HARRISBURG, Pa. — The affordable housing crisis is hitting families across the country, including here in central Pennsylvania.
One Mechanicsburg woman, who spoke with FOX43 for this story on the condition of anonymity, and her two children have spent the past month living with Family Promise’s Harrisburg Capital Region branch.
Family Promise is a nonprofit that serves homeless families.
“Being homeless is traumatizing," she said. "Not knowing where you’re going to sleep or if you have somewhere to sleep. Having to put pride aside and call somebody and say 'Can I stay the night? If not me, my kids.' It definitely takes a toll on you.”
As a clean renter since the age of 19, she never thought she’d be in the position she’s in now.
“I had immaculate rental history up until COVID hit and [then] I lost my job of five years [when] it shut down," the woman explained.
The now-32-year-old left an abusive relationship, was evicted from her home, and all of a sudden, found her family with nowhere to go.
“All the shelters around here are at max capacity," she said. "It’s kind of luck of the draw if you’re able to get in somewhere.”
Fortunately, a spot opened up at Family Promise, and she was able to secure a new job, giving her a steady income once again.
But families are typically only able to stay with Family Promise for 60 to 90 days, so she remains on the hunt for permanent housing.
“My last place that I had in 2020—I had a four-bedroom house that I paid $700 [a month] for. You won’t find that today," she explained to FOX43.
Unfortunately, this woman's story isn’t unique.
Across the country, the lowest-income renters are struggling to find safe, affordable housing.
Inflation and sky-high interest rates have only exacerbated the problem.
“Everybody is struggling, literally everybody is a paycheck away from being homeless," she said. "It’s humbling to know you’re not alone but it’s that bad of a crisis that something needs to be done.”
In Pennsylvania, there are only 38 affordable and available homes for every 100 low-income renters. That’s according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
“You don’t realize how much of a problem it is until it’s happening to you," the woman said.
It’s a crisis plaguing cities everywhere, including our state’s own capital.
“Our shelters are bursting at the seams," said Dennise Hill, director of housing and economic development for the City of Harrisburg. "Some of the issues are [that] some residents have maxed out as far as time but they don’t have anywhere to go.”
Hill says part of the problem is Pennsylvania’s lack of a rent-control law.
“There is no legislation at the state or federal level that puts a cap on what rent can or should be so the ball is in landlords’ court to set rent at whatever they’d like essentially," she explained.
According to Hill, when it comes to affordable housing, another challenge is finding landlords who are willing to work with the city to provide those opportunities.
“It’s very difficult," she continued. "It’s not that there’s a lack of willingness to work with us on the landlord’s part but we have to be sensitive to the fact that they sometimes have a mortgage on it as well so they have to maintain their rental property at the same time as keeping someone housed.”
Waitlists for available, affordable units in Harrisburg are currently in the hundreds, as are those for the city’s home repair program.
That program helps those who have secured housing, but can’t afford necessary renovations.
“I know that there is an affordable housing unit being constructed in south Harrisburg," said Hill. "Their waitlist is up over 300, 350 as well.”
And for anyone who just say “build more," Hill explains that options are limited.
“We’re landlocked," she said. "Harrisburg city is not getting more land so we do have to work with what’s available and what we can, the developers can acquire, renovate, or just tear down and build new.”
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