In a significant step towards addressing the housing crisis, a former sawmill site in Honesdale is set to transform into an affordable housing community. This development comes amid a pressing need for diverse housing options in Wayne County.
United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) has acquired the vacant site, marking its eighth affordable housing initiative, named Timber Mill Commons.
Lisa Durkin, UNC’s president and CEO, highlighted the extensive housing demands in the region, explaining, “Housing needs are so prevalent in Wayne County, they were seeing a need like really of every kind. They needed emergency housing for immediately homeless people. They needed affordable housing for their working families. They needed higher income housing for transient doctors that were coming in and working at the Wayne County hospital there and just really, really struggling.”
Timber Mill Commons
The planned Timber Mill Commons will offer 42 units, including one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, catering to both seniors and families. The development will span six acres, featuring four residential buildings and a community center.
The project is projected to cost around $20 million, with approximately $900,000 already secured. An initial $400,000 was obtained with the assistance of State Representative Jonathan Fritz (R-Wayne County).
Fritz elaborated, “We’ve got the initial $400,000 through the Community Economic Assistance Program, and we’ve secured the additional $500,000 to complete the transaction, and those funds are going to be realized through a program called Main Street Matters.”
Construction is expected to begin in up to 18 months, with completion anticipated within another 12 to 14 months after construction starts. Fritz emphasized the importance of securing the site, noting, “We have site control, and that is a very critical step in the process, it basically gets us to a point of no return.”
The project’s downtown address at 1 Commercial St. is a key advantage, according to Fritz, who stated, “We have a very real need for housing for our seniors and our young professionals, it just made sense to focus on this area with one key item. It’s easy walking distance to our downtown, all of our eateries and boutiques shops, the commercial district downtown, and that really translates into maximum quality of life for the residents.”
Honesdale Mayor Derek Williams also praised the downtown location, saying, “It means kind of everything, that the walkability aspect is kind of part and parcel with just general quality of life, being able to get to your everyday locations comfortably and safely.”
The Need for Affordable Housing in Honesdale
The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development defines affordable housing as when rent or mortgage payments are 30% or less of a household’s income.
State Rep. Jonathan Fritz
The Institute’s 2026 housing primer reveals that rent in Northeast Pennsylvania surged by up to 48% from 2018 to 2024, outstripping wage increases.
Durkin characterized affordable housing as, “…something that lies in between public subsidized housing and market rate housing.”
Lisa Petz|Photography/Lisa Petz|Photography
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Submitted by UNC
Durkin stated that Timber Mill Commons will offer rents ranging from $700 to $900, making it affordable for individuals earning $35,000 to $40,000 annually, as well as seniors on Social Security.
Post-pandemic, housing costs have surged. Durkin explained, “There was a moratorium on evictions that was called during that time. It was a good thought to protect people from being evicted. But then what happened was landlords, owners of properties, weren’t receiving a rental payment. Maybe they fell behind on their mortgage payments. I think what we saw is a lot of property owners said, ‘Well, I’m getting out of this business.’ So we just lost some units along the way.”
Wayne County also witnessed a shift of rental properties to Airbnb due to a boom in Poconos tourism and an increase in remote work. Durkin noted, “When you take Wayne County, what they saw was a lot of people turning their rental properties into Airbnbs… What we saw was a lot of people who were making New York City salaries relocating to nice, beautiful Lake Wallenpaupack, these nice communities in Wayne County, and property owners there were able to fetch larger rents.”
Mayor Williams pointed out that limited housing supply has driven up rents. “Not only is it people moving up here, which has put a pressure on us in the housing market, it’s also people fixing up buildings, keeping them as rentals, and having those rents incrementally go up. Within that timeframe, we have seen what people used to be able to expect as a $900 apartment, in some cases, go up to $1,800 and that is a significant increase in barriers to being able to live and work here,” he stated.
Mayor Derek of Honesdale Facebook
Durkin envisions Timber Mill Commons as a place where local residents can enjoy their town without financial strain. “You look at all these terrific shops and restaurants and everything it has to offer, which is fantastic, unless the people who are working in those shops and restaurants can’t afford to live there,” she explained.
Williams remains optimistic about attracting newcomers to Honesdale, viewing the UNC project as a means to provide affordable living for working individuals and families. “I wouldn’t want to put any negative characterization on people investing here. We certainly welcome that, and it’s great to see anybody wanting to move here,” he said. “When we have more available at this lower rate, it totally allows for people who have been here for a while, or even new people, to be able to afford to live and work and start a family and play here, which is something we’re always looking for,” Williams added.
