Centre County backs seven affordable‑housing projects, approves three contracts and letters of support

Centre County commissioners on Jan. 7 approved three county contracts funded under ERAP2 for affordable‑housing projects in Phillipsburg, Snowshoe and State College and approved letters of support for Volker’s proposed low‑income housing tax‑credit applications at the Atherton Commons site.

Why it matters: The county’s Housing and Human Services staff said the ERAP2 awards finance seven projects overall; the three contracts presented on Jan. 7 provide funding to rehabilitate apartments and add one manufactured home in a trailer park. The Volker projects could add both multifamily rental apartments and townhomes near the North Atherton retail corridor.

Contracts and projects presented: Faith (Adult Services) described three ERAP2 contracts that were approved for calendar year 2025: two rehabilitation projects through the Phillipsburg Revitalization Corporation for downtown residential units (listed as $113,000 and $114,960 in the county presentation) and one project at a local trailer park to add a single‑wide manufactured home ($99,500). Faith said the county now has seven active ERAP2‑funded projects, including four in the greater State College area and two in Phillipsburg.

Faith also presented two Volker proposals for letters of support for a submission to the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). One proposal would develop roughly 70 rental units at Atherton Commons (focused on one‑ and two‑bedroom apartments); the second would add about 48 single‑family townhome units (two‑ and three‑bedroom). The county’s planning representative noted the site is behind the Best Buy/North Atherton retail area, in an area served by public transportation.

Income and affordability rules: Staff said ERAP2 projects are aligned to HOME program requirements and must meet affordability for 20 years. As Faith explained during questions, affordability is based on area‑median‑income (AMI); projects presented must be affordable at 50% AMI or below and the county will be required to verify tenant income annually during the affordability period. In response to a question from a member of the public, staff said citizenship or immigration status requirements depend on the specific funding stream and that ERAP2 pandemic funds did not impose a citizenship requirement.

What the board did: Commissioners approved the three ERAP2 contracts and voted to approve letters of support for Volker’s PHFA low‑income housing tax‑credit submissions. The actions were taken by voice vote and recorded as “motion carries.”

Community and preservation context: Commissioners highlighted that the Phillipsburg projects use a “strong towns” approach—rehabilitating upper‑floor residential units above downtown retail—to preserve historic downtown buildings and stimulate local businesses. Commissioner Amber (first name used in meeting) emphasized the historic‑preservation benefits while Faith noted the work helps provide a range of unit types including one‑bedroom apartments and family‑sized units.

Next steps: The contracts are on the county’s consent agenda for formal approval next week or were placed on the consent agenda and passed as part of the consent items at this meeting, depending on the line item; staff will manage federal program reporting and the required 20‑year affordability monitoring.

Votes at this meeting: The board approved the ERAP2 contract renewals and the letters of support for Volker at the meeting by voice vote; the county will monitor compliance with HOME and ERAP2 reporting requirements.