Housing worries dominate the lives of so many in McKean County.
To help households understand possible housing resources available to them, members of the McKean County Housing Coalition will be at the Friendship Table from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday.
In a recent survey conducted by the McKean County Housing Coalition, it was found that the YWCA Bradford sheltered 72 women and children, and area churches and organizations provided an additional 79 vouchers to a local boarding room hotel. The issues of affordable housing and homelessness are connected.
“Everybody has a different circumstance,” said Lee Sizemore, administrator of the McKean County Department of Human Services. “We wanted to make it more personal. There’s a need to let folks know about resources for affordable housing options.
“We want to work with people and let them know what resources we have and how to connect to them,” she explained.
Sizemore said she hopes to have three people at the Friendship Table on Thursday afternoon to talk to people in a safe environment.
While circumstances vary, homelessness occurs when households are unable to acquire or maintain housing they can afford, the coalition said. And a major cause of homelessness is the scarcity of affordable homes. The state Department of Human Services states that the average fair market rent in Pennsylvania is $739 per month, and hourly earnings needed to afford rent is $14.21. Households with extremely low income make less than $21,106 per year. This means that the maximum rent that the most vulnerable household could afford would be rent around $528 per month.
The best measure of the number of homeless people in McKean County is what the coalition has been able to gather from the YWCA and churches and organization that offer housing vouchers. However, there are likely many more — people who are staying with relatives, who move from friend’s home to friend’s home, or whatever the situation may be.
The coalition wants to reach out to people in temporary living situations as well, and help them secure permanent, safe and affordable homes.
Should anyone know someone in a temporary living situation, refer them to the McKean County Housing Coalition’s event at the Friendship Table on Thursday.
The intention is to hold similar events across the county, spreading awareness of available resources and affordable housing options.
