GSEs play critical role in housing during pandemic
Government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have played a critical role in housing during the pandemic. The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR’s) vision for GSEs to be reformed as market utilities was first introduced in February 2019. Today, as we continue to navigate COVID-19, we ask ourselves, is the NAR utility model still the most viable solution? In many ways, the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA’s) stewardship of Fannie and Freddie over the past six months has validated NAR’s proposed utility model for housing finance reform. The mortgage market is so strong in large part because the GSEs have a mandated mission to provide stability in the residential mortgage market and the FHFA has insisted they fulfill that mission throughout the pandemic. Watch NAR discuss the issue in a four-minute video.
Source: Nar.realtor; 11/1/2021

NAR leaders join HUD event on appraisal matters
On Oct. 14, the chairs of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Real Property Valuation Committee participated in an industry listening session hosted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with the Biden administration's Interagency Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity. The session brought together various stakeholders, including appraisers, appraisal management companies, fair housing and consumer advocates, and other industry players in the property valuation space. The event consisted primarily of break-out sessions where attendees answered questions and discussed matters related to the following:

• Reconsideration of Value (ROV) process for properties
• Diversity in the appraisal industry
• Appraisal policy, guidance and regulations
• Enforcement and compliance
• Automated valuation models and alternative property valuation methods

NAR staff stressed to HUD the value in continued engagement with Realtors and industry professionals, especially appraisers, as the administration moves forward in assessing and developing recommendations related to the current property valuation framework.
Source: Nar.realtor; 10/29/2021

Morrisville residents file suit to save Williamson Park
A group of Morrisville residents filed a lawsuit in the Orphans’ Court of Bucks County against Morrisville Borough and its eight-member council in a bid to prevent the borough council from approving the development of Williamson Park. Developer Select Morrisville LLC is planning a $125 to $150 million redevelopment along the Delaware River, including more than 500 luxury apartments, a hotel, retail shops, restaurants and an amphitheater in the mixed-use plans. Borough council proposed allowing Williamson Park to be included in the redevelopment area by extending an area deemed blighted, but postponed the vote after residents in a packed meeting voiced opposition to the proposal. Since then, residents calling themselves “Save Williamson Park” have announced the suit, claiming that legal protections for Williamson Park are provided by the Pennsylvania Constitution’s Environmental Right Amendment, the Public Trust Doctrine, and the Dedicated or Donated Properties Act. Members of Save Williamson Park say that “a municipality cannot determine a better use.” The developer believes the project would revitalize Morrisville’s economy and tax base. Council members had no comment.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 10/29/2021

Northampton plans public meeting for proposed Wawa
Northampton Township supervisors will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. at the township building, 55 Township Road, Richboro, to consider the preliminary/final subdivision and land development plan for a Wawa at 287 Holland Road. Copies of the plans are available here. The agenda for the public meeting will be posted on the Northampton Township website by Nov. 9. 
Source: Northampton Township

Bucks County opens latest round of local business grants
Bucks County is now accepting applications for its latest round of grants to local businesses. The application window for the Bucks Business Recovery Grant program opened Oct. 29 to both for-profit and, for the first time, nonprofit businesses. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 19. View a flyer here. Funded with federal dollars received through the American Rescue Plan Act, the program will disburse grants ranging from $1,000 to $45,000 to help businesses blunt the negative economic effects of the pandemic. Additional information about the Bucks Business Recovery Grant program, including eligibility requirements, can be found on the county’s COVID-19 Economic Resources Portal.
Source: Bucks County; 11/2021

Bucks planners consider affordable housing in comp plan update
As Bucks County prepares its “Bucks 2040” updated comprehensive plan, hearings are being held to help county residents, employers and employees let the planning commission know what they think will make living and working in the county better. The most recent meeting included a housing chart that displayed the median monthly costs to rent or own a home in Lower, Central and Upper Bucks. In Upper Bucks, the median rent is $1,164 and the median cost to own is $2,011; in Central Bucks, it's $1,418 to rent, $2,399 to own; and in Lower Bucks, it's $1,171 to rent and $1,938 to own. The chart showed that a person or couple would need to earn an annual income of $78,000 to live in some parts of Lower Bucks; $80,000 in Upper Bucks and $96,000 in Central Bucks, and these incomes would not qualify them for all municipalities in those sections of the county. The Bucks2040 Virtual Room includes charts with information on various comprehensive plan topics. Other items of importance listed by hearing participants include open space and farmland preservation, walkable communities, accessible shopping, and better roads. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Warrington Township Building, 852 Easton Road. View more information on the planning commission’s work here.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 10/30/2021

Doylestown Borough Hall sells for $2.3M
The winning bid for the Doylestown Borough Hall building at 57 W. Court St. was $2.3 million. Larry Thompson, a borough resident and owner of several properties in Doylestown, was the highest bidder. Thompson said he will need time to come up with a plan for the historic building that sits in the center of Doylestown’s commercial district but that it will “be repurposed into something beneficial for all of Doylestown.” Proceeds from the sale will be used to defray the $10.3 million cost of the new Borough Hall and Central Bucks Regional Police Department headquarters on North Broad Street. The borough is expecting to move to the new facility by the end of December.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 10/21/2021

