In response to Michael Straw’s Jan. 18 letter, in which he said, “every township in the region has pulled back on growth and development”: If, by growth and development, he means new housing contraction, the facts don’t support his argument.
In the Centre Region as a whole, the various municipalities have approved more than 2,000 housing units for construction. In Harris Township, where Shaw lives, the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors have or will approve 682 housing units for construction. According to the Centre Region Council of Governments’ 2000 Comprehensive Plan, this represents 87 percent of the 983 housing units Harris Township will need by 2040 to accommodate future residents.
Why aren’t these units built and development occurring? It is certainly not the fault of the townships that have already approved their construction. The answer is more likely found in Paul Krugman’s column in Monday’s New York Times.
Essentially there is a lack of demand for new homes as more children are living with their parents and not moving out and forming new households. For this you can blame the Great Recession.
John Wainright Boalsburg
The writer is vice chairman of the Harris Township Planning Commission.
