Inflation has been impacting many industries from food prices at the grocery store and even affordable housing. In Central Pennsylvania, there’s even a housing shortage. Jodi Diego of the National Association of Realtors says there’s even a lack of homes to sell in the area.

“We don’t have enough homes to sell. Plus, you know, new construction. It’s taking a awhile for us to get back up in running… We’ve got the buyers out there. We have sellers too, “said Diego.

The baby boomer generation is also contributing to the housing shortage by staying in their homes longer, according to Diego.

“Back a few years ago, when the interest rates were lower and people either refinanced or, you know, purchased at that lower price. Interest rate. For them to go ahead and put their home on the market today to try to buy something at a higher interest rate if they're going to take a mortgage on it. You know, it really has caused that trickle-down effect because baby boomers are staying in their home, we don't have their homes for resale, “said Diego.

Tracy Klinger is the President of the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors. Klinger says construction costs and materials are also adding to the shortage.

“Construction rates have been down for years. I believe over the last decade, we have not seen the level of construction that we need to continue, to provide adequate, affordable housing, particularly for the workforce class. And just because I'm a numbers geek, to put things in perspective, depending on who you ask, a balanced market, meaning there's enough buyers and sellers on both sides. It's considered to be somewhere between 4 and 6 months, depending on whether you use the 4- or 6-month target. The last time we've been in a balanced market has been somewhere between 2015 and 2018. So, at a minimum, six years ago is the last time we were anywhere near a balanced market. Right now, compared to that, I consider six months to be balanced. Compared to that, we are running somewhere right around one and a half months supply of inventory. So, it's drastically lower than what we need, for the number of buyers out there, “said Klinger.

Inflation has been impacting many industries from food prices at the grocery store and even affordable housing. In Central Pennsylvania, there’s even a housing shortage. Jodi Diego of the <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/">National Association of Realtors</a> says there’s even a lack of homes to sell in the area.
“We don’t have enough homes to sell. Plus, you know, new construction. It’s taking a awhile for us to get back up in running… We’ve got the buyers out there. We have sellers too, “said Diego.
The baby boomer generation is also contributing to the housing shortage by staying in their homes longer, according to Diego.
“Back a few years ago, when the interest rates were lower and people either refinanced or, you know, purchased at that lower price. Interest rate. For them to go ahead and put their home on the market today to try to buy something at a higher interest rate if they're going to take a mortgage on it. You know, it really has caused that trickle-down effect because baby boomers are staying in their home, we don't have their homes for resale, “said Diego.
Tracy Klinger is the President of the <a href="https://ghar.realtor/">Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors</a>. Klinger says construction costs and materials are also adding to the shortage.
“Construction rates have been down for years. I believe over the last decade, we have not seen the level of construction that we need to continue, to provide adequate, affordable housing, particularly for the workforce class. And just because I'm a numbers geek, to put things in perspective, depending on who you ask, a balanced market, meaning there's enough buyers and sellers on both sides. It's considered to be somewhere between 4 and 6 months, depending on whether you use the 4- or 6-month target. The last time we've been in a balanced market has been somewhere between 2015 and 2018. So, at a minimum, six years ago is the last time we were anywhere near a balanced market. Right now, compared to that, I consider six months to be balanced. Compared to that, we are running somewhere right around one and a half months supply of inventory. So, it's drastically lower than what we need, for the number of buyers out there, “said Klinger.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from <a href="https://www.witf.org">WITF</a>, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

Central Pa Housing Market crisis

The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO is one of the largest labor unions in the state with about 51 affiliates, and 700,000 members. Angela Ferritto is the President of the organization and says there’s unions from almost every sector involved.

“We have public sector unions, private sector unions, manufacturing unions. We have building trades unions. We have nursing unions. We have unions that represent workers from airports to hospitals to teachers to clerical workers in the state offices to the construction workers on the side of the road, construction workers erecting buildings, service workers who are fixing age systems. And so, it really spans all sectors and all different professions we represent.”

