Organizational Highlights
1975 to date
2017
The employees of the Cumberland County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities assist residents, communities, businesses and partners across the county via a wide variety of continually growing initiatives, programs, projects and services. We are pleased to share some of the organization’s highlights from 2017, and look forward to working together for added success—better places, better lives.
2012
Construction begins on the Crossroads development in Lower Allen Twp.—an innovative partnership with S&A Homes that will provide 19 affordable housing units designed especially for families | design of Lemoyne’s $1.6-million streetscape section along Market St. wraps up and construction is bid—funded as part of PennDOT’s Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative
2011
Tenants move into the Iroquois Hotel Senior Apartments at Third and Market Sts., New Cumberland, following a $3.1-million facelift | a new institutional logo is introduced | the organization’s first strategic plan is developed and implemented | two historic properties, Literary Hall and St. Paul’s Church, will be redesigned and reborn as Newville Towne Centre—a $1.7-million revitalization to add three commercial and nine distinctive living units downtown
2010
Partnering with New Visions, the county’s first housing facility for otherwise homeless military veterans opens in Newville and includes six bedrooms | teaming with partners and stakeholders, the county’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness is developed
2009
Four units for persons who are both homeless and have either a mental health or substance disability open at 152-154 N. Pitt St., Carlisle, as part of the Supportive Housing Program
Lemoyne’s $820,000 streetscape project—the first to include eco-friendly raingardens—breaks ground
| construction to convert the former Iroquois Hotel into 10 ADA-accessible apartments for low-income seniors gets underway in New Cumberland | the repurposed Enola Chapel includes six efficiency apartments for homeless persons with mental health disabilities
2008
The Bridge St. streetscape in New Cumberland’s Olde Towne is dedicated during light-up night while phase II work on Third St. gets underway | with funding from the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), a coordinator is hired to assist downtowns in their ongoing revitalization efforts | a partnership with the Arc of Cumberland & Perry Counties enables six apartment units on N. East St., Carlisle, to be rehabilitated to house persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities
2007
A $3.3-million conversion of Carlisle’s Molly Pitcher Hotel to senior apartments is completed | DCED approves a $368,000 Elm Street reinvestment grant for New Cumberland residential facade and streetscape programs
2006
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approves a 10-year rental assistance contract to convert an Enola church into apartments for persons with mental health or mental retardation disabilities
DCED approves $500,000 to rehabilitate a building at 25 W. High St. in Carlisle to provide housing for Dickinson College students and first-floor retail space
2005
Carlisle’s North Street Pride rehabilitates 15 houses and constructs five new homes for first-time buyers | with $1-million from DCED, upper floors of the former Woolworth building are rehabilitated creating space for Business Central technology tenants
2004
A $500,000 DCED grant to purchase Carlisle’s Molly Pitcher Hotel is approved | restoration of Carlisle’s fire-gutted Centenary Building is completed | group homes are built in partnership with Cumberland/Perry Housing Initiatives and United Cerebral Palsy—one in Enola, two in Lower Allen Township | Mechanicsburg’s restored Eckels Drug, built in 1879, reopens as a gift shop and soda fountain
2003
via subsidiary Hometown Development Corporation, the former Woolworth building is redeveloped creating downtown Carlisle’s Business Central | funding is secured for the adaptive reuse of a former dress factory on N. Bedford St. in Carlisle to become a 100-dealer antique cooperative
2002
Funding is obtained for construction of a 12 to 15-person emergency shelter in Carlisle | funding is approved for the Newville Town Center business improvement and streetscape project | rehabilitation of Mechanicsburg’s six-unit, single-room occupancy, MecHarbour is completed | DCED approves $750,000 to convert a former Carlisle factory building into a small-business incubator—Murata Business Center
2001
East Gate Apartments, a 40-unit senior housing complex, opens in South Middleton Twp. | Carlisle’s Cyberspace Computer Resource Center opens
2000
A PennDOT transportation enhancement grant for Newville Borough and Shippensburg Twp. is approved for trailhead improvements along the Cumberland Valley Rails-to-Trails | funding is approved for Tollgate Hill in Shippensburg and North Street Pride in Carlisle
1999
Brethren House Apartments in Mechanicsburg is completed | Carlisle’s Comfort Suites Hotel opens
1998
Phase I of Carlisle’s Pitt Street Pride is completed | the North Newton Hills visitable homes are completed
1997
Newville’s Mountain View Apartments for seniors opens | Carlisle launches the Pitt Street Pride housing rehabilitation and facade initiative
1996
American House converts a blighted property into senior apartments in Mechanicsburg | the Enola homeownership voucher program begins
1995
Valley Ridge Apartments in Middlesex Twp., site of the former county men’s nursing home, is completed | Chestnut Commons, a senior housing complex in Mount Holly Springs, opens
1994
HUD approves additional funds for a public housing homeownership program in Enola including rehab-to-sell homes | the Housing Authority receives funding for a drug-elimination program
1993
The Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs (DCA) approves $175,000 for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation in Lemoyne, and $200,000 to initiate a first-time homebuyer program in Shippensburg | HUD awards $942,000 to expand the public housing homeownership program into Lemoyne Borough
1992
Two West Penn, with 50 apartment units for seniors in Carlisle, opens | the Housing Authority is awarded public housing funds to construct 10 units of senior housing in Mount Holly Springs
1991
Ground is broken for Carlisle’s Two West Penn senior housing project | Grandview Court and Cherry Court, housing for low-income households, open in Carlisle | the Housing Authority is awarded $2.8-million to acquire and rehabilitate 30 houses via public housing homeownership programs in Enola, Mount Holly Springs and Shippensburg
1990
Construction begins on the 50-unit family public housing projects at Grandview and Cherry Courts in Carlisle | DCA approves $120,000 for housing rehabilitation in Newville
1989
The Housing Authority receives $2.1-million to build Carlisle’s Two West Penn—a 50-unit senior housing project | DCA approves $120,000 for housing rehabilitation in West Fairview Borough
1988
The Redevelopment Authority launches a Perry County housing rehabilitation program | DCA approves $200,000 for renter and owner-occupied housing rehabilitation in Mount Holly Springs
1987
The Housing Authority receives $3-million to construct 50 new public housing units in Carlisle
1986
Housing rehabilitation programs are initiated in Shippensburg Borough and Twp.
1985
HUD invites the Housing Authority to participate in a countywide voucher rental assistance demonstration project
1984
$150,000 is approved by DCA for housing rehabilitation in Mount Holly Springs, Newburg and Newville
1983
DCA provides $340,000 for a commercial revitalization program in Mechanicsburg
1982
The county’s first public housing units open in Carlisle | ground is broken on 25 additional housing units in Carlisle | Penn School is converted into senior housing with a loan from Carlisle Borough and their Community Development Block Grant program
1981
Construction begins on the first 75 units of public housing in Carlisle | Carlisle Borough is approved for $1.5-million in Community Development Block Grant funds
1980
Carlisle’s High St. improvement project gets underway
1979
Carlisle’s $500,000 Fairground Avenue housing rehabilitation program begins
1978
HUD approves construction to build 10 units of public housing in Carlisle | Carlisle’s Hanover St. improvement project begins
1977
Carlisle’s $150,000 Bedford St. improvement project begins
1976
HUD approves the county’s first 50 rental assistance certificates