This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
The Centre County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a contract for $486,550 with the ACRES Project for a pilot housing initiative to support affordable housing and other resources for local residents with autism.
The nonprofit organization ACRES (Adults Creating Residential and Employment Solutions) Project works to “foster a safe, inclusive community for neurodivergent people by bridging gaps in services through free social, educational and vocational programs,” according to its website.
The funding is from the ERAP2-25% program administered by the state Department of Human Services. The program aims to assist state residents in housing security, including helping with rent and utilities.
ACRES has identified a property for its affordable housing initiative and plans to close on it by the end of September, Faith Ryan, Centre County deputy human services administrator, said
The ACRES Project starts at the high school level to help provide skills for neurodivergent people to find, keep and achieve success in their chosen career. The organization focuses on providing safe spaces for people to connect with each other and their communities as a part of its social outreach and providing educational opportunities for individuals and their families to learn about themselves and the transition into adulthood.
The ACRES Project Pilot Housing is an initiative by the program which will help neurodivergent participants find affordable housing opportunities, while also presenting them with local resources to support their housing security.
According to a press release from the BOC, in a previous meeting Vice Chair Amber Concepcion remarked that the necessity for affordable housing and resources for neurodivergent residents is not a new concern of the county but rather one that is less understood than other concerns.
“It will have a lasting impact. It’s exciting to see it get off the ground,” Commissioner Steve Dershem said.
Additionally, the BOC approved three other contracts around affordable housing and the ERAP2-25% project, which will be added to the next meeting’s consent agenda on Tuesday, Sept. 17. They include
• $353,948 to State College Community Land Trust for construction of Old Boalsburg Road Flats. The affordable one-bedroom units will be located next to the Old Boalsburg Townhomes, which were redeveloped as affordable rental units by the Land Trust and Housing Transitions.
• $300,000 to Anchor Mae Investments LLC to construct an affordable modular home in Centre County.
• $47,551.13 to Strawberry Fields to renovate a former personal care facility for the Fairweather Lodge II project, providing affordable housing to low-income adults with severe mental health and in need of additional services and supports
In total, the contracts supporting affordable housing in Centre County amount to just over $1 million. Commissioners Chair Mark Higgins noted during the meeting that before the end of 2024, the BOC had an additional $1 million that can be distributed to other affordable housing projects in the area.
StateCollege.com’s Geoff Rushton contributed to this report.
