CENTRE  COUNTY  HOUSING TASK FORCE. MINUTES  Wednesday, March 27, 2024 Willowbank Ofice Building 4201 Holmes Street, Room 146 Bellefonte, PA 16823  Register online tor receive a notification when meeting agendas are posted.  CALLTOORDER  The public meeting of the Centre County Housing Task Force was convened at 12:03 PM by Commisioners/Chaln, Mark Higgins. This meeting is being recorded. Those in attendance: Commissioners Mark Higgins, Amber Concepcion and Steven Dershem, Faith Ryan, Deputy Human Services AdminsiralorDirector of Adult Services, Raymond Stolinas, AICP, Director of Planning & Community Development, Elizabeth Lose, Assistant Director of Planning & Community Development, and Betsy Barndt, Housing & Community. Development. Planner; Julia Sprinkle, Human Services. Administrator; Maureen Safko, State College Borough. Planner; Lyn Gotwalt, Centre County Association of Realtors; Morgan Wasikonis, The HOME. Foundation and Todd Dolbin, CBICC; Ara Karvandiytan, HFL Corporation; Chris Kunes, general  contractor; Mark Stephens, Pem State Health. II. PUBLIC COMMENT There were no comments. received from the public., III. ADDITIONS: TO1 THEAGENDA There were no additions to the agenda.  IV. MINUTES  The minutes oft thel March 13, 2024, meeting oft the Housing Task Force having been read, it was moved by Commissioner Amber Concepcion and seconded by Todd Dolbin to approve the minutes of March 13, 2024.  Motion carried unanimously. MOTIVATIONAL, SPEECH, CHAIRMANI HIGGINS:  Thank you all for attending. There is emerging information that proves the purpose ofthis Task. Force is becoming even more important. Based upon public statements this past month, The Pennsylvania State University will be adding many more. students in thej foreseeable future. Thej foreseeable future, that could be as long as a decade, requiring more University employees and theiry families. Plus, additional new citizens and theiry families tor meet the needs of the students andi new University employees andj families. That kind ofo compounds whenj you have growth like that. Last year the Centrej for Rural Pemnsylvania was forecasting ai net increase of20,0001 residents for Centre County by 2050. That) forecast now. seems to be very conservative as we may add that many residents in the next eight to tenj years. Since 1946 Centre County has added between 10,000 and. 20,000 new residents every decade. Iti might have slowed down al bit in the last couple years. Based upon a percentage ofpopulation at the time the numbers were much higher than the numbers we' re talking about now. In terms oft the raw number ofa dwelling units required, this would be the largest one decade increase in Centre County history. Only the population increase from 19601 to 19701 was similar; but family sizes were much larger. Ifwei increase our population ini the ballpark of 20,000 people over the next ten years We need to ask ourselves what is the greater good in this. situation. We can' 'treally change the. situation but thank goodness we have some notice and can plan a response. This response will also need to be about more thany just housing and services. Wei need to welcome the new citizens, tell them there is a placej fory you can thrive here in Centre County and we need to create new memories for new generations. so more people can become ap parto of the Centre  that is going to be substantially more dwelling units thani in the 1960s.  County community. Wes will need to work together with this information ini mind.    HOUSING TASK FORCE AGENDA WEDNESDAL, March. 27, 2024 PAGE2 Thank you very much. V. OLD BUSINESS  A. Task Force Membership- no update. B. E-RAP21 Funds (Emergency Rental Assistance Program)  Faith having provided. supporting documents that were very) helpful. Faith continued to explain that HOME funding is federal finding administered through the, State. Anys group interested in securing these finds wouldi need to apply on their own in the Fall 20241 with awards offinds announced: in Spring 2025. Faith also ofered information. she received via email to questions. she posed to the "Centre County is nearing the 75% expenditure mark for ERAP2 and int the process of reviewing possible affordable housing projects for the remaining 25%. Att this time, we have one project idea that we will likely use to: fill out the Affordable Rental Housing Project Request form; however, iti is likely that we will also release a Request for Information (RFI) to see what other ideas are outi in our communities. Int the meantime, Ihave some general questions from the group. Ify