Westmoreland development leaders say zoning changes could boost middle-income homebuyers

Westmoreland County needs affordable housing for middle-class workers, and more options for builders seeking to provide it.

“We heard it pretty loud and clear that there is a need for housing options,” said Brian Lawrence, executive director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment and Land Bank, referring to the public meetings held a few years ago when the county was developing its comprehensive plan.

It is a huge issue for a county with Westmoreland’s demographics, according to the land bank director.

“Where are these young families supposed to live if we lack housing inventory? Housing options that reasonably fit the budgets of young, middle-class families are in short supply,” Lawrence said. The county also recognizes the need for affordable housing for low-income families, he noted.

Zoning to permit the multi-family units such as townhouses, condominiums and apartment buildings could address the issue and encourage the development of residential housing in downtown areas such as Greensburg, said Alec Italiano, director of Greensburg planning and zoning.

It is difficult for families to afford the $400,000-to-$600,000 houses that some developers are building, Italiano said.

The “Missing Middle” will be addressed at the annual summit on vacant and abandoned property from 8 a.m.to 3 p.m. Friday at Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood.

The county Land Bank has created residential housing space by demolishing about 150 blighted structures throughout the county through a $10.4 million allocation. That vacant space and open land presents opportunities for growth and development, both for owners and renters, Lawrence said.

“Westmoreland County is in a prime position to take advantage of these housing opportunities,” said Justin Capouellez, government affairs director for the Realtors Association of Westmoreland, Indiana and the Mon Valley. “It’s a creative way to fill the housing needs.”

Unfortunately, “we’re not prepared for this degree of housing units in large parts of the county,” in part because of zoning regulations, Lawrence said. Developers who want to build multi-unit housing in communities need special exceptions because of the zoning codes, he noted.