Ferritto is also the first female president at the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. Since women make up 50 percent of the workforce, Ferritto believes its important for more women to get involved with the labor movement.

“I think that, you know, the importance of it is that women can lend a different voice. We bring a different perspective to the table. We think about things a little bit differently. And so it's really a chance for our voices to be at the forefront and a chance for us to, you know, be, I guess. Role models on models too. To show to show girls and to show, you know, young adults like this is this is what you have the potential to become, and women can do and become anything that a man can.”

Ferritto says Pennsylvania membership is up when it comes to labor unions and offers advice for workers that would like to be represented by a union.

“I think that a lot of workers would be surprised to see how unions, how unions function in the workplace really by becoming a voice, but also by building out that relationship. It gives management a chance to hear the workers’ issues and the workers’ needs and therefore make changes to create a better workplace. And everyone knows that happier workers make for better business and better industry. So, I would say embrace it and, you know, maybe even consider being neutral in it.”

The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO is one of the largest labor unions in the state with about 51 affiliates, and 700,000 members. <a href="https://paaflcio.com/officers/">Angela Ferritto</a> is the President of the organization and says there’s unions from almost every sector involved.
“We have public sector unions, private sector unions, manufacturing unions. We have building trades unions. We have nursing unions. We have unions that represent workers from airports to hospitals to teachers to clerical workers in the state offices to the construction workers on the side of the road, construction workers erecting buildings, service workers who are fixing age systems. And so, it really spans all sectors and all different professions we represent.”
Ferritto is also the first female president at the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. Since women make up 50 percent of the workforce, Ferritto believes its important for more women to get involved with the labor movement.
“I think that, you know, the importance of it is that women can lend a different voice. We bring a different perspective to the table. We think about things a little bit differently. And so it's really a chance for our voices to be at the forefront and a chance for us to, you know, be, I guess. Role models on models too. To show to show girls and to show, you know, young adults like this is this is what you have the potential to become, and women can do and become anything that a man can.”
Ferritto says Pennsylvania membership is up when it comes to labor unions and offers advice for workers that would like to be represented by a union.
“I think that a lot of workers would be surprised to see how unions, how unions function in the workplace really by becoming a voice, but also by building out that relationship. It gives management a chance to hear the workers’ issues and the workers’ needs and therefore make changes to create a better workplace. And everyone knows that happier workers make for better business and better industry. So, I would say embrace it and, you know, maybe even consider being neutral in it.”

First female president of Pennsylvania AFL-CIO shares about role in organization

House Resolution 87 passed with bipartisan support in Spring 2023. It would implement the use of wildlife corridors to keep people and animals safe from collisions. According to Sally Ann Sims, Co-founder and member of the Pennsylvania Habitat Connectivity, the legislation would help to support the state’s wildlife.

“So, all wildlife and we're including mammals that you see the, the rabbits, the raccoons, the deer, the bobcat, and also aquatic animals like, fish and mussels and the hellbender that's now our state amphibian, to move around. So, we're already the, the state, natural resource agencies are already working, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Game Commission and the Fishing Boat Commission in particular, are working to help, make habitat better for these, for these animals. And so, the corridors that the corridors that, that, that they move through are, areas that help them get food, may reproduce, respond to different changes in their environment so they can they can thrive, their populations can thrive. So, the corridors may not be a physical thing. It may be it may be a road crossing. It may be a big culvert that allows fish to go through. It may be just, one parcel of land between two state parks where animals are able to pass through.”

Pennsylvania Habitat Connectivity was established in 2019 to advance wildlife corridors in Pennsylvania. Members of the organization realized there was a lot of activity done in other states, but not so much in Pennsylvania.

“So, there are several natural resource agencies in the state that already their work already overlaps with, with maintaining corridors, building corridors, encouraging wildlife movement. And we wanted to see if we could help in some way to get them to organize and prioritize wildlife borders around the state so that more work could be done in that area. And we could help with habitat connectivity in the state and throughout the region, because Pennsylvania is a really key state in terms of species moving north for climate change and back and forth with several different states to help them maintain healthy populations.”

