This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.
Lebanon County Commissioners received Wednesday a six-month progress report on the work of the Lebanon County Housing Collaborative, including confirmation of the ongoing housing crisis at all levels of affordability.
Created in June 2025 as reported by LebTown in an exclusive story, the work of the collaborative began in earnest with the hiring of its director, Caitlin Lockard, earlier this year. The collaborative was created following the findings of a 2023 housing study commissioned by the Lebanon County Commissioners that detailed the crisis that existed then and continues today.
Read More: (June 2025) LebTown exclusive: WellSpan grant helps launch Lebanon County housing collab
Lockard gave the report and asked the commissioners for their continuing support. Her report to the commissioners came two days after she met with Lebanon City Council on Monday, July 27.
“Each partner holds a portion of the answer, but none of them hold all of the answers in one building or organization,” Lockard said, noting that over 150 information-gathering sessions have been held over the past six months since she started her new job. “So Lebanon County Housing Collaborative gives those partners a central place to connect. And then we want to help share information, find resources, and decide what will happen next.”
It’s the collaborative’s goal to analyze the whole housing system in Lebanon County and to work with partners to find solutions to housing concerns.
“We’re studying patterns and we are explaining policy. And we’re trying to gather public input so that leaders can see where needs overlap and what the focus should be based on citizens’ input,” Lockard said. “At the project level, we’re helping people find a partner or a funding source. We may help them find facts or create next steps for a project that they have ongoing.”
There are some alarming statistics that Lockard shared with the commissioners.
99.6% of the rental market in Lebanon County is currently occupied, Lockard said.
“Renters have very few choices if they should choose to move, if they need to move, or if they’re in substandard housing, which I will talk about in a moment,” Lockard said. “Second, only 0.3% of the county’s for sale homes are available. A healthy market has between 2 and 3%. This very low supply makes it harder to move, and it also makes it hard to buy a first-time home.”
Lockard noted those statistics haven’t changed since the Housing Needs Assessment study was released in 2023.
“Close to 13,000 households spend more than 30% of their income on housing. This is what we call cost-burdened households. And that’s where housing costs are so high that it leaves less room for other needs, such as food, medicine, travel, health care, child care, or emergencies,” Lockard said.
The last statistic she shared noted about 1,600 Lebanon County households are living in substandard conditions. She said substandard households are ones that have a substantial issue like overcrowding, contain a faulty kitchen or bathroom that does not work, leaks gas, or contains lead paint. She noted the condition makes the residence nearly uninhabitable.
Lockard also told the commissioners that a housing forum was held in April and revealed some wishes of the 21 individuals who filled out a survey at the event.
“People showed a strong interest in neighborhood renewal and reuse of vacant homes, great news for the Housing and Redevelopment Authorities,” Lockard said. “They also want to see real projects that have worked in the past in other places.”
She added the feedback is being turned into what’s being called Community Voice Processes.
“This will carry public input into future forums, plans, and policy talks because the input should not end when the meeting ends,” Lockard said, adding the next scheduled forum is on Sept. 10 and will focus on senior housing, a concern noted in the 2023 housing report.
“We will discuss available housing choices, current resources, accessibility, home preservation and service coordination. We will also ask older residents and service providers what we might be missing,” Lockard said. “Adults aged 55-plus lead more than half of all county households and that’s why this issue truly matters. Senior housing is not a future issue. It’s a current county issue.”
Lockard highlighted some other upcoming plans for the collaborative beyond the senior housing summit.
“In the next six months we want to build upon that base and to do that we really need a shared list of small actions that we can be taking. The priorities that we’ve listed for ourselves over the next six months are to complete the first useful version of our GIS Housing Map Atlas,” Lockard said. “Then decide how partners and leaders in the community can use it.”
A major focus will include housing priorities as presented by partners like the county commissioners.
“We want to move stronger partnerships closer to funding and project readiness. We want to develop municipal education on redevelopment, preservation, zoning choices and practical housing tools. And we want to track our results and bring new funds into the county,” Lockard said. “We also want to make sure that we’re tracking public input, policy work and long term support for this initiative.”
She reiterated the overarching goal.
“The goal is not to create a long wish list. Instead, we want to agree upon a few areas that are a priority to focus on. And if we can make those priorities match the city and the county, we can support and unlock real progress,” she said.
In closing, Lockard asked and received from the commissioners their ongoing support for the collaborative.
“I’m genuinely asking you to continue to support this initiative. We feel that it’s been powerful over the past six months and we think the next six months can be very, very fortuitous for the county. Your support can help us to reach useful data and staff knowledge at the county level,” Lockard said. “Your connections can help us to reach out to municipalities and being more involved in than just the city at the moment. It can also help us with public messages, grant letters, and public forums. But most of all, today, what I need your help with is choosing two to three housing priorities.”
Commissioner chairman Mike Kuhn noted his support.
“The housing study that we authorized a couple of years ago only confirmed what we already knew and just wanted to find what we already knew. And that we need housing…” Kuhn said. “We need housing at all levels. And it’s one of my pet peeves, as people tend to mention, ‘affordable housing.’ They assume it’s subsidized; no.”
Kuhn said starter homes in certain areas of the city used to cost $89,000 about five to 10 years ago but now typically cost a minimum of $150,000, as told to him by his wife who is a real estate agent.
“She said there were great starter homes for a young couple that could build some equity and then move on to whatever their dream home was. But they’re out of reach now, they’re up to $150,000 or more,” Kuhn said. “So people have a misnomer about ‘affordable housing.’ It’s not subsidized. It’s just something that a starter couple can afford. So anyway, we need it (affordability) at all levels. And I’m glad that you’re doing it.”
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