There is a lack of affordable housing in the Lehigh Valley.

That was the theme at Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley’s annual meeting, held Nov. 1 at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem. The luncheon meeting was attended by approximately 400 guests.

CACLV Executive Director Dawn Godshall called the lack of affordable housing a “pressing issue that is not just a Lehigh Valley issue, but one that is looming across our country.”

Godshall called the issue a crisis.

“It’s a challenge that, if left unaddressed, will continue to affect the well-being of individuals and families from all walks of life right here in the Lehigh Valley. Affordable housing is more than just a catchphrase; it’s a vital cornerstone of any thriving community. To truly be affordable, housing should consume no more than 30% of a family’s income. Unfortunately, this benchmark remains out of reach for many, as the demand for affordable housing far exceeds the supply.”

Citing Lehigh Valley Planning Commission as her source, Godshall said, “Renters make up nearly 86,000 or one in three households in the Lehigh Valley.”

She said even though rental units are being built, rental prices have increased.

“It is vital to ensure that affordable units are also available to meet the housing needs of low- to moderate-income residents,” she said. “A lack of affordable options forces families to allocate a disproportionate share of their income to housing expenses, leaving less for other essential needs such as food, health care and education.”

Godshall said without housing assistance, it results in a perpetual cycle of poverty that is challenging to break. She said, since the affordable housing crisis began to peak, CACLV’s Second Harvest Food Bank has seen a 44% increase in food distribution.

Alan Jennings, retired former executive director of CACLV, gave a blunt assessment of the success of CACLV in alleviating the affordable housing crisis in the Lehigh Valley.

“Most lower-income families have housing costs that put them at risk of eviction from their rentals or a foreclosure that could cost them their homes. More than half are in risky situations,” Jennings said. “Talk to any builder or developer. They’ll tell you they cannot create a unit of housing, a home that is affordable, for working families below 80% of the median income. Can’t do it. Keep in mind that 80% of median is 40% of Lehigh Valley households.

“For 25 years, we provided staff support to a coalition of groups called the Lehigh Valley Coalition on Affordable Housing,” Jennings said. “We tried everything. Nearly everything you’ll find in any one of the housing plans being developed today in the region has been tried. In addition to getting more than 20 suburban communities to fund the shelters, increasing the number of beds available and developing longer-term traditional transitional housing, we also looked for ways to shave costs. We did an architectural design competition. Habitat had a reduced labor cost model, and we got pretty good as a community with utilizing the federal tax credits. We also created housing trust funds, doubling the fees to record deeds and mortgages, which generated about $500,000 per year for the two counties, and we pushed to weaken the township’s resistance. We barely moved the needle.

“I’m not aware of a community in this country that has had such a productive record of collaborative achievement, and yet we have a crisis, a calamity, a disaster. We need serious policy intervention in the marketplace. We need the zealots to stand up and lead this battle. The mayors aren’t calling this the serious priority it should be. The county executives are not leading us,” Jennings added.

“We need substantial resources if we are going to have even the slightest ability to make a difference. Homelessness is a pox on any claim that we might make to be in a great country. Too many homeless adults don’t want to deal honestly with their issues. Frankly, I don’t feel a lot of responsibility for those who are unwilling to kick their habits. We simply can’t help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves,” he said.

U.S. Congresswoman Susan Wild, D-7th, said she’s developed the thesis there is connection between affordable housing and having communities to succeed financially: “Without a roof over your head and a safe place to call home, there are so many other critical pieces necessary for success and happiness that cannot fall into place. Housing is the first step in making that happen.”

Wild said housing is key to having a real and stable economic security.

“Without affordable housing, people can’t live within the communities where they work. Affordable housing frees up funds within tight budgets for families to spend on food or health care or for families to save and put money away for a rainy day,” Wild added.

She said Lehigh Valley is experiencing an affordable housing crisis.

“According to the May report of the Pennsylvania Housing Alliance, for every 100 extremely-low income families in Northampton County, only 35 housing units are available and affordable to them,” Wild said.

The problem requires a multipronged approach from government and the private sector, according to Wild.

She said she is part of the Affordable Housing Task Force in Washington who wants to work with local and state leaders in tackling this issue.

“Earlier this year, the administration took action through the housing supply action plan to lower housing costs and boost supply,” Wild said. “This plan will work to tackle challenges that have stifled affordable housing efforts for decades like restrictive and costly land use and zoning rules, expanding financing for affordable and energy efficient housing and promoting commercial to residential conversion opportunities.

“There are several bills making their way through Congress right now that I’m supporting and keeping a very close eye on. We’ve got to do more to ensure that middle-class families can once again become homeowners in the communities they work in. The Helper Act, a bipartisan bill that I’m a co-sponsor of, would work to tackle that challenge, providing support to allow front-line workers to live in the communities they serve,” she said.

Wild said the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act will help build nearly 2 million new affordable homes over the next decade. She said it supports the financing of more affordable housing through expanding and strengthening the low-income housing tax credit, which she said is the most important, successful affordable housing program.

“I’m focused on bringing home federal investments to the Lehigh Valley to support these efforts whether it’s a Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant for Bethlehem or community project funding to support transitional housing a vital piece of this complex problem,” Wild said. “I’m glad to have successfully delivered investments in support of growing financial housing.

“I’m here as a federal partner to support all the work and the efforts happening here locally. Combating our housing crisis requires collaboration and working together among all of us. We have lots to do. But I know that together we can make real meaningful change that will allow everyone across the Lehigh Valley to reach their full potential. I promise that I’ll continue to be your advocate in Washington to do all I can to ensure that all of our neighbors have a safe, affordable place to live and the access to economic opportunity that we all deserve,” Wild said.

Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong also spoke on the topic.

“The root of the problem is that wages haven’t kept pace with inflation, and we have had exponential inflation over the past few years. As hard as we try, a county can’t fix national and worldwide economic conditions. Over the past few years, [Lehigh County has] distributed more that $20 million in rental assistance, (and) we have helped create dozens of units of affordable housing, but until the average person can afford an average house on an average salary, this will continue to be a challenge.”