A plan to help ‘the forgotten middle class’ in Easton? City mulls new housing mandate

With recent discussions on workforce housing taking place, Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. believes a shortage of low-income housing is a bigger problem.

City Councilman Frank Pintabone at city council’s Wednesday meeting discussed proposed legislation aimed at increasing the availability of housing for moderate-income residents in Easton.

It is now drafted as an ordinance, which city council will vote on at a future meeting.

The ordinance would require certain new multifamily housing developments to reserve a portion of units for workforce housing. These units would be targeted to households earning between 80 and 120 percent of the area median income, adjusted annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Though generally supportive of the ordinance, Panto voiced concern that the proposal does not address the city’s shortage of low-income and senior housing.

“I don’t think we need more workforce housing. We need affordable housing,” Panto said. “The difference between the two is somebody making $60,000 versus somebody making $12,000. I’m concerned about not providing affordable housing when we don’t have enough housing for people who are on the streets.”

Pintabone emphasized the need to serve middle-income residents who earn too much to qualify for low-income housing but cannot afford high-end units.

“The ones who don’t qualify for the low income housing and they don’t make enough to afford the high end unit, that’s what we keep forgetting,” he said.

The ordinance applies to projects of 10 units or more that receive public funding, make use of local or state tax incentives such as the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance program, or develop land owned or controlled by the city or affiliated agencies.

At least 10 percent of units in qualifying projects would need to be designated as workforce housing. Designated units would have to be similar in size, quality, and design to market-rate units and integrated throughout a development. They would also need to be available at the same time as market-rate units during leasing.

Affordability requirements would remain in effect for 20 years from the time a project first receives a certificate of occupancy.

A designated agent would be responsible for verifying tenant income eligibility, maintaining a list of qualified applicants and monitoring long-term affordability. Developers would be required to file annual reports on occupancy and pricing, submit a marketing plan targeting moderate-income households, and notify the city in advance of workforce unit leasing.

If a tenant’s income rises above the eligibility threshold, the ordinance allows that tenant to renew their lease at market rate, with the next available comparable unit designated as workforce housing.

Developers who choose not to set aside the required number of units could instead pay an in-lieu fee of $10,000 for each unit not designated. The amount would be reviewed every five years and may be adjusted based on inflation or construction costs.

Fees collected would go into a dedicated city fund to support the development, rehabilitation, or preservation of workforce and affordable housing.

At Wednesday’s city council meeting, Vice Mayor Ken Brown said he believes the ordinance could succeed but questioned whether the city has the internal capacity to manage it.

Councilwoman Crystal Rose echoed support, stating that this reflects a national problem. She said as a downtown resident, she’s observed neighbors who were priced out of their units despite having “good jobs.”

“I would agree that workforce housing is very much needed,” Rose said.

Chelsea McClure can be reached at cmcclure@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on instagram at @chelsealehighvalley.