Erie County United Housing Town Hall

Panel of elected officials at the ECU Housing Town Hall

During the Housing Town Hall at the Booker T. Washington Center hosted by Erie County United on Saturday April 26, Erie citizens came together to discuss housing issues with elected officials and organizations such as the Erie Spiritual Coalition and Erie Redevelopment Authority. The room reached a shared consensus that housing should be a human right, and changes are necessary to make the housing in Erie safer, more affordable, and more accessible. 

Participants had opportunities to interact with other renters and homeowners in small breakout group activities, sharing concerns and solutions. During these guided conversations, people mentioned the prevalence of lead paint and mold, lack of new builds and affordable housing, and housing inequality. 

The event also included speakers and a panel of elected officials from both city and county councils. Co-Founder of Erie Spiritual Coalition (ESC) Susannah Faulkner outlined the Tenant Bill of Rights, which passed into local law in January. It includes the right to safe housing, reasonable accommodations, clear and fair leases, and more. Faulkner explained that ESC is working to implement the bill of rights so all people in Erie understand their rights and responsibilities. 

There is still work to be done to achieve this, following discussions between the Apartment Association and City Council, an amendment to the Tenant Bill of Rights will be up for final passage during the City Council meeting on May 7. 

That means that potentially after May 7th, this will have to be handed out at every single lease signing in the city of Erie," Faulkner said, referencing the example of the Tenant Bill of Rights that participants had in front of them. 

Kendra Wilson, the community engagement specialist for the Redevelopment Authority for the City of Erie,, primarily addressed housing issues such as lead paint remediation and blighted property mitigation in her presentation. The Redevelopment Authority has completed 124 Healthy Homes projects and has ten more in progress. This program addresses preventable health and safety issues in the home for low-income individuals. 

Wilson also encouraged renters to educate themselves on the homes on the blighted property list. "I encourage everyone, before signing a lease or purchasing a house in the City of Erie, to please check if the property is on the blighted property list. That's not something that anyone will inform you of and I have seen people renting-to-own, or living in, signing brand new leases, or purchasing blighted properties that are about to be taken by the government." Wilson said. "They're in such disrepair. Nobody should be living in them." 

Near the end of the event, elected officials from city and county councils had a panel discussion around housing concerns and solutions. City council members included Chuck Nelson, Jasmine Flores, Tyler Titus, and Kathy Schaaf. County council members included Rock Copeland. ECU Member Carlos Mora explained that the organization also invited Mayor Joe Schember and County Executive Brenton Davis but did not hear back. 

City Council Vice President Tyler Titus said that their primary concern is marginalized groups having access to housing. "What is happening to our refugees, our immigrants, specifically, is unacceptable and it keeps me up at night. What I'm watching happening to the disabled community is keeping me up at night. What I'm watching happening to the Queer community is keeping me up at night." 

The disabled community is one example of a group that struggles to get accessible and affordable housing. "People with disabilities are looking for housing and the waiting list for accessible, affordable housing is years long," Kelly Barrett, a resident of Harborcreek, explained. "That's heartbreaking to tell people when they're ready to move, that they could be waiting and living somewhere unhappily for years before another spot comes up."