Construction on Masontown affordable housing project should begin in spring
Officials hope to see construction begin in spring 2015 on a new 37-unit townhouse development in Masontown that will provide affordable housing to working families.
The Fayette County Housing Authority board of directors learned the news at its meeting Thursday morning at its Uniontown office.
Andre Walters, deputy director, told the board, “The developers are meeting with contractors and, hopefully, the paperwork will be done this fall and, hopefully, construction will start next spring.”
The $7 million project consists of nine one- and two-story buildings that feature two one-bedroom units, 24 two-bedroom units and 11 three-bedroom units that will be made available to residents meeting income guidelines.
The housing authority sold property for the project to Summa Development of Pittsburgh, Mark Yauger, executive director of the housing authority, explained after the meeting. The developer received tax credits for financing the project through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.
Yauger said, “The project will revert back to us after the tax credits are satisfied.”
He said officials hope to start renting units in late summer or early fall 2015.
The housing authority also operates Fort Mason Village, a public housing development, in Masontown. Board vice chairman Ernest DeBlasio said he was approached by Masontown Mayor Toni Petrus about funding for above-baseline services.
Yauger explained after the meeting that in the past, the housing authority was able to secure above-baseline funding for extra police patrols for its buildings from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.
But he noted, “Unfortunately, we’ve been getting a lot of cuts from HUD and we can no longer do that program.”
Yauger said Gibson Terrace, the Connellsville public housing development, is able to offer above-baseline services at this time because officials had set aside $3,000 in this budget for additional patrols. Yauger said this is a one-time event and that funds for above-baseline services were considerably more in the past.
Meanwhile, construction began in August for a $2 million renovation project on Belle Vernon Towers, an elderly high-rise development, that includes replacing heating and air conditioning units, windows and an exterior wall panel as well as asbestos removal.
Staff is working on plans to replace concrete sidewalks, concrete stairwells and handrails at the State projects in Masontown and Brownsville. Estimated cost for the two projects is $100,000. Staff will meet with the developer for White Swan to submit a low income housing tax credit application to PHFA to redevelop the White Swan Apartments in Uniontown.
Staff will also attend an Aug. 27 meeting in Pittsburgh to learn more about how rental assistance demonstration (RAD), a project initiated by HUD, would apply to Fayette County. The program would give the housing authority more control of its projects, allow it to borrow against its properties from banks and tax credits rather than HUD, and perhaps lessen the density and add handicapped facilities to its properties.
The board also approved:
n Submission of required certification for Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) to HUD for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
n Entering into a contract with Apex Cleaning Supply Inc. of Uniontown for janitorial supplies at all sites for a cost not to exceed $50,000.
n Entering into a contract with Interline Brands Inc. dba Maintenance USA of Jacksonville, Fla., for maintenance, repair and operation of equipment and supplies at all sites for a cost not to exceed $60,000.
The next board meeting will take place Sept. 11.