Rep. Tarah Probst addresses housing crisis in the Poconos

Pennsylavania State Representative Tarah Probst hosted the Pennsylvania House Housing and Community Development Committee on Thursday, March 26, to discuss the current housing crisis in the Poconos at East Stroudsburg High School South’s library. The goal was to discuss current issues in the housing market and to open the floor to panelists to share their perspectives based on their particular industries.

The panelists in attendance were Tiffanie Bailey-Romey, the president of the Pocono Mountains Association of Realtors; Tom Campbell, the director of Housing Initiatives for the Pocono Mountains United Way; Chris Barrett, the president and CEO of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau; Don Pleau, the resort general manager at Kalahari in the Poconos and Mary Frances Postupack, the vice president for economic development and entrepreneurship at East Stroudsburg University. Each speaker had their own take on the main issues regarding housing in the area, with potential ideas to alleviate some of the burden.

Affordable versus attainable housing

Rep. Probst began the roundtable by acknowledging that she understands how severe this issue is for the commonwealth. However, she said that, from her position, there’s not much she can do alone to make a significant difference, which is where the panelists and the Housing and Community Development Committee come in.

Bailey-Romey discussed the differences between affordable and attainable housing, noting that what some people might consider affordable might still be unattainable given the current market. Even individuals making a six-figure salary may struggle to find housing for themselves and their loved ones, with seniors being at the forefront of the conversation. She said that keeping family members together is a boon for generational wealth and a cohesive family unit, but this is not achievable for many people trying to find a home in the commonwealth.

Lack of affordable housing for seniors and essential workers

Campbell discussed some of the major concerns blocking more affordable housing in the area and how the people who need it most, like essential workers and the elderly, are not able to support themselves on the income that they receive in Pennsylvania. He said that Pike County is one of the most expensive areas to live in the state, while salaries are still too low to afford rent or mortgages there. From the development side, the barriers to building and renovating housing units are often too large for companies and contractors to overcome, so while they want to build housing, they’re unable to attain the funding or apply for grants to make the projects happen.

Barrett discussed how the region’s tourism industry is thriving, with the Pocono Mountains accounting for 40 percent of all income and being the number one provider of labor. However, he said the main restraint on continued growth is a lack of workforce housing, a sentiment echoed by Pleau. They agreed that people are unable to find work in the area, not because jobs aren’t available, but because they can’t find a place to live that would be supported by that income.

Barriers to development

Pleau also explained how the hospitality industry has improved the quality of life for everyone in the area, bringing better places to shop and dine, and opening the door to higher-quality healthcare. However, there are too many barriers to further development.

Postupack also commented that many students are unable to work toward their dream of owning a home after graduating from college due to high costs and limited availability. On top of that, there are increasingly restrictive regulations in place, such as Stroudsburg’s ban on more than four unrelated individuals sharing a living space. This means there aren’t the options to split rent among as many roommates without those people being family as well.

One common thread throughout the roundtable was zoning. Whether it’s the cost of doing so or the hurdles to getting an area zoned for further development, developers often see the cost outweighing the benefits of actually building more housing for the communities that need it most.

Impact of short-term rentals

After the panelists finished speaking, the issue of short-term rentals was posed to them for their take. Many of them appreciated people’s savviness in making extra money and driving revenue for the tourism industry. However, it was also agreed that the issue mostly stems from private equity buying these properties, thereby taking the opportunity to buy an affordable home away from those who most need it.

The committee closed the roundtable by thanking the panelists for their time and perspectives. Representative Brandon Markosek, the committee’s chairman, said he looks forward to using this information to make a difference in housing throughout the commonwealth, though some hurdles lie at the local level rather than the state.