Grant Program’s Funding for Chambersburg Housing Now Tops $1 million
Chambersburg, PA, February 13, 2008 – Bill Shuster (PA-09) today announced a $275,000 grant that clears the way for construction of a new affordable housing project in Chambersburg for low- and very-low-income individuals and families.
The grant, from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh’s (FHLBank Pittsburgh) Affordable Housing Program (AHP), delivered through Farmers & Merchants Trust Company, will permit Interfaith Housing Alliance to begin work on the Chambersburg Senior Housing project, a 32-unit two-story apartment building located on 2.5 acres adjacent to Southgate Shopping Center.
Interfaith Housing Alliance, Inc., joined by PIRHL Developers, LLC, will construct this affordable senior housing development. It will serve families with incomes at or below 50 percent of the area median income. Each unit will contain two bedrooms and a bath. Units will be digitally accessible and Green Building features will be incorporated. The building’s second floor will include a health and wellness center and a business center furnished with computers.
Today’s grant brings to $1.20 million the total amount of AHP funds delivered to projects in Chambersburg to date, and $1.78 million in AHP funds delivered throughout Congressman Shuster’s district. Prior grants have helped fund 13 projects totaling 277 units of housing across the Ninth District, four of them located in Chambersburg: Orchard Run Apartments Phases I and II (88 units), Cottage Green (52 units) and the Franklin County Homeownership Program (12 units).
“This is great news for individuals and families throughout Chambersburg looking for stable, affordable housing,” Shuster said. “This grant program has improved the lives of hundreds of deserving individuals and I am pleased to see it continue in this new project.”
“Interfaith Housing Alliance and PIRHL were pleased when City Council supported our concept for seniors housing by an 8-0 vote,” said Frank Lucician, director of multifamily housing for Interfaith. “This project implements a plan adopted by the City of Chambersburg funded through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Elm Street Program. This is a true joint effort among all levels of government, a nonprofit developer, a for-profit developer and partners like FHLBank Pittsburgh and Farmers & Merchants Trust Company. We are also working with the owner of the neighboring shopping center to create some common space and recreational amenities that will serve our senior and physically challenged residents.”
Chartered by Congress in 1932, FHLBank Pittsburgh serves the needs of 332 member-owner financial institutions in Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In addition to its Affordable Housing Program, FHLBank provides its members and their communities with a steady stream of liquidity for housing finance, community and economic development and other needs. FHLBank is wholly funded with private capital, not taxpayer dollars. At December 31, 2007, FHLBank Pittsburgh had approximately $101 billion in assets.
