Agency doles out millions for housing

By Joel Berg

The state is showering millions of dollars onto companies and organizations addressing one of Pennsylvania's most critical needs: affordable housing.

• The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency announced yesterday the recipients of $61.5 million in awards from the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund, which takes in money from real estate transfer taxes and natural gas impact fees.

• The statewide total includes nearly $7.3 million for projects and organizations in Central Pennsylvania.

Beneficiaries include nonprofit and for-profit developers, as well as social service agencies.

• The nonprofit developers include Lancaster-based HDC MidAtlantic and Harrisburg-based Tri-County HDC.

• For-profits include Wormleysburg-based Steel Works Construction, Harrisburg-based Fernandez Realty Group and Lancaster-based OZFund Inc.

The money is supporting the construction of new housing, renovation of existing buildings and programs to combat homelessness and assist first-time homebuyers.

• OZFund, for example, is receiving $350,000 for a mixed-use, 52-unit apartment project at 800 S. Queen St.

  • It's the final piece of funding for the project, which includes a 6,000 square-foot convenience/grocery store, said OZFund founder and CEO Jeremy Feakins.