(Written by Joe Nelson)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Local organizations that aim to increase affordable housing options in Monongalia County have received endorsements to apply for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Program.
The Monongalia County Commission approved resolutions to endorse three organizations that aim to use facilities around the Morgantown area to support affordable housing initiatives within the county. The resolutions were approved unanimously to support the applications from Libera and RG Holland, as well as approval for separate loan applications to allow Canyon Lake Apartments to move forward on funding to support their affordable housing initiatives.
“These are projects where they’re submitting a grant application to this bank, they’re supporting low-cost housing, so we’re certainly in support of that,” said Commission President Sean Sikora ahead of the approval of the resolutions.
The approval of the resolutions will allow for buildings in Westover, Morgantown, and around Stewartstown Road to move forward on the chance to receive federal dollars. This includes the former Chestnut Ridge Elementary School, housing property near Holland Avenue, and Canyon Lake Apartments, which are a short drive from US-119 by the Stewartstown Road intersection. If funding is approved by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh as part of their affordable housing program,
“Libera is the former Chestnut Ridge Elementary School at 1000 Stewartstown Road, and the other one is in Westover,” said County Administrator Rennetta McClure on the location of two of the affordable housing efforts that will take place.
The Monongalia County Department of Planning also endorsed the applications ahead of the commission’s approval. County Planning Director Andrew Gast Bray addressed the commission, where he discussed conversations about the need to make use of the old Chestnut Ridge Elementary School. He added that not only was Libera (who will oversee the Chestnut Ridge Elementary School site) active in working with the county, as well as the state, to avoid any last-second snags, but RG Holland and Canyon Lake apartments were also heavily involved in their application requests.
“They’ve been working with us, they have an appropriate designation, and it’s actually a good one because we’ve been struggling to fill that former building,” said Gast Bray in regards to the Libera application for the former Chestnut Ridge Elementary School. “This is like perfect for the zoning, and it is authorized by the state,” he said.
Each of the organizations will need a project manager in order for the loans to move forward. Gast Bray was asked but had to decline due to state rules.
The approval of the resolutions is a small part of a large-scale effort that has aimed to address unhoused individuals in Monongalia County. This is also separate from the efforts to support a county emergency triage shelter, which currently involves the City of Morgantown, State Senator Mike Oliverio, and Governor Jim Justice’s office. While there was no mention of those efforts by the commission as part of the resolution approvals, each member supported the effort by local organizations to increase affordable housing in the county.
“This is the same program as the letters of support,” said Sikora in regards to the Canyon Lake Apartments resolution. “They’ve just sent a different form that’s required by the bank, and they’re asking us to sign the document (to proceed),” he said.