LANCASTER, Pa. — The City of Lancaster is seeking proposals from not-for-profit-companies, real estate developers, and other community partners interested in increasing the number and quality of affordable housing units within the City of Lancaster using American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Sealed proposals will be accepted via the Pennsylvania Electronic Document and Bid Management website, www.pennbid.net, through 11 a.m. on Aug. 22, the city said in a press release.
Last year, the City of Lancaster received $39.5 million in ARPA funding. In September 2021, a public engagement process regarding the use of ARPA funds was launched, and the public identified affordable housing as their top priority.
The Lancaster City Council voted last October to authorize the allocation of $5 million from the City’s allotment of ARPA funds to address affordable housing needs in the city.
"The City of Lancaster faces a housing cost burden driven by a shortage in housing supply and the prevalence of families facing wage stagnation or low-wage jobs as the cost of living continues to rise, a dynamic facing many communities nationally," city officials said in a press release. "Approximately one-third of households are housing cost burdened, a condition that has become more precarious because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Further, the City’s housing stock does not align with current household compositions in that most homes are single family, multi-bedroom dwellings while most households are composed of just one or two people.
"It is the intention of the City of Lancaster to increase the supply, quality, and diversity of housing in the city with an emphasis on increasing and improving affordable housing for both rent and purchase.
"Housing studies and planning show a need for a minimum of 300 additional affordable housing units and rehabilitation of a minimum of 1,000 existing affordable housing units within the city over the next five years."
For all awarding and management of grants, the City of Lancaster follows a strict conflict of interest policy that is publicly available on its website.
