Allentown committee discusses housing trust fund, deed transfer tax and workforce housing goals

At an Allentown City Community and Economic Development Committee meeting, city housing staff and committee members discussed workforce housing goals, the potential use of deed transfer tax revenue to seed a housing trust fund, first‑time homebuyer efforts and other tools to preserve and expand affordable and workforce housing in the city.

Vicky Kistler, community and economic development staff, summarized elements of the city's housing study (Welcome Home Allentown) and an implementation plan that includes a five‑year target of about 550 affordable units with an estimated five‑year development cost of $6,500,000. Kistler said the city's annual HOME and CDBG federal allocations account for roughly $3,600,000 and that the remaining gap to meet the 5‑year goal is roughly $3,000,000, noting that the gap assumes maximizing federal entitlement dollars for housing.

Committee members discussed using deed transfer tax revenue as a recurring local source. One committee member said a 0.5 percentage‑point increase…