Commissioner says region faces large housing shortfall after Southwestern PA planning conference
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Summary
A commissioner reported at the Beaver County work session that Southwest Pennsylvania is roughly 66,415 housing units behind needed growth, cited construction costs near $260,000 for a two‑bedroom house in neighboring counties and urged more partnerships to boost affordable housing.
A Beaver County Commissioner told colleagues at a March 25 work session that a recent Southwestern Pennsylvania planning conference emphasized the region’s shortfall in housing production and the need for cross‑sector partnerships to build more affordable homes.
"If you look at just the Southwest corner, we're 66,415 units behind what needs to be for growth and development," the Commissioner said, describing panel discussions on land use, funding and transportation that included officials from 11 surrounding counties. He noted construction costs have pushed two‑bedroom, two‑bath homes in some nearby counties to about $260,000.
The Commissioner said affordable housing is part of Beaver County’s comprehensive plan and that federal and state funding initiatives could help, but local governments and developers will need to work with other partners to translate programs into built housing. "We need a whole bunch of partners, different agencies to help do that," he said.
The remarks were offered as an informational report during the work session; no formal housing policy or vote was taken. The commissioner urged staff and colleagues to track evolving state and federal funding and to continue coordination with regional planning partners.
