Impact fees fuel housing funding in Pennsylvania
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
When the Marcellus shale boom came to Pennsylvania in 2008, housing demand increased with the influx of workers coming to the state. Along with the rising demand came rising prices, leaving some people without a way to afford to pay the rent
In response to the housing crisis, Pennsylvania lawmakers designated the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) to provide assistance to residents struggling to find affordable housing. Funding for PHARE is taken from money generated through Pennsylvania’s drilling impact fees.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that most of the funding from the account has gone to counties where drilling is the most prominent. Communities without any drilling, like New Brighton and Beaver Falls, have received PHARE funding, too. $33 million has been given in grants and programs for housing development and assistance in 32 counties since 2012.
Read more: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review > Pa. drilling communities reap benefits of housing grants from impact fees
More about the impact fee:
- Pennsylvania auditor to review use of Act 13 impact fee money – March 11, 2016
- Pennsylvania impact fees will sharply decline this year – Feb. 21, 2016
- Funding provided for Pennsylvania shale communities in need of housing – Oct. 15, 2015
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.