Penn State Extension will host a webinar on May 20 focused on housing affordability and its impact on rural communities in Pennsylvania.
The event aims to help community leaders, planners, and residents better understand the challenges facing rural housing. Stephen Goetz, professor of agricultural and regional economics at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, along with Zheng Tian, assistant research professor in the college, will present findings from the “Rural Housing Availability: 2013-2023” study. The speakers will discuss how issues related to housing availability and affordability differ across regions, with a particular emphasis on rural areas.
The webinar is part of Penn State Extension’s Winter/Spring Land-Use Webinar Series. This series supports local officials and organizations as they address land-use challenges such as food access, leadership development for community growth, and affordable housing solutions. Sessions began Jan. 21 and have been held monthly through May; each features Penn State experts or guest speakers addressing timely topics relevant to municipal officials, planners, landowners, and community groups.
Each session lasts 75 minutes and is recorded for registrants’ later viewing for up to six months. Other topics covered earlier this year include planning for intergenerational communities (Jan. 21), using community report cards for equitable land use (Feb. 18), planning for food access (March 18), and essentials of community development (April 15). Pending approval from the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Planning Association (APA), professional development credits are available: each session offers up to 1.25 credits or a total of up to 6.25 credits if attending all five sessions.
Penn State Extension presents this series in partnership with both the Pennsylvania APA chapter and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development. Registration is required; fees are $50 for all five sessions or $95 if participants seek AICP certification-maintenance credits from APA; registered landscape architects can earn continuing education credits at a fee of $65 per series or $15 per individual session.
For more information about registration or specific sessions, contact John Turack at jdt15@psu.edu or visit the Penn State Extension website.
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences contributes expertise that addresses social, educational, physical needs across communities; it operates as Penn State University’s land-grant college with facilities including barns, laboratories, classrooms at University Park campus; it extends outreach through every county via Penn State Extension while collaborating with industry partners to promote equity and inclusion—all efforts aimed at advancing agricultural research and education to enhance quality of life according to the official website.
