate records (for example, a landlord may start the eviction process, but then problems be resolved so the tenant is not evicted, but a mark remains on their record). This can limit access to higher cost housing in the future.

In urban areas, lawmakers placed an emphasis on protecting already existing affordable housing units (and calling landlords to higher standards of maintenance responsiveness), along with the need for building new infrastructure.

Rural areas may have fewer large apartment complexes, but a need to maintain current real estate while attracting new projects.

“We had a very aging population,” said Heidi Scrivo, President of the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce. "And so a lot of the homes that we have are left in poor condition. And we oftentimes lose those homes. They end up getting torn down instead of getting the work that they need to be done so that they're livable homes."

Scrivo shared how losing these houses that would normally go to middle-income households in turn impacts low-income households.

“Our shortage here is more on our middle income housing than I would say it is for the low income housing,” said Scrivo. "And so what happens is the housing that maybe the low income could take on our median income families are in because that isn't available.”

Looking past the maintenance of current infrastructure— the entire nation is facing a shortage in new homes being built. Housing shortages in turn make it hard for communities to attract and maintain a workforce, which in turn makes it hard to attract developers.

“Let’s say we approach a developer and say 'We have a place here in Bradford we've identified, that we want we have in our city that we want to build some houses on,” said Scrivo. “But they respond like, ‘Well, but I can make more money selling houses in this bigger area than I can make in your small community."

State programs like the Whole Home Repairs can help address keeping current homes available for people. The federal level is also pushing manufactured homes as a big part of the future.

“It is less expensive, and because it can be made to have those energy efficient and resilient features that we really need as we see the climate change,” said Julia Gordon, Assistant Secretary of Housing for the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).