The State College Community Land Trust (SCCLT) continues to further its mission of creating and preserving permanently affordable homes in State College after 25 years. In 1996, the founding borough staff, consisting of Lu Hoover, Carl Hess and Shari Keefe, founded the land trust and elected Matt Ford as the first executive director. The 501(c) 3 organization sold the first four homes in 1999.
Applicants to buy houses through the land trust are provided education on budgeting and applying for mortgages. The land is leased to the homeowner, reducing the ownership cost, and the house can in the future be sold to another qualifying buyer or back to SCCLT.
State College Borough has been awarded more than $1 million in funding through the Commonwealth for its two nonprofit partners to acquire and renovate townhouses on Old Boalsburg Road for use as affordable rental units.
“All Pennsylvanians deserve access to affordable, safe, and livable spaces in their communities,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement on Thursday. “This investment will support State College’s efforts to ensure that residents have affordable housing options in close proximity to the borough’s commercial corridors, downtown and Penn State University for work, school and shopping needs.”
The funds which come from the Department of Community and Economic Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program include $945,000 to purchase and rehabilitate eight three-bedroom townhouses on one parcel at 803-817 Old Boalsburg Road.