SCRANTON, PA — A comprehensive, year-long study on the state of Lackawanna County's housing stock has revealed that limited inventory, low vacancy rates, and aging properties are creating severe affordability hurdles for area residents.
The report, commissioned collaboratively by Lackawanna County, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, and The Greater Scranton Board of Realtors, was conducted by regional research organization The Institute. The final findings emphasize that without swift intergovernmental action, the region risks further housing deterioration and economic stagnation.
To address these challenges, the report outlines several strategic recommendations:
- Expanding Affordable Housing: Constructing and preserving accessible units tailored to a variety of income levels.
- Home Rehabilitation Assistance: Offering flexible financing and grant tools to help homeowners repair and preserve aging properties.
- Blight & Adaptive Reuse: Utilizing local land banks to redevelop vacant buildings and return blighted properties to productive tax rolls.
- Zoning & Permitting Reform: Modernizing municipal regulatory frameworks, streamlining permitting, and updating title transfer procedures to encourage new infill development.
County officials signaled that the immediate next step will be forming a county-wide housing task force. The task force will convene municipal leaders, developers, housing advocates, lenders, and major employers to prioritize the study's recommendations, streamline local zoning codes, and establish a coordinated strategy across all Lackawanna County municipalities.
