Lancaster County is in southeastern Pennsylvania, about 48 miles west of Philadelphia. The county's western boundary is the Susquehanna River, and its western corner is only about 12 miles southeast of Harrisburg, the State capital. The county's population is 422,800, including 55,550 living in the city of Lancaster, the county seat. First settled in 1721, the city is the commercial center of a prosperous agricultural region where German Mennonites and Moravians established themselves early in the 18th century. Lancaster County is recognized for its high quality of life, including a strong and diverse economy, good schools, low crime rates, and a rich agricultural heritage.
In its Consolidated Plan, Lancaster County describes its housing and community development needs and priorities for the area surrounding the city of Lancaster. The county proposes a 5-year strategy for addressing these needs, using Federal and other resources. For the first year of the plan, Lancaster County is requesting $4 million in Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program funds, $1.2 million in HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) program funds, and a $141,000 Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG). This money will be used to finance the 43 housing, community development, and service activities planned for the 1995-1996 program year.
Because of time constraints encountered at the beginning of its program
year, Lancaster County was permitted to defer much of its consultation with
citizens, municipal officials, nonprofit organizations, and social service
agencies. Copies of the plan were distributed countywide to public libraries,
municipal offices, and county commissioner's offices.
Between 1950 and 1990, Lancaster County's population increased between 40,000 and 50,000 each decade. Unfortunately, population growth also brought change, including loss of the county's farmland. The loss is significant because in this fertile and productive region, agriculture is the foundation of the local economy. In 1989 county farmers produced more than $820 million worth of agricultural products. However, more than 750 farms and 20,000 acres of cropland have been lost to development since 1975.
Much of the lost farmland was converted into sprawling, low-density residential developments. Since 1980, 68 square miles of land have been used to house about 50,000 people. Comparatively, Lancaster City accommodates approximately 60,000 people on only 7 square miles of land.
In 1992 Lancaster County's median family income (MFI) was $37,791, versus a national MFI of $35,929. Of the 130,149 households in the county, excluding the city of Lancaster, 33 percent earn 0-80 percent of the local MFI. Census data from 1990 show the following levels of low- and moderate-income households:
Although the number of minority persons living outside the city of Lancaster has nearly doubled to more than 11,000, Lancaster County remains a very homogeneous community. Outside the city more than 97 percent of the population is white. Census data from 1990 show the following subpopulations among Lancaster County's 307,621 residents and 130,149 households (excluding Lancaster City):
There is a need for more affordable housing. Large numbers of very low-income renter and owner households outside the city pay more than 30 percent of their gross income for housing expenses, and significant numbers pay more than 50 percent.
According to the 1990 census, the housing stock of Lancaster County, excluding the city, totaled 136,140 year-round units. Of the 129,767 occupied units, 35,016 were occupied by renters, while 94,751 were occupied by owners. Of the 6,373 vacant units, 1,321 were for rent, while 825 were for sale. In 1992 the vacancy rate for rental housing was about 3.6 percent, and the rate for owner-occupant properties was only 0.9 percent.
Although nearly 20,000 owner units and 7,200 rental units were built between 1980 and 1990, the housing supply has not kept up with the demand. Conditions and housing markets vary widely throughout the county, ranging from rural and small town to suburban and urban. Furthermore, escalating housing prices affect all income groups.
The highest cost of rental housing is in the suburban neighborhoods surrounding Lancaster City. These rental units are often in garden or townhouse developments constructed in the 1970s, and they have amenities such as swimming pools and tennis courts. Median contract rents, excluding utilities, range between $450 and $500 per month.
The lowest rents are found in the city and the county's boroughs. Many of these units are former single-family units, which are more than 40 years old, but which have been converted into apartments. Median rents range between $300 and $350 per month.
A survey conducted by the Lancaster County Planning Commission in 1992 showed that rental units were generally in sound condition. About 10-20 percent of the properties had aging mechanical or structural systems that had already exceeded their expected life, indicating replacements will be needed in the near future.
