Mobile Home Park Tenants Continue Search for Affordable Housing
By: Mallory Lane
Updated: January 3, 2013
STATE COLLEGE, CENTRE COUNTY - As their February eviction date approaches, residents still living in Hilltop Mobile Home Park in State College are continuing their search for alternative affordable housing.
Folks living in the mobile home park were told in September they have until February 23, 2013 to move out.
Several mobile homes have already been moved from the area, but there are still several homes still there.
some states do have laws that a mobile home park owner cannot evict a tenant during winter months, but according to the Mobile Home Park Rights Act for the state of Pennsylvania, that law is not in effect here.
College Township officials say even if that law were to pass in the state, residents in the mobile home park would still have to be moved out by the original eviction date since their original notice was received before the law would be passed.
Affordable housing continues to be an issue for several folks living in State College and throughout the Centre region.
Mark Holdren, Senior Officer with College Township, says there are several changes being discussed in the new year to make changes to the laws that could make affordable housing more readily available.
"Workforce housing being housing that is basically income-qualified housing. In other words, you have to make below a certain income. Right now, several municipalities have those ordinances in place, College Township is one of them," he said. "We are now looking to revise that to expand it beyond just single-family homes, but to also town homes, duplexes, multi-family properties, as well as rental properties."
Holdren couldn't give us a specific timeline for when these changes could be made official. Instead, he says it will be a wait-and-see process.
Folks living in the mobile home park were told in September they have until February 23, 2013 to move out.
Several mobile homes have already been moved from the area, but there are still several homes still there.
some states do have laws that a mobile home park owner cannot evict a tenant during winter months, but according to the Mobile Home Park Rights Act for the state of Pennsylvania, that law is not in effect here.
College Township officials say even if that law were to pass in the state, residents in the mobile home park would still have to be moved out by the original eviction date since their original notice was received before the law would be passed.
Affordable housing continues to be an issue for several folks living in State College and throughout the Centre region.
Mark Holdren, Senior Officer with College Township, says there are several changes being discussed in the new year to make changes to the laws that could make affordable housing more readily available.
"Workforce housing being housing that is basically income-qualified housing. In other words, you have to make below a certain income. Right now, several municipalities have those ordinances in place, College Township is one of them," he said. "We are now looking to revise that to expand it beyond just single-family homes, but to also town homes, duplexes, multi-family properties, as well as rental properties."
Holdren couldn't give us a specific timeline for when these changes could be made official. Instead, he says it will be a wait-and-see process.
Charlotte Ames is the area's only local Health Reporter and brings you the latest medical health news weeknights. You can catch Healthcast on WTAJ News at 5:00pm and her Health Headlines report on WTAJ News at 5:30pm.