Gettysburg, PA – Pennsylvania leaders, housing advocates, and community organizations gathered in Adams County for a wide-ranging discussion on affordable housing, manufactured home communities, and the growing pressure facing working families and seniors across the Commonwealth. The conversation was part of Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis’ “Putting More Money Back in Your Pockets Tour,” focused on addressing rising costs for Pennsylvanians.

Held alongside State Representative Dan Moul, South Central Community Action Programs (SCCAP), and local housing officials, the discussion highlighted the challenges of rising lot rents, shrinking affordable housing inventory, zoning barriers, and workforce migration.

Austin Davis: Housing Costs Are Squeezing Pennsylvanians

Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis opened the discussion by emphasizing how rising costs are affecting families statewide.

“We know it’s really a challenging time for a lot of folks here in Pennsylvania and across this country,” Davis said. “People are paying more for housing, more for utilities, more for childcare.”

Davis noted that the Shapiro Administration has focused on tax relief, affordable housing, and consumer protections as part of Pennsylvania’s first statewide Housing Action Plan.

“We believe that manufactured housing is an important piece of the puzzle, and we need to do more to protect the people that live in these communities,” Davis said.

The Lieutenant Governor also praised bipartisan cooperation surrounding legislation aimed at limiting annual lot rent increases in manufactured home communities.

“On an issue like housing affordability, there is broad consensus among both Republicans and Democrats that we need to do something,” Davis said. “I’m encouraged that Representative Moul is willing to stand up and say that capping rent increases for Pennsylvanians, who live in manufactured home communities, is the right thing to do.”

Dan Moul: “They Look at Spreadsheets. We Look at Faces.”

Representative Dan Moul brought a unique perspective to the discussion as both a legislator and owner of a manufactured home community for more than 35 years.

Moul described how many long-term residents in his community are now retirees living on fixed incomes and facing increasing financial pressure as private equity firms purchase manufactured home parks across Pennsylvania.

“What I see happening is that private equity firms have been going through our communities, and I can only speak for Pennsylvania, and purchasing just about every mobile home community they can lay their hands on,” Moul said.

He warned that aggressive rent increases can leave residents trapped financially because moving a manufactured home is often unrealistic.

“These people are trapped,” Moul said. “And to take advantage of these people is wrong.”

Moul contrasted local ownership with corporate investment firms.

“They’re looking at spreadsheets. They’re not looking at faces,” Moul said. “When we drive through our park, we’re looking at faces, and we’re looking at people that have been there for years and years and years.”

Moul also highlighted zoning restrictions and rising construction regulations as significant barriers to building new affordable housing developments.

Megan Shreve: Adams County Is Losing Working Families

Megan Shreve, CEO of South Central Community Action Programs, explained that Adams County is experiencing a major demographic shift tied directly to housing affordability.

“We saw 17 percent decrease in families with children,” Shreve said. “So families are moving out. And we saw a 49 percent increase in seniors 65 and over.”

Shreve said the county’s housing development patterns are attracting retirees while pushing out working-age residents and families.

“We’re building housing that’s pulling in retirees,” she said. “We’re not building housing here that really supports people who want to work and live in our community.”

She noted that employers across multiple industries are now identifying housing as one of their biggest workforce challenges.

“It doesn’t matter in Adams County, it doesn’t matter if you are in the service industry or if you are well-spanned and you’re looking to bring doctors in,” Shreve said. “Trying to find enough housing for folks is just really critical here.”

Shreve also called for innovative solutions including manufactured homes, accessory dwelling units, cottage courts, and zoning reforms that could expand affordable housing opportunities.

Throughout the discussion, local housing advocates pointed to zoning laws, infrastructure costs, and development fees as major barriers to affordable housing construction.

JR Crushong of the Adams County Housing Authority said developers often face long approval timelines and expensive upfront costs before projects can even begin.

“It took us 18 months to get through the planning process, just to get able to say, yes, we can start this project,” Crushong said.

He also emphasized growing interest in tiny home developments and alternative housing models that could help both younger workers and seniors.

A Bipartisan Push for Housing Solutions

Despite political differences, the roundtable repeatedly emphasized bipartisan cooperation around housing affordability.

Davis described the state’s Housing Action Plan as a starting point for broader negotiations aimed at increasing housing supply, stabilizing communities, and helping Pennsylvanians achieve homeownership.

“I think the unique part about this issue is that everybody recognizes that we have to do something,” Davis said. “This is an area really where Democrats and Republicans can come together.”

The discussion underscored a growing statewide concern: without meaningful action, rising housing costs may continue pushing working families, seniors, and younger residents out of communities they have long called home.