Erie Insurance CEO Tim NeCastro hosted both of Pennsylvania’s sitting U.S. Senators in Erie Friday afternoon to hear from civic leaders and government officials addressing the critical need for housing and overcoming food insecurity.
At the St. Paul’s Neighborhood Center in Erie’s Little Italy, NeCastro led a conversation with Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick along with members of Erie’s state legislative delegation, and officials at the city and county level. NeCastro is the leader of an effort to remake the closed St. Paul Catholic school into a neighborhood hub for food distribution, social services, and job training.
Multiple participants discussed the housing crisis facing the chronically unhoused along with the lack of affordable and workforce housing in the Erie region. Kim Thomas, Executive Director of Infinite Erie, told the senators that Erie was 6,000 housing units short of what is needed in the city. NeCastro, Jeannie Hagerty of the Mercy Center for Women, Boo Hagerty of Build Community Development Corporation, and Brian Johannson of the Erie City Mission all gave testimony to the projects to meet the need for housing.
When Sen. Fetterman asked the participants of an honest assessment of the bipartisan Federal 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, Mayor Daria Devlin responded with a “B minus,” citing concerns over the cost of rehabbing blighted homes, and building new ones. Sen. McCormick encouraged Erie’s leaders to consolidate their requests to Washington into one or two that would make the greatest impact.
After the community roundtable, the senators took a tour of the Neighborhood Center space.
