Local leaders highlight importance of affordable housing

(WHTM) — The need for affordable housing across the Midstate is great. Beth Kempf knows that fact well because she sees it every day.

Kempf is the executive director at “Community Cares,” which has multiple emergency shelters in Cumberland County.

“This is capacity for us,” Kempf said.

Recently, Kempf’s shelters have been filling up fast.

“People are hanging on by a thread right now if they’re still housed. We get calls everyday from people that just lost their housing,” Kempf added. “Our waitlist has expanded, we don’t normally have a waitlist, but we’ve been kind of keeping names and calling them as we can”

Kempf says problems like this can be solved through affordable housing.

Pennslyvania is slated to get over $12 million in federal funds to provide just that. How much each county could get, however, is unknown.

But for Kempf and local leaders in Harrisburg, relief can’t come soon enough.

“Every single cent helps,” said Dennise Hill, director of building and housing development in Harrisburg.

Hill says more than 60 percent of city residents are at or below the poverty line.

“Everyone deserves a safe and respectable place to call home,” Hill said. “I’m hopeful, but also realistic, that it’s going to take a long time to see real change.”