The wildlife corridors would also slow down the spread of diseases among the animals.

“So, without the corridors, there's a there's the primary the primary, stressors that they're facing now are development for housing and commercial development. So if a subdivision goes in and there's, say, foxes and different animals in that area, they need to be able to move to another area where they can get the resources that they need. Invasive species are moving, into Pennsylvania. We've we've noticed the, the lanternfly in particular. But there's diseases and there's species that are moving in that animals can use that ability to move to, to help regulate that. Like if, if there's a disease among certain mammals, they can move and spread out more. They can move from areas away from where it's concentrated. So mostly there's there's development, there's pollution, there's invasive species, and there's climate change. Those are most of the big stressors that animals that have to seek migration and corridor pathways are dealing with.”

House Resolution 87 passed with bipartisan support in Spring 2023. It would implement the use of wildlife corridors to keep people and animals safe from collisions. According to Sally Ann Sims, Co-founder and member of the Pennsylvania Habitat Connectivity, the legislation would help to support the state’s wildlife.
“So, all wildlife and we're including mammals that you see the, the rabbits, the raccoons, the deer, the bobcat, and also aquatic animals like, fish and mussels and the hellbender that's now our state amphibian, to move around. So, we're already the, the state, natural resource agencies are already working, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Game Commission and the Fishing Boat Commission in particular, are working to help, make habitat better for these, for these animals. And so, the corridors that the corridors that, that, that they move through are, areas that help them get food, may reproduce, respond to different changes in their environment so they can they can thrive, their populations can thrive. So, the corridors may not be a physical thing. It may be it may be a road crossing. It may be a big culvert that allows fish to go through. It may be just, one parcel of land between two state parks where animals are able to pass through.”
Pennsylvania Habitat Connectivity was established in 2019 to advance wildlife corridors in Pennsylvania. Members of the organization realized there was a lot of activity done in other states, but not so much in Pennsylvania.
“So, there are several natural resource agencies in the state that already their work already overlaps with, with maintaining corridors, building corridors, encouraging wildlife movement. And we wanted to see if we could help in some way to get them to organize and prioritize wildlife borders around the state so that more work could be done in that area. And we could help with habitat connectivity in the state and throughout the region, because Pennsylvania is a really key state in terms of species moving north for climate change and back and forth with several different states to help them maintain healthy populations.”
The wildlife corridors would also slow down the spread of diseases among the animals.
“So, without the corridors, there's a there's the primary the primary, stressors that they're facing now are development for housing and commercial development. So if a subdivision goes in and there's, say, foxes and different animals in that area, they need to be able to move to another area where they can get the resources that they need. Invasive species are moving, into Pennsylvania. We've we've noticed the, the lanternfly in particular. But there's diseases and there's species that are moving in that animals can use that ability to move to, to help regulate that. Like if, if there's a disease among certain mammals, they can move and spread out more. They can move from areas away from where it's concentrated. So mostly there's there's development, there's pollution, there's invasive species, and there's climate change. Those are most of the big stressors that animals that have to seek migration and corridor pathways are dealing with.”

Advancing Conversation Corridors in Pennsylvania

Coming up on this week's edition of The Spark Weekly:

Asia Tabb Speaks with Dave Wagner, the Red PA State Coordinator and Gabbi Timmins, The National Coordinator for the American Hope Project.

She also speaks with PA reporter Carter Walker and Editor and Chief Chad Lorenz of Votebeat about their reporting on election and voting related issues.

Coming up on this week's edition of The Spark Weekly:
Asia Tabb Speaks with Dave Wagner, the Red PA State Coordinator and Gabbi Timmins, The National Coordinator for the American Hope Project.
She also speaks with PA reporter Carter Walker and Editor and Chief Chad Lorenz of Votebeat about their reporting on election and voting related issues.

Central Pa Housing Market crisis

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