Northampton County IDA approves Dixie TIF; county to receive over $1 million for Habitat for Humanity development

The Northampton County Industrial Development Authority on Aug. 7 approved a Dixie tax-increment financing plan that county officials say will generate “over a million dollars” to support an affordable housing project with Habitat for Humanity in Forks Township.
County Executive Lamont McClure told the Economic Development Committee the IDA approved the Dixie TIF at an IDA meeting earlier the same day and that the payment will “go towards our development in our project with Habitat for Humanity and Forks to do affordable housing.”
The approval by the IDA is an early step in the statutory review process. Tina Smith, director of community economic development for Northampton County, said the TIF package must next be considered by the borough and the local school district before returning to the county council for final action “in accordance with the state statute.” Smith estimated the county would likely see the matter in September for public notice and for council consideration “probably in October.”
Officials said the project totals slightly more than 30 units and is intended to add rental supply in a tight market. McClure described the county’s housing market as an affordability crisis and said the project is a modest local effort to “ameliorate this national crisis” while larger solutions await state or federal action.
Committee members and staff emphasized process steps ahead: borough and school-district approvals, a 30-day public notice period, then county council consideration. No council vote on the TIF or on funding was recorded in the committee meeting transcript; the IDA action was described as approved earlier that day.
What happens next: if the borough and school district complete their reviews and no statutory barriers appear, the county council will consider the TIF and related financing and any associated agreements. County staff said they will provide formal public notice and a timeline once the borough and school district steps are complete.
The county and Habitat for Humanity did not present a detailed financing breakdown at the Economic Development Committee meeting. McClure and Smith limited their remarks to the IDA approval, the expected six- or seven-figure county contribution, and next procedural steps.