Loading Content...
Affordable Housing in Port Royal: Three Decades of LIHTC Impact
CATEGORY
Affordable Housing
DATA
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
Loading Content...
Affordable Housing
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
Port Royal, Pennsylvania, maintains a LIHTC-funded affordable housing inventory of 29 units, all designated as low-income. This represents approximately 10.4% of the city's estimated 279 housing units, indicating a significant contribution of LIHTC projects to Port Royal's affordable housing needs. The borough has received $54,861 in project tax credits through the LIHTC program, with an average federal funding of $27,430.50 per project and $1,891.76 per unit. Port Royal's share of Pennsylvania's total LIHTC project funding is about 0.01%.
The initial LIHTC project in Port Royal, Tuscarora Acres, was completed in 1988, followed by Tuscarora Acres II in 1991. This demonstrates a three-decade presence of affordable housing in the city. The 1980s and early 1990s were the most active periods for affordable housing development in Port Royal. All 29 LIHTC-funded units are one-bedroom apartments, suggesting a focus on accommodating individuals or small households.
Port Royal has experienced a population decrease from 1,070 in 2013 to 729 in 2022. Despite this decline, the median income has increased from $44,106 in 2013 to $53,471 in 2022, potentially indicating a changing economic landscape. The city has maintained a predominantly white population, consistently above 90% throughout the last decade. A slight increase in the Hispanic population, from 2% in 2013 to 7% in 2022, suggests a gradual diversification of the community.
The absence of new LIHTC projects in the past decade may be related to the declining population and rising median income, which could have reduced the perceived need for additional low-income housing units. Port Royal's LIHTC-funded affordable housing inventory, while modest in scale, represents a significant portion of the city's estimated housing stock. The two LIHTC projects, both completed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, provide 29 one-bedroom units for low-income residents.
Despite a declining population over the past decade, the city has experienced an increase in median income. These demographic shifts, combined with the existing affordable housing stock, may have influenced the lack of new LIHTC developments in recent years. The analysis highlights the long-standing presence of affordable housing in Port Royal and its contribution to meeting the housing needs of low-income residents.