Phoenixville School Board mulls selling closed school property
The question of what to do with the closed Phoenixville Kindergarten Center and the 7.4 acres on which it sits has become a subject of increasing public interest. At the Oct. 18 Phoenixville Area School Board meeting, speakers from the public urged the district to preserve the property in some way, rather than sell to housing developers who have already made offers for the parcel. Also in the running is Phoenixville Borough, which has made an offer of $1.8 million. The initial idea, according to Phoenixville Borough Manager E. Jean Krack, “is to create some kind of learning center about the things the borough does — we treat drinking water and wastewater, handle stormwater and trash and recycling.” The most lucrative offer comes from Toll Brothers, which is offering $3.9 million for the property and has indicated it would use it to build townhouses. Another developer, Rockwell, is offering $3.77 million and would also build townhouses. Both developers’ proposals would add about 20 children to district classrooms and could provide $500,000 to $800,000 in annual tax revenues once developed, according to superintendent Alan Fegley. A fourth offer for the property comes from Erin Development, which is offering $1.72 million. The district has purchased a 30-acre parcel off Hares Hill Road for $3.5 million on which it intends to build a new East Pikeland Elementary School, and money from the sale of the former kindergarten center could be used to offset some of that cost.
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 11/1/2021

Chester County seeks volunteers for authorities, boards and commissions
The Chester County commissioners invite residents to consider volunteering on county authorities, boards and commissions. Volunteers provide support, guidance, advice and oversight. Read more about the various vacancies and how to apply on the county website.
Source: Chester County; 11/2/2021

Moore still owes Kennett Township nearly $2 million
On Oct. 4, former Kennett Township manager Lisa Moore was sentenced to a three- to 10-year prison sentence stemming from her embezzlement of more than $3.2 million from the township between 2013 and 2019. Moore was charged with theft by deception, dealing in unlawful proceeds, forgery, tampering with public records and access device fraud. She is also required to pay restitution costs of nearly $3.25 million to the township. At her hearing, Moore’s attorney said a certified cashier’s check in the amount of $1.27 million was given to the township earlier that day, leaving nearly $2 million owed. Moore faces additional penalties: she must pay various fees related to the legal and forensic aspects of her prosecution; she will not be allowed to hold a position of fiduciary responsibility with any government or nonprofit organization; she will be required to inform any future employer about her conviction; and she will be required to comply with the laws established by the state’s parole board. The township will schedule a special meeting in mid-November to provide more details about the investigation, Moore’s sentencing and how the township intends to further recover the stolen funds.
Source: Chester County Press; 10/12/2021

Oxford Borough seeks a representative for Oxford Area Sewer Authority
Oxford Borough Council is looking for a borough resident to represent the borough on the Oxford Area Sewer Authority board. The hiring of a new borough manager, Pauline Garcia-Allen, was approved in October, but Councilmember Mary Higgins was hopeful that a resident could fill the role instead of the borough manager. Anyone interested in representing Oxford Borough on the sewer authority board is asked to contact Oxford Borough at 610-932-2500.
Source: Chester County Press; 11/1/2021

City council wants Philly to pay for urgent property repairs and bill the owners
Philadelphia city council passed a bill that defines certain property maintenance code violations as public nuisances and allows the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) to arrange for repairs to try to minimize negative impacts on residents and neighbors. The bill applies to certain multifamily buildings and vacant single-family buildings, and includes repairs for violations related to heating and plumbing systems. Faulty private sewage pipes, for example, can damage surrounding properties. And malfunctioning heating systems in a multifamily building can leave residents cold in their homes. The legislation allows L&I to add other significant property code violations to the repair list. It gives a property owner one month to repair or begin to repair problems. If the owner does not act, the department can bill the owner for repairs. If 30 days pass without a payment, the city can place a lien on the property, so that when it is sold, the city recoups the investment. In the next few weeks, council members plan to convene a working group with the administration to figure out funding and implementation and address L&I’s concerns. If Mayor Jim Kenney signs the bill, it would take effect one year later. New York, Washington and Los Angeles are among the cities that have similar programs, according to Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr., who introduced the bill.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 10/28/2021

Project HOME expands supportive housing
The ribbon was finally cut at the newly constructed Maguire Residence in Kensington, a housing facility for people who previously experienced homelessness. The 42-unit apartment complex has been completely full for a year, with a waiting list, but the grand opening of the building was delayed for over a year. It’s developer, Project HOME, had finished construction and moved people in during the pandemic, despite a moratorium imposed on construction projects for several months during the initial shutdown of 2020. “We got an exemption because we were further along in our construction, and it was for people who experienced homelessness and during COVID,” said Project HOME co-founder Sister Mary Scullion. For rent, tenants of Maguire Residence pay 30% of whatever income they bring in. It’s also supportive housing, meaning Project HOME offers social services to its residents, such as health care, behavioral health support, vocational training, education and community advocacy.
Source: WHYY; 10/30/2021

Philadelphia voters approve ballot questions, including budget for Housing Trust Fund
Voters almost always approve ballot questions, and 2021 was no different in Philadelphia. Philadelphia voters approved all four ballot questions before them. Voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the city’s home rule charter that will eliminate a hiring rule that has been blamed for limiting diversity in the municipal workforce. Along with agreeing to get rid of the “rule of two” — which required city managers to choose between the two candidates who scored the highest on civil service exams — Philly voters also approved ballot measures setting a minimum budgetary contribution for the Housing Trust Fund, establishing the Department of Fleet Services, and calling on Pennsylvania legislators to legalize recreational marijuana use. The housing funding measure, which was introduced by Councilmember Derek Green, requires council to make an annual appropriation from the general fund to the Housing Trust Fund, which helps keep low-income Philadelphians in their homes and also creates new affordable housing. The fund currently takes in money through a program in which developers have the option to make payments subsidizing affordable housing efforts in exchange for more favorable zoning accommodations for projects. Green’s measure requires lawmakers to additionally set aside 0.5% of the general fund, which would be an estimated $26 million next year, during the city budget process. “Affordable housing access has been a chronically extended issue in our city and has only become worse as Philadelphia’s poverty rate remains among the highest of the nation’s largest cities,” Green said in a statement. “An equitable economic reset post-COVID-19 begins with ensuring that people’s basic needs, like housing security, are being met.”
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 11/3/2021

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