Trailer Court Sold; Residents Evicted (Jersey Shore, PA)

Young families and elderly residents alike are being evicted. They were given a few weeks to get out. They all need help.

Uploaded by GADCLuzerneCounty on Mar 22, 2012


A video by Scott Cannon http://gdacoalition.com
Riverdale Mobile Home Village, Jersey Shore, PA
Residents of an area mobile home park have been given a bit more time to move to make way for a proposed water withdrawal facility in Piatt Township.

Bryn Mawr-based Aqua PVR LLC has decided it will give most residents of Riverdale Mobile Home Village until June 1 to move, according to Donna P. Alston, director of communication for Aqua America, Aqua PVR's parent company.

The company plans to build a pump station on the site it recently purchased, withdraw up to 3 million gallons of water per day from the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and pipe the water to natural gas drilling sites north of the township.

It originally wanted all 37 units in the park moved out by May 1 so work could begin on the project.

The company offered a financial incentive for park residents.

Originally, residents who moved by April 1 would be given $2,500. Those who moved by May 1 would receive $1,500.

Some residents of the park protested that the former deadline did not give them enough time to move.

Others said they could not afford to move or could not find a mobile home park that would take their mobile homes, many of which are older models and do not meet park or local code standards.

"We revisited the site plan for the project and figured out a way to displace fewer people initially than before," Alston said, adding, "The park will eventually need to be (completely) vacated to accommodate the project."

Alston said when work on the project begins in May, only two to four lots at the park will be impacted. One of those lots already is vacant, she said.

The financial incentive offer to residents also has been revised, Alston said.

Now, residents will receive $2,500 as long as they are out of the park by June 1, Alston said.

"We're trying to minimize the disruption and provide some assistance where we can," she said. "For some, it may not be enough. Along with the additional time, hopefully, it will make a difference for everybody."

Park resident Marshall Flanigan said the new offer will help some, but not all, residents at the park.

"It's not a 100-percent cure-all, but it helps the bleeding," he said.

Flood Victims in PA Can't Find or Afford Housing

Pennsylvania residents who lost their homes to Tropical Storm Lee more than three weeks ago are having a tough time finding affordable housing, or any housing at all, because workers in the area's natural gas drilling boom have filled nearly every room, this according to an article by Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press.  Read the article here.

I find this to be reprehensible.  The problem has been there for a long time, but the storm has exacerbated it to extreme levels.  Gas workers are taking up almost all motel rooms and apartments and houses.  The gas companies hoard entire motels, such as the Towanda Motel.  They lease the rooms for extended periods.  Drive by the parking lots of many motels and you will see license plates from Texas and Oklahoma.  It is a real occupation.  I find this to be unacceptable.

Bradford County Children Go To Foster Homes: Gas Drillers Push Rents Sky High

Boomtown rents go up sky high.  Poor people cannot compete and get pushed out so landlords can charge more rent.  Gas drillers have the money to pay.  This year 6 children have been put in foster care, not because their parents were bad parents, but because their parents could not afford the rising rent costs and were evicted from their homes.  They can't find new affordable housing in Bradford County (PA).  This is an intolerable by-product of the natural gas industry which will become worse in the years to come if something isn't done about it.  We must fund efforts to make affordable housing available to those less fortunate.

Read the whole article here.

MUST OUR CHILDREN SUFFER SO GAS COMPANIES CAN MAKE PROFITS?

Apartment Rents Soar in Bradford County, PA

If you are looking for an apartment in Bradford County these days, you might have a hard time finding affordable housing. The gas drilling industry has come to town, and they need lots of places for their employees to stay. This has caused rents to skyrocket. Two, three, and even four times as much according to a report by WBNG-TV in Binghamton, NY. A two-bedroom apartment on Main Street in Towanda is renting for a whooping $800 a month these days. Even single rooms in private homes can command $750 a month. This problem is due to the influx of gas drillers who are coming in from Texas and other areas of the country.

Gas companies are considering renting or buying large warehouses as well. A dormitory is planned for Athens to house gas industry workers. Local motels are experiencing a high volume of business, but tourists and other travelers often cannot get rooms. At a recent meeting in Sayre (PA), a Chesapeake Energy spokesperson explained why gas drillers are planning for residential facilities:

One audience member said that Sen. Gene Yaw's office has heard many concerns about the proposed Athens Township residential facility, and has heard people saying that they think Chesapeake is trying to isolate themselves and won't be much support for local businesses.

Grove said that Chesapeake is not trying to isolate their workers by using a housing facility, but they are looking to build the facility because they don't have many places to put their workers. Currently, he said, they have leased the entire Towanda Motel to house their workers.

"The nature of our business requires that we can provide our workers with a good safe place to rest in their off hours," Grove said. "These guys work very hard."

Read more here.