Between 1980 and 1990, the median value of owner-occupied housing increased by 89 percent, rising from $47,200 to $89,400. The rate of increase was fairly consistent throughout the county. The only areas with higher rates of increase were the rural townships in the extreme southeastern part of the county. These less populated areas are being impacted by development spillover from urban areas of neighboring Chester County. Furthermore, these inflated prices have resulted from growth which is being driven by migration from the nearby Philadelphia and Baltimore metropolitan areas.
A large proportion of lower income households are cost-burdened, paying more than 30 percent of their gross income for housing expenses, including utilities. Some are severely cost-burdened, paying more than 50 percent.
Of Lancaster County's 8,255 extremely low-income households (both renter and owner), 70 percent are cost-burdened, while 49 percent are severely cost-burdened. Of the 11,390 very low-income households, 50 percent are cost-burdened, while 19 percent are severely cost- burdened.
Studies conducted by the County Planning Commission in 1988 and 1989 showed that in 43 of the county's 60 municipalities, median-income households could not afford median- priced single-family homes. Median-income families usually had only 70-80 percent of the income required to purchase a median-priced home. Currently, this affordability problem has not been alleviated.
An April 11, 1994, one-day, point-in-time survey conducted by the Interagency Council for the Homeless in Lancaster County and City found 469 homeless persons. This count included 190 persons in 73 families with children, and 279 adults (18 or older) who were not in families. Of these 469 homeless persons, all were served by emergency shelters or transitional housing.
Subpopulations of the homeless with special needs were as follows:
There is currently no public housing located in Lancaster County outside the city of Lancaster.
The Lancaster County Housing Authority administers 708 units of tenant-based rental assistance through Section 8 certificates and vouchers. Residents are able to use the certificates or vouchers to lease housing anywhere in the county and currently do so in 50 of the county's municipalities.
Another 742 affordable housing units are assisted through other programs, such as: HUD Section 202 housing for the elderly, the Section 221(d)(3) assisted mortgage program, Farmers Home housing, or the Federal Low Income Tax Credit program.
The strongest barrier to addressing affordable housing needs is the strong antigrowth sentiment that has emerged in response to the Lancaster county's continued high growth rate. This growth has impacted all aspects of daily life, including loss of prime farmland, unsatisfactory patterns of development, inadequate road networks, and growing service needs. Numerous citizens groups have formed to combat growth, making all development activities increasingly time-consuming and expensive.
Local municipalities are working to limit growth and its impact through ever-tightening land- use, subdivision, and storm water management controls. In Pennsylvania, local government has been granted primary power to plan and regulate the use of land. Lancaster County cannot mandate change in land use regulatory practices because its powers relative to local comprehensive plans and regulations are only advisory.
The county needs to continue its program to promote fair housing and to achieve compliance with existing fair housing laws. In Lancaster County, the Human Relations Council performs these functions.
No documentation exists on the incidence of lead-based paint problems in the county. HUD guidelines that estimate the presence of lead using the age of the housing stock yield a total of about 75,000 residential units which may have lead hazards, including 21,000 rental units. On a household basis, an estimated 40,000 extremely low-, very low- and low-income households may live in units containing lead-based paint.
The State Health Center has funded a program to test residential properties in the county whenever a child is identified with an elevated lead-blood level. The Community Action Program has established a lead-based paint hazard abatement program that provides education, cleaning materials, and technical assistance to help individual families to reduce lead hazards in their homes.
There are also housing and supportive needs for the elderly, the mentally disabled, the mentally ill, the physically disabled, substance abusers, and victims of domestic violence. Although each group generally has similar needs, such as affordable and accessible housing, the groups differ somewhat in the mix of supportive services they need.
Communities in Lancaster County have determined a variety of community development needs, with the most important being:
Residents have a deep pride in Lancaster County and consider themselves fortunate to live in a unique and special place. Two of the county's "sacred resources" are its land, which is some of the most fertile and productive agricultural land in the Nation, and its small towns and villages, which demonstrate a traditional pattern development that provides a strong community identity and a "sense of place."
