EASTON, Pa. – Officials in Easton are hoping to combat gaps in affordable housing.
The city and the Redevelopment Authority of Easton are teaming up to launch a new organization to accomplish that goal.
“People who grew up in Easton no longer can live in Easton,” said Easton Mayor Sal Panto.
It’s an issue that Panto said the city’s Affordable Housing Task Force was challenged to find a solution for.
“It was a no brainer,” said Panto. “I mean, affordable housing is the greatest challenge that any mayor comes across.
The task force merged into a newly launched “HOME Easton Organization”, an initiative aimed to deliver long lasting housing fixes to help families and first-time home buyers.
Easton Councilman Frank Pintabone said the organization shows the city’s commitment to affordable housing.
“There’s a quality of life that you should be afforded, and a lot of times in certain parts of our community, those residents aren’t being afforded that quality of life,” said Pintabone.
The authority’s deputy director called the announcement a milestone.
“In 2025 we officially received our 501(c)(3) status and began functioning as in a real organization,” said Michael Brett, Deputy Director of the Redevelopment Authority of Easton.
Brett said the first program launched under the organization is the landlord-tenant engagement program.
“This started out in 2015 as a landlord training program,” said Brett.
Using that as the basis, with extra time and deepened consideration, Brett said the program now is completely different, layered with interactive components.
It will consist of monthly community workshops at various locations, online and voluntary landlord training and teaching tenants their rights and responsibilities.
“We can’t turn a neighborhood around by neglecting a big part of it, which are rentals and landlords,” Brett said.
The initiative is supported by funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and will launch in January.