Thank you to all participants of our first session for Community Action's "Unlocking Affordable Housing in the Lehigh Valley" series! This event marks the beginning of our ambitious four-part housing summit, aiming to develop a local action plan. This plan will offer tangible recommendations to local and state officials, property owners, and other vital stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of ensuring affordable housing is accessible to everyone in the Lehigh Valley.

 

Our first session served as a vibrant brainstorming event, drawing approximately 50 individuals predominantly from the housing sector. Together, we delved into pressing issues, asking which neighborhoods are in dire need, which obstacles are currently presented by regulations, and strategies for involving community members in shaping these future policies.

 

A highlight of the session was an informative presentation by Becky Bradley, Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, who illuminated the severity of the affordable housing crisis and its disproportionate impact on the elderly, youth, and communities of color.

 

In order to incorporate diverse perspectives, we invited participants to share their personal experiences with housing challenges, resulting in dozens of insightful responses through Mentimeter, an app used to display presentations with real-time feedback. Queries about the current state of affordable housing elicited descriptions such as "unattainable, scarce, and of poor quality," while visions for the future emphasized "availability, safety, abundance, and stability." From a list of 11 critical housing issues, attendees prioritized their top concern as “improving and making existing housing stocks affordable, safe, and dignified” alongside “the creation of attainable housing units.”

 

As we continue our housing summit series, we are dedicated to setting clear short and long-term objectives and expanding our reach to include all relevant voices in these crucial discussions. While the conversation around affordable housing continues to evolve, Community Action is committed to transitioning from conversation to action, striving to prove that affordable housing is a human right for all.