April 2024 | Message from Our Executive Director
| Working through Contractor Challenges and How You’re Helping to Provide Solutions – IT TAKES ALL OF US! Here at the Housing Alliance, we pride ourselves on our ability to identify and address (even if in baby steps) the big challenges that are impeding overall progress in creating more housing affordability for all. And one of those big challenges is the lack of contractors to do the actual work of home repair and housing construction. Because the Housing Alliance has been meeting and convening those at the local level delivering the state Whole Home Repair program, the contractor shortage has been even more top of our minds than usual. And we have some answers. A few months back, many of you shared your concerns, successes, and ideas for how to alleviate some of the problem. We learned so much and our analysis can be found here. At the same time, we have heard from a number of you on some creative ways that you are changing your bidding and payment processes to make it easier for and to incentivize contractors to accept critical home repair projects. We are currently working on a synopsis of how local Whole Home Repair programs are using the workforce development component of the program to support existing and new contractors to enter the field. But more ideas are needed! And that’s why I hope you join us on June 5 for the Rural Pennsylvania Housing Summit where we will discuss this pressing challenge along with many other issues unique to rural communities. We have some answers but of course not yet all of them. And that’s why we work with you to figure out how we can address these big challenges through either local or state program and policy changes. In partnership,  Phyllis Chamberlain Executive Director |