“A lot of people are experiencing an unprecedented level of uncertainty and fear, and I want to name that we have kids in our schools who, instead of focusing on learning, are worried about being shot or their parents being picked up or being bullied because somebody decided that they should be bullied because of who they are”
Keynote speaker of, 211 Capacity Building Summit, Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, gave a passionate speech addressing community needs in housing and people experiencing uncertainty and fear in today’s climate.
Smith-Wade-El put an emphasis on the housing crisis in the commonwealth. He explained that there needs to be a ‘full court press on housing’ and that it is part of the commonwealth’s infrastructure.
Smith-Wade-El applauded the initiatives of the local nonprofit attendees; highlighting how their work assists the people of the commonwealth into better housing, gaining funds, and finding safe places. “Lancaster County has always been a place that prides itself on providing our neighbors with a home, and it is my sincere hope that we will not abandon that commitment now.”
Following the speech President & CEO of United Way of Lancaster County, Kate Zimmerman interviewed Smith-Wade-El. Zimmerman highlighted how majority of the calls and searches on the PA 211 East website are housing related, with rental assistance being a significant portion of the requests. She asked about the regulatory barriers that could be impacted to enhance housing solutions.
Smith-Wade-El described the main issues in housing are the complexity of accessing funds for housing support and the excessive number of municipalities in Pa that have their own regulations. The bureaucratic hurdles make it difficult to utilize available funds effectively and split decision making across the 2,559 municipalities hinders the development of affordable housing.
Smith-Wade-El is the prime sponsor of, House Bill 1769, a bill that seals eviction records for tenants trying to find housing, which protects vulnerable populations like domestic violence survivors, Black, and Latinx women from long term harm and discrimination. He told a story about a woman he met while running for office who struggled to find housing due to an eviction on her record. (Related: Advocates push to seal Pa. eviction filings)
Smith-Wade-El ended the conversation by encouraging the audience to not only find problems in the community but to create a plan of action to fix those problems. He wanted the audience to examine how despite what their outside environment is having hope is important practice that will help you achieve your goals.
