The Westmoreland County Consolidated Plan presents a strategy for the implementation of housing and community development objectives that will improve the quality of life in Westmoreland County. The County's one year action plan identifies community development and housing projects exceeding 7.5 million dollars. The County's primary source of funding includes Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and Emergency Shelter Grants Program (ESG).
The Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development conducted a series of public meetings to solicit input into the preparation of the Consolidated Plan.
The public hearings were held at the following locations:
In addition to Community meetings, the County invited other governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide insight and input into the goals and actions that should be considered as a result of the consolidated planning process. Each participating community in the Westmoreland County CDBG Program has been contacted via mail and by phone to identify specific needs and subsequent actions to address needs in individual communities.
Consultation with the Westmoreland County Housing Authority was made to obtain data on the public housing inventory (including Section 8 Rental Assistance) and to discuss the Housing Authority's plans for public housing development activities. Public housing residents were notified of the preparation of the Consolidated Plan and the 30 day review period through the Housing Authority Newsletter. The County also solicited input from Social Service and homeless agencies providing housing assistance and related services to low and moderate income persons. Comprehensive surveys were mailed to each of these agencies.
Copies of the CP were distributed to various public locations as well as
sent to the Housing Authority for their comments. A summary of the CP was
published on January 23, 1995 in the local newspaper to alert interested persons
as to the availability of the CP.
Westmoreland County is located in the southwestern region of the
Commonwealth and is one of the five counties which comprise the Pittsburgh
Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) according to the 1990 U.S. Census.
As is similar with other southwestern Pennsylvania counties, Westmoreland
County's past is reflected in the rise and fall of steel and other heavy
industries which once forged the region's prosperous economy. Having implemented
new economic development initiatives over a decade ago, the County is well into
the long and complex transformation of economic diversification.
While the area's economy is showing signs of improvement, many effects of multiple plant closings and massive lay-offs which occurred in the mid-1980s linger on today: underemployment at wages lower than high-paying manufacturing jobs, a decline among the labor force population due to lack of employment opportunities, an aging housing stock and an aging population living on modest fixed incomes. Also impacting local units of government are declines in the local tax bases. Vacant and underutilized industrial facilities contribute only a portion of the tax revenues previously paid to taxing bodies. Net out-migration of tax-paying homeowners from many communities has decreased drastically the financial capacity of municipalities to provide adequate levels of public services to remaining residents.
Based on the housing assistance needs data used in the Consolidated Plan, the County identified the greatest needs to include:
The County housing stock has steadily increased over the past several decades. In 1980 there were 148,035 total units in Westmoreland County. Of this number, 106,198 (71.7%) were owner-occupied units, 33,035 (22.3%) were renter-occupied, and 7,602 (5.1%) were vacant. In 1990, the number of housing units increased 3.7% to 153,554 of which 71.6% were owner-occupied, 22.2% were renter-occupied and 6.2% were vacant. The only significant change over the decade was noted as an increase in the number of vacant units.
Affordable housing needs identified in the Westmoreland County Consolidated Plan include:
According to the homeless shelter providers in Westmoreland County, there are 214 beds for the homeless at various shelter sites throughout the County. The majority of the beds are occupied year around. The shelter providers estimate that approximately 470 persons will be assisted by the shelters during a one year period. Many of the homeless have been diagnosed with mental or drug and alcohol disabilities.
The County has identified the need to provide assistance to the nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to homeless populations. The County currently uses its Emergency Shelter Grant funds to assist various homeless shelters.
There are 738 applicants on file with Westmoreland County Housing Authority who are waiting for available pubic housing units. The County Housing Authority waiting list has never been closed.
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority utilizes the federal preferences for priority for housing for (1) persons paying more than 50% of their income for rent, (2) living in substandard conditions, or (3) homelessness.
Of the 738 waiting list applicants, 41 applicants stated they were displaced, 48 stated homelessness and 221 stated they were paying more then 50% of their income on monthly housing expenses.
The extent of WCHA's waiting list for public housing demonstrates the need for additional units of assisted housing among very low income households in Westmoreland County.
