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Housing rehabilitation update: contractors scarce; board reallocates $90,000 in ARPA to 431 Ash Street
Summary
Housing staff reported a pipeline of applicants and contractor recruitment challenges for county work; the board approved moving $90,000 in ARPA funds from a prior project on East Fifth Street to a replacement rehabilitation at 431 Ash Street, preserving unit production for the Race New Production program.
At the Redevelopment Authority's March 10 meeting, housing rehabilitation staff reported that construction season is approaching, a pipeline of applicants exists, and the authority is seeking additional contractors — especially smaller county‑based contractors that struggle to front project costs and await slower payment turnarounds.
Staff said lead abatement work and Whole Home Program jobs will require more contractors and that one out‑of‑state contractor is pursuing Pennsylvania lead‑contractor certification. Training and certification activities are scheduled, including EPA training at ECAT at the end of the month.
Separately the board approved a reallocation of $90,000 in ARPA funds previously set aside for rehabilitation at 560 East Fifth Street; the funds will move to 431 Ash Street, a property staff said was part of the original applicant submission and is nearby. Staff and a project representative (Marcia) told the board the reallocation is a like‑for‑like change that preserves the program’s unit production and, in this case, the selected house includes an additional bedroom compared with the original apartment above a market that had been the initial target.
Why it matters: ARPA reallocation was explicitly approved by the board to keep work moving and preserve housing production. Staff emphasized contractor recruitment as the principal operational hurdle for meeting program goals this construction season.
