Rachel Ravina, The Reporter
ORELAND — The unveiling of a newly renovated affordable housing complex highlighted the ever present need for affordable housing in Montgomery County.
“I want to thank God for the opportunity for give us a decent affordable place we can stay and to raise our children,” said Gloria Wilson, a 79-year-old Upper Dublin Township resident who’s resided in North Hills Manor for more than 50 years.
The 50-unit apartment complex sits atop a 3.5-acre parcel of land located at 3115 Walnut Ave. Rent is set on a case-by-case basis, according to Montgomery County Housing Authority Executive Director Joel Johnson, who said that residents pay 30 percent of household income.
The idea to renovate the apartment complex originated back in 2013, but the actual groundbreaking didn’t take place until 2017, according to Johnson. Residents were able to stay in the complex throughout the renovation process.
The $23 million project wrapped up in June as the complex was transformed to feature modern construction, off-street parking and accessibility to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to Johnson.
Government officials, developers and housing advocates gathered recently for a ribbon cutting ceremony.
“This is a real model for affordable housing going forward,” said Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Director and CEO Robin Weissman. “I love the way it looks. I love the way the residents can live in a mixed-income neighborhood.”
Other entities were involved in the project included Pennrose, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and Upper Dublin Township. Several agencies also participated at the county level including the Montgomery County Housing Authority, Montgomery County Department of Housing and Human Development and the county’s Redevelopment Authority.
“There’s much greater need for affordable housing, and I really think what the measure of this is is the power of partnerships,” said U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4th Dist., stressing the importance of offering “the dignity of housing.”
The county contributed $1.1 million to the North Hills Manor project, according to Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Val Arkoosh.
“The county is eager to fund affordable housing in other supportive housing, but we need the leadership and compassion of our municipal partners … the developers and the residents to help make it a reality,” Arkoosh said. “Luckily we have the right partners here to see this project through.”
Arkoosh and Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairman Ken Lawrence Jr. used their remarks during Monday’s event to spotlight the “housing affordability crisis” plaguing the state’s second wealthiest county.
Elected officials cited several factors related to the lack of affordable housing stock including the COVID-19 pandemic, rising cost of rent and the remnants of Hurricane Ida that destroyed a number of affordable housing options.
“While it’s wonderful to see existing affordable units preserved as these were — and actually critical to preserve what we already have— I just want to emphasize again we want to see new additional affordable housing units being built across our community,” Arkoosh said.
Lawrence said the county dedicated $32.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to help with housing. Those dollars would assist with preserving housing, supporting future developments, creating 325 new units and two temporary housing facilities.
“Affordable housing is a countywide problem, and we need a countywide response to it,” Lawrence said. “We have 62 municipalities, and we need each one of them to do their fair share to help their residents in need, and as a commissioner, I will not vote to allocate funding to residential developments that do not have an affordable component proposed as part of the project. If developers want public funding they must offer a public benefit.”
Arkoosh agreed, as county officials sent a message to counterparts at the municipal level.
“We continue at every opportunity to ask other levels of government to step up and join us,” she said. “If every one of our 62 municipalities had the vision and the compassion and the commitment to build just a couple dozen … units in their municipality we could largely put an end to the housing affordability crisis in Montgomery County. That’s all it would take: one project like this in each of our municipalities.
“We stand ready to do our part and we hope that more will join us,” she said.
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