Autism affordable housing project approved in Centre County

CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — At Tuesday’s Centre County Board of Commissioners meeting a contract was approved for a project that will help residents with autism.

The board approved a contract with ACRES Project Pilot Housing for $486,550. The project will work to provide affordable housing and support services to residents with autism. The contract is through the Department of Human Services’ ERAP2-25% program which provides Pennsylvanians with assistance ranging from rental and utility assistance to covering the provision of housing stability services.

“It will have a lasting impact. It’s exciting to see it get off the ground,” Steve Dershem, A commissioner said regarding the ACRES Project.

During a previous Board of Commissioners meeting, Amber Concepcion mentioned that the need for affordable housing and supportive services among people with autism is not a new issue but a newly understood one.

Concepcion commended the ACRES Project for using the ERAP2 resources to tackle this issue.

The board also added three other projects to the consent agenda:

• $353,948 for State College Community Land Trust’s construction of Old Boalsburg Flats
• $300,000 for Anchor Mae Investment, LLC’s construction of a modular home
• $47,551.13 for Strawberry Fields, Inc. to rehabilitate a former personal care facility

These contracts together total over $1 million that is being committed to affordable housing in Centre County.

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Commissioner Chair Mark Higgins added that there is an additional $1 million that can be distributed to eligible affordable housing projects in Centre County before the end of 2024.

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