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County OKs housing assessment plan
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
By Jeff Corcino Staff Writer
The Clearfield County Commissioners approved the Housing Needs and Assessment Plan resolution for the county at its meeting yesterday.
The Housing and Needs Assessment Plan uses statistical data and community surveys to assess the county's housing market and its housing needs, identifies housing needs and problems in the county as well as possible solutions and funding to correct problems and meet these needs.
For example, the plan includes a list of blighted structures that includes approximately 300 structures and a tool kit for municipalities to deal with the structures and the county will hold training sessions for municipal officials in dealing with blighted structures.
The plan also identifies housing needs such as the need for additional affordable rental housing especially for young adults and senior citizens.
The assessment can be used by various organizations and the county when applying for housing related grant funding.
Jodi Brennan, director of planning, said the plan was presented to the Clearfield County Planning Commission and received no negative comments and several positive ones and was approved by the planning commission.
In other business, the commissioners voted to:
• approve the county's Human Service Plan, Assurance of Compliance. The plan is required by the state and it implements the Human Services Block Grant the county receives. The Human Services Block Grant funds programs such as Homelessness Assistance, Child Welfare, Mental Health Services, Drug and Alcohol Services, Adult Services, such as home delivered meals, housing, Life Skills education, and case management.
• appoint Eric Johnson of Curwensville to the Industrial Development Board. The commissioners are still looking for volunteers to fill one open seat on the board.
• approve the agreement between the county and the state Department of Public Welfare for the Medical Assistance Transportation Program. The program provides transportation to qualified individuals to receive medical treatment and the state has made a few changes in how the program functions this year, which must be approved by the county to receive funding according to Stacy Locastro, director of Central Pennsylvania Community Action, which administers the program.
The grant is for approximately $1.7 million this year, 55 percent of which is paid for by the federal government and 45 percent by the state, according to Locastro.
• the commissioners opened bids for the pole building for the probation department. All bids were tabled pending review but the apparent low bidder was 765-Deck of Clearfield with a bid of $64,490.
• All three commissioners said they were pleased with the announcement that RES is opening a new coal cleaning facility in the area and how the company hired local contractors to do the construction.
"This shows that coal is very important to our local economy," Commissioner John Sobel said.
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