Our Affordable Housing Program dedicated to helping the Beaver Falls community.

This program initially grew out of a group of church members from The SOMA Gathering, in conversation with a variety of other community members, who were seeking to address the wealth disparity for people of color in our community. Guided by the work of a non-profit in the East End of Pittsburgh called “Open Hand Ministry”, the group sought to be informed by their model, advised by them and learn from them.

There were two essential components to this initiative:

1. Identifying people in the community whose life experiences have kept them from the typical American path to wealth creation, that is, home ownership. First and foremost, this is an attempt to surround people in need with love and support.

   This program begins with a person who wishes to change their and their family’s life trajectory. It involves helping this person by meeting them where they are, whether it is cleaning up their credit rating, learning good practices of financial management, finding adequate employment or helping with educational needs. All this is done with a group of supportive colleagues surrounding them and caring for them. It is not trying to be a new program but a stream of support and resources that is not bounded by programmatic expectations.

2. As the above is underway, houses in the downtown section of Beaver Falls would be acquired and completely renovated. Such homes would be purchased, (or possibly given or made available at below market rates). The team would also consider acquiring very distressed properties for renovation. As much work as possible would be done by volunteers but the essential systems of the home (wiring, plumbing, heating, etc.) would be completed by qualified professionals.

   
   

   The goal in all of this is to have quality affordable homes available for those in the program working towards being in a position to be homeowners, while simultaneously contributing to physical revitalization of the downtown neighborhoods.

   
   

This initiative became a program of the Beaver Falls CDC, under Director Doug Carson, with members of SOMA serving as an advisory committee helping in decision making, as well as getting their hands dirty in some of the physical work that goes into home renovations.

In 2024 the Beaver Falls CDC became a CHDO (Community Housing Development Organization), allowing us to more easily receive funding from HUD for our program. As of May 2025, the CDC owns 3 houses and are under contract for 3 more.

Our first home, (pictured at the top), is completed and occupied by a person in our program working towards being able to purchase it, while the second and third houses are currently being renovated.

We hope to start renovations on the next three houses as early as summer 2025.

The group that first proposed this initiative felt strongly that it should be targeted to people of color in Beaver Falls. The City’s poverty rate is at an alarming 28% (similar to Detroit and Buffalo) and while 8% of Beaver Falls white families live below the poverty line, 37% of African American families do. The median family income for white families in Beaver Falls is $43,400 while for black families it is $17,800 (according to the most recent census data available). The group certainly knows white families who have similar struggles and hopes that eventually they will be at a point to include all. However, they, and the CDC, feel for now conscience-bound to address the racial disparity in our community.