Revitalizing Mine-Scarred Lands Assessing Future Housing Needs for Redevelopment in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Project Summary Community: Earth Conservancy (Luzerne, Pennsylvania) Technical Assistance: Housing Needs Assessment Former Use: Mine-Scarred Land Future Use: Residential Luzerne County and the Lower South Valley area were once home to large mining activities. The area has since diversified and in 1994, Earth Conservancy purchased over 16,000 acres of former mining land from the bankrupt Blue Coal Corporation with the expressed goal to reclaim the brownfield sites and support their positive reuse through redevelopment. Both the Avondale and Sugar Notch sites were mine-scarred with significant environmental concerns that have since received basic remediation. Earth Conservancy plans to use these sites to support future housing needs as Luzerne County continues to experience growth in manufacturing and logistics industries. The Community's Challenge Luzerne County has experienced a boom in the manufacturing and logistic industries, causing shifts in population and employment. Compounded with the migration out of large cities during the pandemic, current housing availability in the county has not kept up with population growth. Furthermore, the housing stock within Luzerne County is older on average compared to the state, with most housing built prior to the 1970s. Although the two sites have already been reclaimed, they have yet to be sold for redevelopment. Earth Conservancy is looking for assistance to confirm future housing needs in preparation to market these sites for redevelopment. EPA's Land Revitalization Technical Assistance In 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Land Revitalization Program provided contractor technical assistance to prepare a housing needs assessment for Luzerne County. The housing study assisted in evaluating the redevelopment options for two remediated parcels in Sugar Notch and Plymouth Townships. The study included a needs assessment with a 10-year projection, using available U.S. Census data to identify housing needs for each income bracket by affordability. This study was supported by interviews with local stakeholders to identify barriers and opportunities in redevelopment for the sites, as well as prevailing preferences and other observed trends. Findings include a growing but aging population, shifting family arrangements, industrial growth in manufacturing and logistics, mismatches in housing typology and needs, and a large existing housing deficit. Total projected housing needs are between 8,876 to 9,862 units spread across income categories, with about 30% of these units needed in the rental market. Overall, residential development on the two sites will support county level housing needs, especially in smaller, higher density arrangements that accommodate workforce and senior populations. Income Brackets in Luzerne, Number of Housing Units Could Be Occupied, and the Corresponding Monthly Rent Income (Low) Unit (High) Unit Monthly Bracket Breakdown Breakdown Rental Rates 120%+ 1,119 1,543 >$1595.82 80 - 120%+ 970 1,132 <$1595.82 50 - 80% 1,944 2,102 <$1063.88 30 - 50% 1,861 1,975 <$664.93 < 30% 2,983 3,109 <$398.96 For more information, contact Tish Corbett, EPA Region 3 Brownfields Program, at corbett.patricia@epa.qov. *>EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization 560-F-23-318 ------- |