Pike mortgages do double duty

By DAVID HULSE

MILFORD, PA — The purchases and financing of homes and properties in Pike County has become a contributing force in helping low-income residents own their own homes.

Under Act 137, every time a deed or mortgage is recorded, the county collects a fee and with the county’s growth there have been a lot of deeds and mortgages, comissioner Richard Caridi said on April 14.

So last week the Pike County Commissioners used proceeds from those fees to make a $50,000 donation to the Pike County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Act 137 funds are dedicated to senior- and low- to moderate-income housing and in past have funded a seniors housing complex in Matamoras.

Habitat past president Jack Dennis said he was “breathless” about the donation. “We’ve begged for money every year since 1996 and the commissioners have been our biggest supporters. They’ve doubled what we’ve asked for this year,” he said.

Dennis said it took two-and-a-half years of effort to build habitat’s first home. Now the group turns out two each year and wants to raise that to three, he said. “In every instance it’s improved the lives of the families selected,” he said.

Commissioner Harry Forbes agreed, recalling the “success story” of one habitat’s first homes, built for a single mom with several young sons. “They’ve gone on to college now and because habitat was able to help that young woman, those boys will be dynamite people,” he said.

For more information about Pike Habitat for Humanity call 570/828-1623.

In other business: the commissioners heard county planner Mike Mrozinski report on the progress of the county’s comprehensive planning effort, now ongoing since June of 2002. Mrozinski said Pike’s planning consultants, Spotts, Stevens and McCoy are preparing a survey and questionnaire prior to the beginning of a public outreach effort that will include a series of regional public meetings.

“It’s important that the municipalities are involved, because they all have comprehensive plans as well that need to interact with the county’s. The state looks for that in reviewing [county] plans,” he said.

The commissioners also approved a proclamation, naming April 18 to 24 as Volunteer Recognition Week, and Alan Dolge of Pike County United Way marked the occasion with the presentation of certificate of appreciation to Roger Maltby of the Pike County Fire Federation.