To address the negative effects of regulatory issues on fair and affordable housing, the Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development has continued to offer technical assistance to municipalities requesting assistance in developing, modifying, revising or amending their zoning and subdivision ordinances and building code standards. However, due to the provisions of state law, the County has no legal jurisdiction over any one municipality to require that amendments, etc. be developed, adopted and enforced.
Westmoreland County has identified the following actions in an effort to affirmatively further fair and affordable housing.
As described in the Five-Year Strategy, Westmoreland County has developed an action plan, with specific objectives, for the reduction of lead hazards. The goal of the Lead Based Paint Program is the prevention and elimination of lead-based paint hazards in approximately 5 - 10 households a year. The program requires that owner-occupied households be within current Section 8 income limits.
Each year, the County Planning Office invites each local municipality within Westmoreland County to participate in the identification of Community Development Needs. Each community is asked to submit documentation to the County requesting CDBG funds to address needs that have been identified. The following is a summary list of general needs that have been identified as a result of the input from citizens and local municipalities.
Economic Development Needs/Concerns
Public Service Needs/Concerns
Public Facility Needs/Concerns
Infrastructure Improvement Needs/Concerns
Private - Public partnerships are critical to the provisions of affordable
housing. The County has worked with private entities such as Property
Development Corporation and Patterson - Erie Corporation to develop elderly and
rental housing units. The County intends to continue its practice of entering
into private/public partnerships to create affordable housing opportunities.
The overall goal of the County is to strengthen partnerships between government and the private sector. These partnerships will help the County pursue its goals for housing and community development programs.
Based on the needs as determined for the Consortium, the following general objective statements have been established for the Five-Year Strategy.
Community development objectives focus primarily on the revitalization of communities through economic development initiatives, the improvement of infrastructure/public facilities, and the removal of blighting conditions.
The following priorities have been established for the Westmoreland County Housing Consortium five year strategy.
The County's Non-Housing Community Development Priorities as identified in the five year Consolidated Plan include:
The County recognized that it does not have significant control over the factors which might reduce the number of households with incomes below the level of poverty. However, the Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development continues to work to bring new industries and businesses into the County and to assist existing employers who are interested in expanding to create additional job opportunities for residents. Once such program includes the County's effort at redeveloping the vacant industrial facilities on the Monessen Riverfront. Active pursuit of new industrial investment in this area is being carried out to attract new jobs to a region with a skilled and available labor force. This region of the State was particularly hard hit by the decline of steel and other heavy industries and newly created jobs would increase family and household disposable income, rejuvenate local businesses and generally improve the quality of life for Westmoreland County residents. This would include those residents who might currently live below the level of poverty.
The primary resources identified in the Consolidated plan include CDBG, HOME and ESG. Other sources of funding used by the consortium to implement housing and community development objectives include Act 137 (Affordable Housing Funds) and Housing and Community Development Funds (State resource).
Westmoreland County continues to work with public and private entities which comprise the affordable housing delivery system to coordinate housing and support service efforts. For example, the County will provide HOME funding to Westmoreland County Housing Authority for the rehabilitation of 14 rental housing units in Hempfield Township. The County also worked with he Housing Authority in the development of the former Duff School in Export Borough and the former Catejan School in Monessen into elderly rental housing units.
The County's coordination efforts will also include the provision of technical assistance to the County's designated CHDO (Westmoreland CHODO, Inc.). In this way, the County will assist the CHDO to develop permanent rental housing for persons with special needs.
The County will continue to provide ESG and/or CDBG funding to social service agencies and WCHA for the provision of support services to the homeless and those threatened with homelessness.
Westmoreland County will also continue to work with private developers who
propose the development of new supportive housing units with planned support
service components.