The citizens are extremely concerned about the future of Lancaster County because the county appears to be losing some of the sacred resources it cherishes most. The high quality of life the residents enjoy today could easily be lost if growth and change are not properly managed.
Lancaster County's future direction depends on whether or not its citizens can regain the balance between its urban centers and rural areas. In order to regain this balance and to protect the viability of the county's agricultural economy, the location and pattern of the development occurring today will have to be altered.
To prevent development from sprawling into Lancaster County's rural areas, growth will be redirected to urban areas that contain a full range of public facilities and services which can support residential and commercial development. The City of Lancaster and small satellite communities will be revitalized and re-established as the focal points of the county.
Housing priorities in Lancaster County for the next 5 years are as follows:
In terms of the homeless population, the priority is to develop a countywide comprehensive and coordinated supportive service and facility network that will protect those at-risk and facilitate integration of the homeless and other special populations into the community.
After consulting with the 59 municipalities that participate in the county's CDBG program, Lancaster County has determined general community development needs (shown above) which will be addressed throughout the 5-year plan. However, specific priorities will depend on proposals submitted by the various participating jurisdictions.
The county has organized a Human Services Management Team to coordinate service delivery and funding priorities among the various county agencies.
Two recent programs share the goal of reducing the number of households living below the poverty level. They are:
The financial resources to implement the 5-year plan include $5.4 million in CDBG, HOME, and ESG funds which will be received this year. Lancaster County anticipates that similar levels of HUD funding will be available during the remaining 4 years of the 5-year plan. Other funding available to help the county implement its strategic plan includes various Federal and State programs. Valuable sources of State funds include the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. A primary source of funds is the Commonwealth's Housing & Community Development Program, administered by DCA and funded by annual State general revenue appropriations.
The County Commissioners have designated the Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities as the lead agencies responsible for coordinating the planning and submission process.
In 1994 to improve upon the existing informal network between emergency and transitional shelter providers and public service agencies, Lancaster City and County joined with those providers to organize the Interagency Council on the Homeless. An informal network of communication still exists between providers of permanent housing and service agencies.
One of Lancaster County's long-term policy goals is to develop a
cooperative, coordinated, and intergovernmental approach to planning. The
private section and numerous levels of government share the power to shape the
county's future. Approximately 160 different local governmental units are
currently involved in some aspect of community and land-use planning in
Lancaster County. This includes county government, 60 municipalities, 16 school
boards, and dozens of authorities with specific purposes.
For the 1995-1996 program year, Lancaster County plans to use $5.6 million in CDBG, HOME, ESG, and program income funds for 43 activities that address specific housing, community development, and human services needs.
For housing, $2 million is allocated for eight activities, including:
For infrastructure and public facilities, $2 million is budgeted for activities, including:
For public services, $595,000 will be used to assist 14 programs, primarily run by nonprofit groups that provide needed services to low-income residents. These activities include a young parenthood program that provides teenage mothers with prenatal, postnatal, and counseling services at 12 different locations. Other programs include: child care, "big sisters" outreach, tenant counseling, a sexual abuse/assault center, and a group home for persons with AIDS.
For the homeless population, an Emergency Shelter Grant will be used to help with the operating and utility costs of two shelters (one for abused women) and to provide homeless individuals and families with services that help them to obtain independent housing.
Allocations for economic development include:
Activities will be conducted at sites throughout the county. Some projects, such as street improvements, will take place at a predetermined site in one of the county's local jurisdictions. Others projects, such as youth counseling efforts, will take place countywide.
Housing activities included in this year's Action Plan are expected to build or rehabilitate 201 housing units.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 6 is a map, sectioned by neighborhood, which depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 7 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within one of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 8 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within another of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 9 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded project(s) from a street level vantage point; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
