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This story appears in the May 2021 issue of the Town&Gown
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the State College Community Land Trust has made its mission to sustain the vibrancy and diversity of the borough community by promoting affordable homeownership opportunities.
With 51 houses, 73 homebuyers, and providing financial education for more than 300 individuals, the land trust is focused on creating more inclusive housing opportunities.
“We hear a lot about affordable housing and the affordable housing crisis now, but even way back in 1996, pressure from Penn State student rentals and the growing university was driving housing costs up,” says Anna Kochersperger, the land trust’s outreach and development coordinator. “A lot of working families were leaving the borough at the time, so there was a keen interest to keep people in the borough, to keep a diversity of residents. Not just students, not just working families, but keep a good mix. So, the State College Community Land
Jim Leous Hopes to Be Part Of Solution if Elected State College Mayor statecollege.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from statecollege.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
When surveying State College officials, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who knows Happy Valley as well as Jim Leous.
Leous, who’s running for mayor as a Democrat this year, came to Penn State decades ago for grad school. Since then, he got married in the borough, delivered three kids at Mount Nittany Medical Center, and became well-versed in State College’s schools.
Suffice to say, he understands the borough’s broad appeals.
“It is absolutely a great place to raise a family, and it is a great place to retire,” Leous said.
Leous is now finishing out his third term on the State College Area School Board. After telling his colleagues last summer that he will not be returning for a fourth term, they encouraged him to look into running for mayor. Ultimately, that became a factor in launching his campaign.
When surveying State College officials, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who knows Happy Valley as well as Jim Leous.
Leous, who’s running for mayor as a Democrat this year, came to Penn State decades ago for grad school. Since then, he got married in the borough, delivered three kids at Mount Nittany Medical Center, and became well-versed in State College’s schools.
Suffice to say, he understands the borough’s broad appeals.
“It is absolutely a great place to raise a family, and it is a great place to retire,” Leous said.
Leous is now finishing out his third term on the State College Area School Board. After telling his colleagues last summer that he will not be returning for a fourth term, they encouraged him to look into running for mayor. Ultimately, that became a factor in launching his campaign.