Housing is “attainable” and “sustainable” if the households don’t have to spend more than 30% of their income on housing-related expenses. HOWEVER, 27% of Chester County households MUST spend more than 30% of their income to live here.

Housing costs have outpaced incomes:

• Of the roughly 1,600 new housing units built in Chester County in 2023, less than half were owner-occupied; of those, only 8.5% were under $250,000. The median home sale price in Chester County in 2023 was $492,000.

  • • Chester County’s median rent, $1,625 per month in 2022, is up 44% in eight years and is $240 to $330 a month higher than three neighboring counties.     

    • For every $1.00 wages have increased since 2000, housing and transportation costs have increased by $1.75.  As housing prices outstrip wages the essential workers we depend on are priced out.

• Only 20% of the landlords in Chester County will accept tenants with a housing choice voucher (also known as Section 8 vouchers).

• 40% of the Chester County workforce is in the retail, health, accommodation, education, and food service industries. The median income for workers in these essential industries is $61,000 or less. Chester County’s long-term economic success depends on the availability of safe and attainable housing for our workforce.

• Density bonuses allow more units on a property if a specified number are set aside as below market rate units

• Expedited permitting and reduced fees are unlikely to be a large incentive, but coupled with other changes they signal to developers that the municipality is eager to see affordable housing proposals.

• Inclusionary zoning can be mandatory or voluntary but in both cases, the developer includes some below-market rate units. There may be incentives to do so, like increased density. There also may be a fee-in-lieu component where the developer contributes to a fund that is used to subsidize affordable housing projects.

• Occupants of affordable housing often don’t need two parking spaces, as is frequently required by zoning regulations. West Chester Borough generally requires two spaces per unit, but actual usage is less than one space per unit. Fewer parking spaces means more unit density which lowers the cost per unit.

• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are an easy, inexpensive way to provide more affordable housing but the number of units is generally limited. Frequently called “mother-in-law units” some zoning codes require only a family relative to occupy the space.

• Missing middle housing is a house-scale building with multiple units that are compatible in scale and form with single-family units. In Chester County, we tend to build the units on both ends – single-family homes and luxury apartments. Missing middle housing also features walkable communities. Some municipalities, like Jacksonville, FL have gone so far as to ban the further construction of single-family homes.

• Public-owned land that’s not needed can be offered to developers at no or low cost for affordable housing. 

• In many cases it's resistance by a vocal minority who oppose change for a variety of reasons that frequently stops the changes needed to build more attainable housing.

  • •  Everyone has a right to an opinion and to express it

    • Their concerns need to be addressed

    • All voices need to be included

    • Supporters of attainable housing need to know what to say at public meetings

Supporters need to express their views and help promote attainable housing. Here’s what to say....

• Stress values

  • • There are places in Chester County where there are no places to live that can be purchased or rented at a reasonable price.

    • Our region prospers only when we all prosper, like good homes that people can afford.

• Yes, traffic will increase in the area where housing density is high.

  • • Overall traffic will decrease when workers live closer to where they work.

    • When workers spend a large part of their day commuting, they don’t have time for community engagement like volunteering. It also impacts their family life, leading to social issues that impact us all.

• No, costs and taxes won’t increase.

  • • Taxes from single-family home developments only produce a fraction of the revenue needed to cover their costs. Multifamily units add fewer school-aged children than single-family dwellings.

    •  Missing middle housing and mixed-use projects are more cost-effective and their property taxes cover more of the costs.

    • When more middle-income residents move into an area, renting or purchasing homes, cities can collect more property tax revenues from a broader cross-section of households.