We Meet Community Needs
Lack of Affordable Housing
Childcare Costs
Insufficient Public Transportation
Community Education
All of these issues —and many others— are part of the myriad causes of family homelessness in Chester County. As a community, we’re facing a housing crisis that is going to take help from every sector to solve.
The basic issue is that the demand for affordable housing in Chester County has outpaced the supply, and this has caused costs and rents to rise. This issue is especially visible in Kennett Square, where there were a large number of affordable homes and apartments that have been renovated and now demand higher rents than local wages can support.
Not only is it expensive for many families to stay in Chester County, but it’s often too expensive to leave, as well. These families have children in the school district, relatives nearby, and jobs in the community. Without access to transportation and no robust bus or subway system to commute, leaving would mean losing all income. This is not to mention the costs of moving and the financial strain of gathering deposits and first and last month’s rent for new rental properties.