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Our opinion: Taking on housing in the region

A strategic housing plan for the Warren, Forest, McKean, Elk and Venango county region is a good step for area governments to take.

Our area isn’t growing. Yet the housing stock largely is the same size it was during our region’s biggest boom times. To make matters worse, the types of housing that people tend to want aren’t always the types of housing that are in stock in our region.

A Local Housing Opportunity Team has been meeting to discuss housing issues. That group knows full well the range of housing issues the region is facing, from rental properties that need to be improved, increasing rents, the need for more opportunity to purchase housing and getting old, run-down housing stock ready for a new life. Plus, housing is needed for the region’s homeless and poor.

Dealing with all those issues takes money — and funders want to see both hard numbers that show there are problems that need to be fixed and a local group’s plan for fixing those problems. There is a lot of benefit in preparing a strategic housing plan, even if it is solely used to secure state and federal money.

Warren and Forest counties have signaled their support, as has the city of Warren. McKean, Elk and Venango county officials will be approached for support as well. They should sign on. The more rural counties band together, the better the chance is our funding applications will be noticed when competing against bigger metro areas.

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