Fayette Country, Pennsylvania, Housing Market Analysis - EERE

Fayette County
Housing Market Analysis
constructed are not necessarily meeting all housing demand. Specifically,
market rate for-sale housing for households with incomes above $75,000 is
not being built in sufficient quantities. Speculative housing development is
negligible. And non-traditional for-sale units (patio homes, duplexes, quads,
townhouses, condos, etc.) are only just now being constructed in the county.
Current construction practices only perpetuate the housing status quo, leaving
little room for pent-up demand of non-traditional units to surface. More
variety in for-sale housing is crucial to adequately house new residents. 4
ii. Rental Units
Between 2000 and 2008, rental demand is for approximately 1,100 units.
Rental demand is expected to be met equally between new construction and
rental of existing units. There is a need for approximately 500 newly
constructed rental units through 2008. New construction demand is predicted
to be approximately 67 units per year.
Rental housing demand will primarily be generated by the move up, higher
income, affordable, and elderly housing types. With an average of 23
multifamily units constructed between 2000-2003, the current pace of
multifamily unit construction is insufficient to keep pace with renter demand.
The highest demand for rental units is generated by those households with
incomes of $75,000 or higher. Little high-end rental housing of any building
type (single-family or apartment style) exists to support this demand.
Rental unit variety is also an issue in the county. Garden apartments,
townhouses, duplexes, and other non-traditional rental units need to be
constructed to attract a variety of residents to the county. These types of
units should be marketed to both affordable and market rate renters.
I. Where is housing growth expected to occur?
Housing decisions are not reached in a vacuum. The availability of land for
development, accessibility to major highways, access to public water and sewer
service, relative tax burden, school district quality, and availability of commercial
amenities are all factors that enter into the housing development equation. These
factors affect where people want to live and are therefore determinants of where
future housing growth will take place in the county.
i. The movement of population within the county
Population growth is occurring in the eastern two-thirds of the county. As the
following figure shows, population gains occurred primarily in the eastern
and central portions of the county. Population losses occurred primarily in
the Connellsville area and communities along the county’s western edge.
Several rural boroughs also lost population. This trend is expected to
continue.
4 Please see Section 6 for more detail on projected housing demand.
June 2005
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