Community Improvement & Economic Development

Non-profit organizations provide services in Community Improvement & Economic Development by filling gaps provided by government agencies and addressing issues such as job training, capacity improvement, blight removal, business incubation, and financial literacy.

Impact

• Per the Washington County Planning Commission, “Washington County has a number of sites that offer prime opportunities for additional commercial/industrial development and redevelopment. According to information gathered through the planning process, these sites can positively contribute to the economic development growth for the County.”
• The Commission also reports that “More than half (61.5%) of households in Washington County earn over $50,000 per year. An additional 16.7% of households make less than $25,000, and 30.5% make more than $100,000. The median household income in 2020 in Washington County is $65,478 which has risen approximately 31.8% over the last decade (compared to $49,687 in 2010).”
  
• Established in 2016, the purpose of the Washington County Land Bank is to use available resources to facilitate the return of blighted, vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties to productive use, thereby combating community deterioration, creating economic growth and stabilizing the housing and job market. To date, 7 buildings have been sold for residential use, 3 for commercial use, and 2 were demolished and the lots sold.
  

Strengths

• Expanding Broadband Access
• Land Bank
• Career-Focused Education
• Rising Household Income

Challenges

There are many resources available in Washington County for business start-ups, but few are well known, and focus group members expressed they can be difficult to access and understand. Of the survey respondents who have considered starting a business, 27% had heard of the Local Share Account, and 23% knew of the Washington County Council on Economic Development. Although the Center for Workforce Information & Analysis reports the county has a relatively low unemployment rate in comparison with the national level, the nearly 4,000 unemployed individuals struggling to find employment opportunities could benefit greatly from better utilization of such resources.

In recent years the county has witnessed an influx of Haitian immigrants to the Mon Valley region, particularly Charleroi. Employment opportunities have been sparse for these individuals; professional credentials from their home country are not widely accepted in the United States and many employers struggle with the language barrier. When asked the likelihood of providing assistance to these families, 76% of survey respondents reported they would be unlikely to do so.

Renovating and repurposing the county’s local shopping centers could act as a source of new job opportunities. Between the two regional shopping centers (Washington Crown Center and Washington Mall), there is a combined 574,000 square feet of vacant anchor space. According to the 2023 Comprehensive Plan, Crown Center is currently experiencing some successful revitalization and the Washington County Planning Commission is continuing to work with local partners to conduct a renovation or repurposing plan for both areas.