WAYNE COUNTY (Aug. 11, 2022) -- Every month, the top requests for assistance to Wayne County’s 211 Information & Referral Service involve housing – more than 300 in the last quarter alone. The Wayne County Housing Needs Assessment and Market Study endeavors to define the major gaps between current and projected housing needs and the area’s housing supply.
An important part of that process involves input from the public about their housing experiences in Wayne County. The Housing Preference Survey has been created by consultants, Urban Partners, to capture that feedback and help them develop a clearer understanding of a complex housing market with a significant number of vacation homes and short-term rentals.
The 23-question survey gathers information about your current housing situation and your future plans. It also asks about barriers to purchasing a home, issues regarding aging and more. Access to the surveys is available online using the link or QR code. You can download a printer friendly version at Wayne CountyPA.gov or request a paper copy at your local library, senior center or from your township or borough. You can also call 570-253-5970 ext. 4050 to request a copy by mail.
The project will document existing housing conditions, identify market and other forces that affect supply and demand now and in the future, identify gaps in maintaining equitable access to safe, resilient, and reliable housing, and identify opportunities for improving and expanding housing options.
The consultants are also conducting key stakeholder interviews, targeting builders, realtors, lenders, landlords, permit officers and many more with the assistance of the Wayne Tomorrow! Housing Task Force.
During the June kick-off meeting, the Task Force also shared some of the local issues the Housing Study may need to tackle like modernizing housing policies, addressing the balance of short-term rentals, dealing with the lack of centralized sewer and water service in much of the county, meeting the challenge of absentee landlords and focusing on existing housing vouchers and waiting lists.
The Housing Study is expected to take four to six month to complete, with the Plan tentatively scheduled for adoption before the end of the year. The majority of the funding for the study comes from the Wayne County Affordable Housing Fund, created in 2020 with the implementation of a fee for each deed and mortgage filed in the County Register & Recorders Office.
To learn more about the Housing Needs Assessment and Market Study, visit WayneCountyPA.gov.