you're able to answer via email, that would be great. Ifv wei need to set up al meeting, just let me know and we 1. Ifwe provide ai funding award to aj project in 2024, is it assumed that income guidelines/criteria are met as long as the affordable housing project meets other federal housing program criteria - like FMR - moving forward? Ifyoua are pairing with one ofthe 10 Programs listed in the FAQ; 2#46, then yes, iti is assumed the criteria is met. 2. Cani funding be given as a match/contribution or does it have to be awarded duringa particular phase oft the project? (Reading through thel FAQ, my interpretation is that it can be ai match/contribution; however, we. just want to confirm). We are not sure we. are interpreting this question correctly. Are you asking about. awarding this to a provider? The ERAP funds can be paired with anothers grant to provide gap funding ofa current project, which can occur. at any time during the remainder oft the ERAP2. The ERAP2 funds must be obligated by 09/30/2025 and expended by 3. Cant thej preservation of affordable housing be something like an incentive toa property owner to keep housing affordable after their tax credits expire? 4. Are there any examples of approved rehabilitation projects for affordable housing in PA? Seeking counties that may have approved projects that we could connect with No, we are still ini the submission and review process. 5. Do mobile home parks count as "rentals" even if thel home is owned but the land is With the above information conversation continued onto the Request for Information (RFI) additional fweaking to include paragraph(s) listing qualifying, federal programs; Goals ofprojecti ie. new versus remodel and whether itl had the leverage of additional funding; conversions andi remodeling Project Concepts Wer must be able tos say) what ERAP-2 is paying for; ie. wes give $200,0001 to the Old Boalsburg Road Flats, we willl have tol have a: specific contract with the HOME. Foundation. stating what any given amount ofn money is paying for; site excavation,) foundation, wallj framing, attic. With that in mind, itcan  State:  can coordinate.  12/31/2025. No  and ask questions. leased? No"    HOUSING TASK FORCE. AGENDA WEDNESDAL, March. 27, 2024  PAGE3  beac contribution, itc can be paired with all the other funding streams they have already. secured. The challenge is, "What's thes start date of thep project?" we ares going to1 write outo a contract with thel HOME Foundation or whoever" we work with and they) have to) provide us within the contract what specific things we are paying for: Thinking along those lines, wer need to have the entity with contract with tol have "our" funds be utilized to) pay fore early stages or phases ofthe! project. Keep in mindt that the ERAP-2 funds, ini whatever, project or projects we obligate them to, thosej fimds must be used by December. 31, 2025, it does not matter ift the entire projectis D. Old Boalsburg Roadl Flats: No new news. However; Morgan has put together the application form to be submitted tot the State, who is aware this is ane example, with the hope we will receive preapproval orj feedback before we would havei its signed. This willg give uS a better understanding oft the process. E. Centre County Housing Land Trust (CCHLT) to become a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). Ray Stolinas, as al Board member ofCCHLT, stated they were pleasantly surprised ity was brought up and they would like toi investigate it fiurther. Missy was unable to attend today but hopefully she can bein attendance at the nextl meeting. CHDO information will bes sent out digitally following this meeting. A. Request for Information (RFI) additional fweaking to include paragraph(s) listing qualifying federal programs; goals ofproject i.e. new versus remodel and whether it had thel leverage ofadditional 30% from other sources; conversions and remodeling are also allowable; project is for any area within B. Next meeting of the Housing Task Force membership scheduled in room 146 on Wednesday, April 10, 2024,  completed, just the portions wep paid for must bec completed.  VI. NEW BUSINESS  Centre County.  12:00p p.. to 1:00p p.m., zoom link to be provided) for those attending virtually.  VII. ANNOUNCEMENTS No amnouncements were communicated. VIL. EXECUTIVE SESSION, REPORT There was no executive. session. IX. QUESTIONS. FROMTHEI PRESS There were no questions from the press.  X. ADJOURN 12:49PM.  Motion to adjourn by Commissioner. Amber Concepcion, seconded. by Todd Dolbin, motion carried. Adjourned  ATTEST:  hf