The Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities (LCRA) have expanded their space.
Justin Eby, said “We needed to provide a nice comfortable space for staff to be able to interact with clients, and this space allows us to do that,” said Justin Eby, the authorities’ executive director.
The office, located at 28 Penn Square is located in the heart of downtown Lancaster. The authorities expanded from their second-floor space to include the first floor.
The authorities’ role in administering the Emergency Rental Assistance Program has meant staff members are meeting with many more clients than had been typical in the past.
In mid-July, new applications to ERAP were paused to allow staff to work through a backlog. The pause is to last through at least Sept. 30.
The expansion also made more space available for the Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition, which came under the authorities’ umbrella earlier this year after being housed at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health.
The coalition oversees homelessness services countywide and is the conduit for certain federal grants.
The authorities’ mandate includes promoting the redevelopment of underutilized properties and development of affordable housing.
“Having our rental assistance, having our development of affordable housing, and also our homelessness program all together in one building really helps move projects and programs forward,” Eby said.
