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The Government of the County of Berks

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUND

The County of Berks through the Mental Health/Mental Retardation/ HealthChoices Program, in coordination with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), is committed to creating affordable supportive housing opportunities for its consumers.

In order to encourage the development of these supportive housing opportunities, the HealthChoices Program has created a Housing Development Fund in the amount of One Million Five Hundred Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($1,500,000.00) for use by developers and property owners willing to set aside affordable rental units for use as permanent affordable housing for the consumers of the HealthChoices Program. The County has chosen the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Berks (BCRA) to promote, administer, and oversee the use of the Housing Development Fund.

The County expects that the Housing Development Fund will support the development of between 30 and 35 units of affordable permanent supportive housing targeted to consumers of the HealthChoices Program. Units funded with monies from the Housing Development Fund shall be required to remain affordable for at least fifteen (15) years. BCRA will work with the County to strategically use the resources of the Housing Development Fund to supplement other affordable housing development funding.

The Housing Development Fund is intended to be a resource that will promote the creation of safe, decent, affordable housing units for the priority consumers of the HealthChoices Program within an integrated community setting. At no time will the Housing Development Fund be used to assist in the creation of housing that segregates consumers from the general population or restricts access to individuals with specific forms of disabilities. The Housing Development Fund is designed to promote the Permanent Supportive Housing model that links affordable, integrated, housing to supportive services that are available, but not required. The Housing Development Fund is available to those developers interested in creating units that is safe and secure, affordable to consumers, and permanent, as long as the consumer pays the rent and performs his or her obligations under the terms of their lease. These units will be linked to supportive services that are optional and flexible.

Please also see our MH/DD Project.