Disabled Vet. looking for info... (Lancaster, Harrisburg: low income, apartments, rental)

[dvsone]

i'm looking to relocate from Ct. to Penn. i know theres a V.A. Hospital in Lebanon but a family member that works for Best Western and has to transfer would have to commute, I wouldn't want him to travel too far for work as well as me being too far from the hospital. the citys we are looking at that seem to facilitate both needs are.

Jonestown
Hershey
Herrisberg
Newcumberland
York
Lancaster

My questions are:
1) is it expensive to live in these towns (based off the way the economy is) A.K.A price of living?

2) will i have to worry about his g/f not being able to find a job for 2 years?

3) do i have to worry about raising a kid in any of these towns?

4) for those that know what it is, what is the Magic The Gathering scene like (is it big, do people know the game, are there local stores or do people have to commute)?

5) whats the avg. renting price for a 3 bdr apt. thats pet friendly?

[Summering]

Did you ever consider Wilkes Barre that has a huge, huge, VA hospital and quite a few Best Westerns around. In fact one is very local to the VA hospital.
That area is not all that expensive to rent in, and has great accessibility to shopping....
Other then that Hershey is quite rural and would lack what your looking for that way.
Lancaster does have a town center. I don't know the locations of those towns VA hospitals.

[Gracie2001]

Coatesville has a very large VA hospital and there are some BWs in the area. No worries about raising a family in any of the surrounding areas except downtown Coatesville. Living between Coatesville and Lanacaster would be much less expensive than in Chester County and there are many condos/houses for rent privately. York/Lancaster/Harrisburg/Hershey are all a little more "depressed" than Chester County and - like everywhere - we've had our share of layoffs around here. In fact, the govenor just put a freeze on paychecks for state employees and the state is currently not hiring. That makes the Harrisburg/Hershey area not such a great choice. At this writing, the unemployment rate is about 9%. Don't know what the g/f job needs are but you'll find many small - mid-sized companies plus - if, for example, you are a caregiver or CNA, a plethora of decent nursing homes and senior care facilities. Obviously pricing varies dramatically. 3BR apartments are hard to come by in the "complexes" which is why you might look for a private rental but plan on $1000+. Overall I'm thinking Lancaster county for you - which is still "next" to Coatesville. LOTS of tourism which includes BWs. But you'll need a car: mass tranportation isn't one of the strong points out here. Best of luck!

[dvsone]

thanks for the info its helping us out a lot

[BevoInPA]

I would not rule out Lebanon County.

You NEED to contact the Lebanon County Housing Authority, the executive director is Bryan Hoffman. I am sure you are aware that the Lebanon VA is about to undertake a massive expansion right now. There are billboards on the freeways trying to recruit talent.

The Lebanon County Housing Authority ("H.A.") also has a VERY qualified staff that is interested in helping to house people. The H.A. has a development underway right now in Lebanon with 20 units. Your rent is based on your income and it is rent-to-own. The H.A. has several other developments proximate to the V.A. facility.

Lebanon is really nice, but I can assure you many will post the opposite. It has public transit and since it is a "city" in PA has a lot more resources than a borough, township or town. As far as cities go and your necessity to be near VA facilities I think this is a perfect fit.

I suspect a lot of people in Lebanon commute to Harrisburg but Hershey is a large employer and only about 10 miles. There is no "commute", the traffic (in my humble opinion) is nothing compared to where I used to live which includes Bergen County in NJ.

As far as rent goes, as I mentioned before, if you are on a fixed budget, you should look into Low Income Housing Tax Credits properties, which are not public housing but for 'police officers, fire fighters, and teachers'. I am 'very involved' in these properties and I sincerely believe that they fill the gap between 'market rate' and 'public housing'. I can assure you they are attractive and affordable.

They are very nice (I don't live there so this is not a self promotion).

Except for one school district (at the center of the Harrisburg area) I would not describe any as bad. Some are more geared towards creating two groups: pre-college and non-college; others assume all will be investment bankers. I am not really qualified to say this but if you live outside of Harrisburg City and your kids are modivated then I 'think' the districts have the rescources to accomodate them.