In order to address the needs identified in the Consolidated Plan, The County is proposing the activities summarized below.
| Activity Name | CDBG | HOME | ESG | Other funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administration - Westmoreland County
General Admin ($ 503,235.98) Bolivar Borough Housing Market Study ($ 4,500) West Newton Borough ($ 25,000) |
$ 532,735.98 | $ 148,800 | $ 9,500 | $ 9,500 |
| Contingencies - Westmoreland County | $ 175,000.00 | |||
| Demolition - City of Monessen | $ 800,000.00 | |||
| Removal of Architectural Barriers -
Westmoreland County |
$ 235,000.00 | |||
| Single Family Rehabilitation -
Westmoreland County Monessen and Jeannette (Consortium) |
$ 250,000.00 |
$ 894,950 $ 141,250 |
$ 218,737 $ 35,313 | |
|
Rental Rehabilitation - Westmoreland County |
$ 250,000.00 | |||
Emergency Rehabilitation - Westmoreland County |
$ 200,000.00 | |||
Water System - Derry Township water storage |
$ 200,000.00 | |||
| Water Line Extensions
a. Donegal Borough/Donegal Township b. North Huntington Township c. Unity Township |
$ 900,000.00 $ 156,186.56 $ 128,000.00 |
|||
| Sanitary Sewer Line Extension - Penn Township | $ 76,000.00 | |||
| Storm Sewer Systems
a. City of Lower Burrell b. Trafford Borough |
$ 67,000.00 $ 103,000.00 |
|||
|
Street Reconstruction
a. East Huntington Township b. Ligonier Borough c. Murrysville d. South Greensburg Borough e. Vandergrift Borough f. West Newton Borough g. Sewickley Township Bridge Replacement |
$ 75,000.00 $ 48,000.00 $ 250,000.00 $ 11,000.00 $ 260,000.00 $ 145,000.00 $ 200,000.00 | |||
| Special Housing - Adelphoi Group Home | $ 250,000.00 | |||
| Repayment of Disallowed Expenditures | $ 140,077.46 | |||
| CHDO Set-Aside - Rental Housing | $ 230,000 | $ 57,500 | ||
| CHDO Operating Expenses | $ 30,000 | |||
| Tenant based rental assistance | $ 63,000 | $ 15,750 | ||
| S.W. Pa. Human Services, Inc.
a. Essential Services ($ 7,200) b. Operations ($ 14,100) c. Shelter Staff Administration ($ 2,700) |
$ 24,000 | $ 24,000 | ||
| Women's Services of Westmoreland County
a. Essential Services ($ 9,600) b. Operations ($ 30,000) |
$ 39,600 | $ 39,600 | ||
| Westmoreland County Housing Authority
a. Homeless Prevention ($ 8,224) b. Operations ($ 8,926) |
$ 17,150 | $ 17,150 | ||
|
Union Mission of Latrobe, Inc.
a. Renovation and Rehabilitation ($ 10,500) b. Essential Services ($ 3,000) c. Operations ($ 1,500) d. Shelter Staff Administration ($ 4,550) |
$ 19,350 | $ 19,350 | ||
| Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center, Inc.
a. Renovation and Rehabilitation ($ 19,400) |
$ 19,400 | $ 19,400 | ||
| Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center
a. Operations ($ 13,500) b. Shelter Staff Administration ($ 1,500) |
$ 15,000 | $ 15,000 | ||
| Adelphoi, Inc.
a. Renovation and Rehabilitation ($ 30,000) |
$ 30,000 | $ 30,000 | ||
| YMCA Emergency Youth Shelter
a. Operations ($ 11,200) b. Rehabilitation ($ 4,800) |
$ 16,000 | $ 16,000 | ||
| TOTALS | $ 5,452,000* | $ 1,508,000* | $ 190,000 | $ 517,300 |
* Budget includes anticipated program income.
Grand Total $ 7,667,300
The projects in the County's one year plan are targeted in residential neighborhoods throughout the County. The specific area/community has been identified in the table above and has been depicted on the mapping attached to this citizen summary.
The Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development is the lead agency responsible for the implementation of the Consolidated Plan, and for the administration of the federal programs identified in this summary.
Provide tenant based rental assistance through the HOME program funds, develop programs to assist homebuyers, and to develop affordable housing opportunities with the assistance of nonprofit CHDOs.
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction
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.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).
Larry Larese
Director
Department of Planning
PH: (412) 836-0275
