Erie County Department of Planning

• 1: Home
  • 1.1: About Us
  • 1.2: Staff
  • 1.3: Responsibilities
  • 1.4: 2009 Initiatives
  • 1.5: Planning Commission
    • 1.5.1: Meeting Minutes
  • 1.6: Calendar of Events
• 2: Regional Planning
  • 2.1: Erie County Comprehensive Plan
  • 2.2: Stormwater Management
• 3: Grant Programs
  • 3.1: Affordable Housing Program
  • 3.2: CZM
    • 3.2.1: CZM Projects
      • 3.2.1.1: Four Mile Creek
      • 3.2.1.2: SCUBA Sediment
      • 3.2.1.3: Frontier Park Pathway
      • 3.2.1.4: Environmental Rediscoveries
    • 3.2.2: Map of CZM Area
  • 3.3: Community Development Block Grant
    • 3.3.1: Erie County CDBG
    • 3.3.2: Girard, McKean and NorthEast CDBG
    • 3.3.3: Millcreek CDBG
• 4: Subdivisions
  • 4.1: County Review Process Guide
  • 4.2: County Approval Process Guide
  • 4.3: Subdivision Fee Schedule
• 5: Agriculture
  • 5.1: Agricultural Security Areas
  • 5.2: Erie County Agricultural Land Preservation Board
  • 5.3: Frequently Asked Questions
  • 5.4: Related Links
• 6: Transportation
  • 6.1: Erie MPO
    • 6.1.1: MPO Meeting Schedule
    • 6.1.2: Responsibilities
    • 6.1.3: Meeting Minutes
    • 6.1.4: Public Participation Plan
  • 6.2: Federal Transportation Planning Requirements
  • 6.3: Primary Planning Responsibilities
  • 6.4: Long Range Transportation Plan
  • 6.5: Transportation Improvement Program
  • 6.6: Unified Planning Work Program
  • 6.7: Special Studies
    • 6.7.1: Seaway Trail Management Plan
    • 6.7.2: US 19 Study
    • 6.7.3: NWPA Greenways Plan
• 7: GIS
• 8: Census
  • 8.1: Census Maps
• 9: Recycling

Affordable Housing Program

Affordable Housing Program

The Pennsylvania Optional County Affordable Housing Act, Act 137 of 1992, provided the authorization for counties to establish a dedicated housing fund to support affordable housing activities. These funds may be used to secure National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 HOME Program funds, assist or support housing efforts by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and by commercial banks and thrift institutions, as well as assist or support housing efforts by County governments, municipal governments, municipal housing and redevelopment authorities and local non-profit agencies.

Erie County Affordable Housing Fund (Act 137)

In 1999, Erie County Council adopted the Erie County Affordable Housing Fund Ordinance. This involved raising the fees that are paid to the Recorder of Deeds Office in order to create the affordable housing fund. The funds collected under the fee increase are to be assigned to a dedicated housing fund to support affordable housing activities in Erie County. The Erie County Department of Planning (ECDP) has been administering the Act 137 fund since 2000; and the program has funded many projects over the years that have supported affordable housing initiatives within Erie County.

The Act 137 funds are awarded annually on a competitive basis. The ECDP advertises the availability of funds in February of each year in order to solicit project requests. In order to objectively select which projects receive funding, the County utilizes established evaluation criteria, which allows the projects relative merit to be established. A non-voting committee evaluates each of the project requests based on the criteria and develops a prioritized project list and corresponding recommendations. The recommendations are then submitted to the voting committee; which consists of the County Executive, Chair of County Council, and the Clerk of Records, for their consideration and final award of the available funds.

If you have any questions or if you would like to receive more information about the Act 137 fund, please feel free to contact our office at (814) 451-6336.