GREENVILLE, Pa. – Funding totaling $425,000 has been approved for affordable housing initiatives in Mercer County.

The money will be distributed for four housing and community development initiatives by the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement fund. The initiatives are:

  • City of Sharon New Construction for Affordable Homeownership: Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp., $200,000 to build four, high-quality family homes in a transitional neighborhood.
  • Community Action Partnership of Mercer County Lots to Love: $100,000 to address the blight that remains after a home is demolished.
  • Community Action Partnership of Mercer County Assets Match Program: $75,000 to support the three-phase Assets Match program that provides housing counseling and an opportunity for homebuyers to have their savings for a home matched by the program, up to $5,000.
  • First Time Homebuyer Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Program: Shenango Valley Urban League, $50,000 to assist Mercer County residents with a grant of up to $5,000 for a home purchase upon their completion of the Urban League’s pre- and post-purchase homeownership counseling.

“Good homes help build strong communities, and this funding can make a real difference for families here in Mercer County,” state Rep. Parke Wentling, R-7th, said Thursday in announcing the funding. “Whether it’s helping someone buy their first home, cleaning up blight or putting new houses where they’re needed, this is money that will be put to good use close to home.”

Funding for Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement awards comes from two main sources. Since 2012, the program has received a portion of the impact fees collected from natural gas companies operating in the state. That is supplemented with funding provided by a portion of the state’s realty transfer tax.

Easement Approved

Also Thursday, Wentling announced that a 102-acre crop farm in Shenango Township has been preserved from future residential or commercial development.

The $117,621 easement approved through Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program for Matthew A. Stefanak’s farm means it will remain in agricultural production and won’t be sold to developers.

The easement was part of the 1,775 acres on 22 farms in 16 counties across Pennsylvania that was preserved Thursday by the State Agriculture Land Preservation Board.