MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD At Regional Housing Hearings For HUD Money!

Hapco Philadelphia rental property owners are invited to submit testimony in a series of upcoming public hearings to help determine how much federal HUD money Pennsylvania will receive.

The state’s Department of Community and Economic Development wants to hear from you between now and October 16th!

Hearing dates, times, and locations are listed below.

HP is urging its members to sound off!

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Regional Housing Advisory Committee Meetings; 2023 Annual Action Plan

[52 Pa.B. 6196]
[Saturday, October 1, 2022]

 The Department of Community and Economic Development (Department) is preparing the Commonwealth’s 2023 Annual Action Plan. The document must be submitted to, and approved by, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Commonwealth to receive funding under HUD’s housing and community development programs of Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Emergency Solutions Grant Program, Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS, the National Housing Trust Fund and Recovery Housing Program.

 As part of the planning process, the Department conducts meetings across this Commonwealth to discuss regional needs for housing, homelessness, economic and community development issues and develop priorities for the programs that may affect the method of distribution of the fiscal year 2023 funding. In addition, the Department goes over the accomplishments of the year prior (2021) in these programs and discusses if the Commonwealth is meeting its 5-year goals and objectives as listed in the 2019—2023 Consolidated Plan. The first of these meetings is the Regional Housing Advisory Committee (RHAC) meetings.

 There are six RHACs across this Commonwealth comprising appointed members that represent specific sectors of the region. Meetings of these RHACs are open to the public under 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 701—716 (relating to Sunshine Act). These RHACs advise the Department regarding housing, homelessness, economic and community development needs, as well as assisting in fair housing planning. The RHAC meetings will take place virtually by means of Microsoft Teams on the following dates and times.

 Individuals who need to join any of the meetings should contact Megan Sieber at (717) 720-7404.

Lehigh Valley RHAC Meeting (Berks, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, Northumberland, Snyder and  Union Counties)
Date: Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Time: 1 p.m.—2:30 p.m.

 To join by phone call (267) 332-8737. The dial in number is 149 707 018#.

Southeast RHAC Meeting (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties)
Date: Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Time: 3 p.m.—4:30 p.m.

 To join by phone call (267) 332-8737. The dial in number is 794 804 315#.

Northeast RHAC Meeting (Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Montour, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming Counties)
Date: Thursday, October 13, 2022
Time: 1 p.m.—2:30 p.m.

 To join by phone call (267) 332-8737. The dial in number is 389 616 405#.

Central RHAC Meeting (Adams, Bedford, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Perry and York Counties)
Date: Thursday, October 20, 2022
Time: 9 a.m.—10:30 a.m.

 To join by phone call (267) 332-8737. The dial in number is 555 099 764#.

Southwest RHAC Meeting (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland Counties)
Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Time: 9 a.m.—10:30 a.m.

 To join by phone call (267) 332-8737. The dial in number is 251 353 807#.

Northwest RHAC Meeting (Cameron, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango and Warren Counties)
Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Time: 1 p.m.—2:30 p.m.

 To join by phone call (267) 332-8737. The dial in number is 954 278 42#.

 Persons with a disability or limited English proficiency who wish to participate in any of the RHAC meetings and require an auxiliary aid, service or other accommodation to participate, should contact Megan Sieber, Department of Community and Economic Development, Center for Community and Housing Development, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, 4th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225, (717) 720-7404 or TDD: (717) 346-0308 or msieber@pa.gov at a minimum of 72 hours prior to the meeting to discuss how the Department may best accommodate their needs.

 The Department is required by 85 FR 75361 (November 25, 2020) to annually report on the performance of the Commonwealth’s Recovery Housing Program. The annual report may be found on the Department’s web site at https://dced.pa.gov/library/?wpdmc2=capers-2019-2023/ or the Department of Drug and Alcohol Program’s web site at https://www.ddap.pa.gov/pages/default.aspx.

 The public is invited to submit comments on the performance report. Comments may be sent to David Grey, Chief of Compliance and Technical Services, dgrey@pa.gov until 4 p.m. on October 16, 2022.