While Montgomery County is one of the most affluent counties in Pennsylvania, a growing number of residents are struggling with housing costs, with some of them even ending up homeless, writes Jake Blumgart for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

At a recent meeting in Blue Bell, the Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Jamila Winder urged municipal officials, developers, and nonprofit leaders to support new affordable housing even when faced with hyperlocal opposition.

Winder added that this would be a priority item on her policy agenda and that her fellow commissioners were in agreement.

Winder said that municipalities like Norristown and Pottstown, which have higher poverty rates, have been at the forefront of homelessness in the county for a long time. However, she added that does not mean they should be the only ones to provide help for people struggling with housing costs.

Those two towns “have been sharing the burden of dealing with this homeless crisis for a very long time,” said Winder. “We’re looking to have a diversity of options in different corners and parts of the county to be able to solve that.”

Read more about affordable housing in Montgomery County in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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