WAYNE COUNTY, PA — There is no denying that a housing crisis is sweeping across the nation, and Wayne County is no exception. 

A few years back, the Wayne Tomorrow! Housing Task Force secured funding for an updated assessment of the county’s housing market; the last assessment was completed nearly two decades ago in 2004. The study began in 2017, and was conducted over a five-year period. 

Three main goals were derived from the study for the future of Wayne’s housing market: “Diversify housing choices to accommodate all life stages and household needs, stabilize the county’s aging housing stock, and expand housing options for the growing senior population.”

During this study, it was found that from the second half of 2017 through the first half of 2022, the median home sale price in Wayne County went from approximately $159,000 to $254,500, which is a 60 percent increase. The data company ATTOM estimates that the current median home price in Wayne County is about $268,750, meaning that home prices have increased by an additional 5.6 percent within the past two years. 

Since income amounts have stayed stagnant throughout the county, the rising home prices are making it harder to purchase or rent homes. According to censusreporter.org, the median household income in Wayne County is $59,240 and the income per capita is $32,207. Both of these numbers are less than the Pennsylvania average. In addition, around 11 percent of the residents in the county live at or below the poverty line. This might not seem like a large number, but in relation to the county’s population, that’s over 5,500 residents.

Additionally, Wayne County is affected by the purchase of houses by non-owner occupants. These types of occupants are defined as people who own a property that they do not live in. This is usually the case for rental or investment purposes. The number of homes bought by non-owner occupants has been steadily increasing over the past five years, increasing from 64.1 percent of all home sales in 2020 to 73.5 percent of all sales in the first half of 2022. Some of these properties are used as or turned into rentals; however, from 2010-2022 Wayne County actually saw a decrease of 6.8 percent in the total number of occupied homes.

As of 2020, there were approximately 3,613 renter-occupied homes throughout Wayne County. The majority of these rentals paid an average of $700-$999 per month, with more than 770 units paying over $1,000 per month.

It is important to note that Wayne County has the longest span between its northern and southern borders, roughly 55 miles, of any county in Pennsylvania. This results in wide variation in economic and demographic features throughout different parts of the county. Many of the results of this study encompasses data from the entire county, so it may not pertain to one particular subsection. 

The River Reporter had the opportunity to speak with Heather Mizler, the Housing Taskforce co-chair here in Wayne County. When asked what was causing the significant increase in home prices over the past few years, Mizler listed a few different reasons. Some of these issues can be seen on a national level, such as supply and demand, high interest rates, stagnant incomes, racial/ethnic discrimination and government regulations. 

Mizler then explained there are a few reasons in Wayne County specifically as to why home prices have been driven up. 

“[There has been] a drastic rise in seasonal-use homes,” she said. “Out-of-state purchases drive up the prices.”

Since the study was completed, the River Reporter wanted to know what has been done to implement it.  

“The housing task force first interpreted the data, educated the public and is now working on the implementation stage.” Mizler said. “Because the housing study was completed last year, the goal of the housing taskforce is to follow the recommendations and start the implementation phase. Next step is looping in the banks, local developers and real estate agents.”

Finally, Mizler was asked about what the housing task force is and how it is beneficial to the community.

“My department’s mission is to help low-income families facing a housing crisis,” she said, “[and] to achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.” This can be achieved in various ways such as “connecting the household to appropriate providers to receive supportive services, assisting in applying for the local pantries, food stamps, Medicaid, etc.”

“Also, there are no shelters in our county, [so] there are no options for our homeless population unless they are willing to relocate to another county that has shelter available,” Mizler continued. “In addition to that barrier, many households have requested assistance with rental arrears and utility arrears due to little or no household income.”

Wayne County officials are aware of the housing struggles many of its residents face. In addition to the housing task force, one of the ways in which the county is trying to combat this housing crisis is through the Wayne County Housing Authority (WCHA) and its corresponding programs. 

The WCHA was created in 1971 under the Housing Authorities Law. According to its website, “The Wayne County Housing Authority through the programs administered provides housing assistance to eligible very low and extremely low-income families, senior citizens, handicapped and disabled adults. All residents assisted by the WCHA pay rent based solely on their income rather than the size, type or location of their homes.” Currently, the WCHA manages approximately 715 assisted housing units throughout Wayne and Pike counties. 

To learn more about WCHA programs, visit their website at www.wchahousing.com/. Additionally, the Wayne County Housing Study can be found at waynecountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5692/Wayne-County-Housing-Study-Final.