READING, Pa. — It's an unprecedented amount of relief for those in search of a stable home.
"This is hugely historic," said Lorena Keely, chair of the Reading Housing Authority's board of commissioners. "This is the first time in over 10 years that HUD has increased the number of vouchers across the country."
The regional administrator for the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced nearly 20,000 new housing vouchers, valued at more than $16 million.
"Homelessness is a challenge across the country right now, exacerbated by the pandemic, of course," said Matthew Heckles, a regional administrator for HUD.
Those at the forefront of housing issues in the city gathered for a roundtable discussion at the Reading Housing Authority on Wednesday as the city emerges from the worst of the pandemic.
"Those that have the least income, the working poor, we're certainly the first to feel the impact but further up the income scale," said Stacey Keppen, RHA's executive director.
The program assists low-income families, older adults, and those with disabilities afford decent and safe housing.
"There's a concept called housing first, and the theory there is you have to have stable housing," Heckles said.
Even with this historic boost for the long-standing voucher program, the city's housing leadership said the need continues to grow.
"We have quite a healthy network of service providers, from shelter systems all the way to permanent supportive housing," Keppen said, "but it's insufficient to meet the need, I would say.
Despite the challenges ahead, those gathered at the round table said this signals a new direction for affordable housing.
"Absolutely," Keely said, "it's a new chapter for the city."
