@Home in Adams County used an online coalition meeting on “destigmatizing and demystifying housing” this week to highlight how affordability, stigma, public policy, incarceration, and limited awareness of available resources can deepen housing insecurity the county.
The meeting brought together housing advocates, nonprofit leaders, and community members to examine barriers that can prevent residents from accessing stable housing or housing-related assistance.
Coalition coordinator Alana Anderson opened the discussion by highlighting pending state legislation aimed at expanding housing options.
Anderson said House Bill 2186 would allow smaller secondary homes built on single-family properties (accessory dwelling units or ADUs) by right in municipalities zoned for single-family housing while creating a statewide definition for the structures. Another proposal, dubbed the “Golden Girls” law, would broaden the legal definition of household occupancy so unrelated adults could more easily share housing.
“These are opportunities to rethink what housing can look like,” Anderson said, framing the discussion as part of a broader effort to challenge assumptions about who needs housing assistance and why.
Harriet Marritz of the Adams County chapter of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, described incarceration as an often-overlooked driver of housing instability.
Marritz said many incarcerated individuals are held before trial because they cannot afford bail, creating a cascade of consequences that can include lost jobs, housing, child custody, and transportation. “Meanwhile your car would be taken to an impound lot which is $100 a day,” she said, describing one common scenario. In some cases, she said, people have signed over valuable vehicles simply because retrieving them was too expensive.
Marritz said formerly incarcerated individuals often leave jail without stable transportation, weather-appropriate clothing, or immediate housing arrangements. Some may lose federal housing vouchers if they remain incarcerated beyond a certain period.
She also noted that Adams County lacks diversion programs such as drug treatment or mental health courts, which can offer alternatives to incarceration.
The Pennsylvania Prison Society’s local volunteers help transport people leaving jail to probation appointments, bus stations, temporary housing, or family members willing to take them in. “We really think that’s an important part in helping people get a fair shake when they get out,” Marritz said.
Angie Williamson, executive director of Jumpstart Germantown and Jumpstart Philly, outlined the Philadelphia-based nonprofit’s model for training local residents to become neighborhood real estate developers.
Over 11 years, the program has graduated 1,794 participants in Germantown, helped issue 522 loans totaling $67 million, and supported the development of more than 600 housing units.
Williamson said the model focuses on empowering community residents to rehabilitate vacant properties rather than depending on outside developers. “We know we have the talent in our own communities,” she said.
Williamson described the program as a way to create naturally occurring affordable housing while building wealth locally and reducing displacement.
Participants discussed whether a similar initiative could eventually be launched in Adams County.
Matt Peregoy, interim director of SAFE Housing Inc., which administers a $2 million federal Healthy Homes grant in Adams County, said the program helps qualifying homeowners and landlords pay for repairs that improve health and safety, including radon mitigation, mold removal, accessibility improvements, unstable flooring repairs, and lead abatement.
Peregoy said one of the organization’s biggest challenges has been reaching eligible residents because of how assistance programs are perceived. “We had a sign, ‘Funds available for low-income folks to fix their home,’ and nobody stopped by,” he said.
Terms such as “low income,” he said, can discourage people who might qualify but do not identify with the label or fear social stigma and noted that eligibility thresholds are often higher than people assume. A three-person household, for example, can qualify with income approaching $77,000.
“There is money on the table,” Peregoy said.
Throughout the discussion, speakers emphasized that housing insecurity is not always simply a matter of housing supply or rent prices, but often reflects broader systems involving criminal justice, zoning, public perception, and access to information.
Anderson said the coalition plans to continue the conversation in future forums.
@Home in Adams County is a community initiative working together to ensure Adams County Pennsylvania is a place where individuals, seniors and families can afford to live well, businesses can thrive, and we preserve the beauty and history of our community!