We have created this site to provide information on housing related programs and services offered not only by the Housing Alliance of York but also other area providers working to meet our community's housing related needs. There are numerous site links, contact names, and numbers and we make every attempt to keep the information as current and accurate as possible so that this site serves as the York area's housing resource guide online!
The mission of the Housing Alliance of York is to stabilize and enhance our community through professional housing counseling services. Our core values assert that access to safe, decent, and affordable shelter is a basic human right; that informed consumers are empowered to make sustainable decisions about their housing needs; and that our community benefits when consumers make responsible decisions and have access to a variety of housing.
2008 Board of Directors
CHAIRMAN:
Robert Frey, III
First American Mortgage
VICE-CHAIRMAN:
Scott Weaver
PeoplesBank
TREASURER:
Roger Barbour
Hogg Construction
SECRETARY:
David Jones
Stock & Leader
DIRECTORS:
Jay Andrzejczyk
Kling Bros Insurance
Charles Eggers
Sterling Financial
Susan Erdenbrack
C.S.Davidson
Megan Huff
Michak,Teeter,Lewis Law
John Linton
Prudential Homesale Services
Armand Magnelli
Livable Housing, Inc.
Suzanne McConkey
York College / YorkCounts
Leroy Moore
Wells Fargo
Steve Snell
Realtors Association York & Adams Co
Patrick Wasylson
Sovereign Bank
Bernie Wible
Retired
History of the Housing Alliance
The combined history of the agencies creating the Housing Alliance of York is deeply rooted in collaborative efforts and response to community need. We honor our history by remaining commited to collaborative initiatives and service to our community.
The Housing Council of York was incorporated in March of 1971 as a result of concerns raised during the series of community wide meetings held in 1970 now referred to as a Charrette. The Housing Council was funded originally as a part of the Community Progress Council and served the community through information and referral while asserting itself as a housing advocacy organization. A largely volunteer organization, the Housing Council continued in this manner until 1979 when they entered into a subcontract with the National Committee against Discrimination in Housing to conduct extensive testing and document the serious problems of housing discrimination in York. Around this same time the agency was given a commitment of funding from the York County Planning Commission through Community Development Block Grant funds to promote equal housing opportunity and provide housing counseling. This commitment of funding allowed the Housing Council to hire its first fulltime paid Director in 1980 and within a few years began offering services in mortgage default prevention and homeownership activities. In 1985 the Housing Council was asked to serve as the coordinating agency in York County for the delivery of services under the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program and thus began its history of working to prevent homelessness as one of the agencies flagship services.
Housing Initiatives began as a working subcommittee of the United Way of York County in 1989 when area leaders desired a more coordinated effort of local housing providers and advocate in concert with the community’s social service providers. Incorporated May 7, 1991 as the United Way of York County Housing Initiatives Corporation (UWHIC), the agency served to coordinate and provide both funding and technical assistance to other area housing providers. Due to changes in the community and the difficulty of funding ongoing operating expenses of UWHIC, the role of coordinating other housing providers eventually fell away and a new development organization was created as Housing Initiatives Community Development Corporation (HICDC), incorporated on April 2, 1996. The focus of Housing Initiatives work throughout the remainder of the 1990’s and beyond was on the development of affordable housing through HICDC (which remains a separate affiliate agency of the Housing Alliance of York today - see HICDC tab). UWHIC eventually shortened its name to Housing Initiatives Corporation (later renamed Housing Alliance of York) and remains a member agency of the United Way of York County. Housing Initiatives Corp had limited activity in the provision of technical assistance and was most active through its affiliate HICDC until they began working under a Management Services Agreement with the Housing Council of York in May 2005 as the precursor to merger in 2006.
Charitable Status and Purpose
The Housing Alliance of York is the renamed Housing Initiatives Corporation after a merger with the Housing Council of York County effective July 1, 2006. Housing Alliance of York carries the corporate history of Housing Initiatives Corporation which was incorporated July 31, 1991 and is designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.