Welcome to the Business Journal Archives
Search for articles below, or continue to the all new BusinessJournalDaily.com now.
Search
Pa. Spends $49.8M on Housing in Marcellus Region
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Since 2011, $49.8 million from natural gas and federal funding sources has been devoted to housing initiatives across the Marcellus shale play within the Keystone State, Gov. Tom Corbett said Tuesday.
The impact of that funding has been multiplied by leveraging it to attract additional investments of $311.5 million from the private sector and other public sources, according to Corbett.
This funding has been used to build new housing and rehabilitate existing residences, depending on which approach was deemed better to address housing shortages in Marcellus communities. Funds were spent on both single-family and rental houses.
"We've made solid progress addressing housing needs in Marcellus shale counties, and we've done it in a smart way," Corbett said in a prepared statement. "We haven't imposed a Harrisburg-based solution on local leaders. As the funding from natural gas impact fees has become available, we've directed those dollars back to where they can do the most good as identified in community-led proposals."
Since 2012, the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement program has distributed $16.7 million in support of 59 housing proposals in 26 counties. These moneys were used to attract an additional $160 million to be directed to the construction of new houses and the rehabilitation of existing housing, Corbett said.
The impact fee funding is collected from natural gas companies drilling in Pennsylvania by the state's Public Utility Commission.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
CLICK HERE to subscribe to our twice-monthly print edition and to our free daily email headlines.