Suburban towns lobby for attention to urban issues

    Once the picture of suburban sprawl, some of Philadelphia’s nearby suburbs are now dealing with traditionally urban issues.

    Communities in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties are coming together to argue for the recognition and treatment of these problems.

    An April 14 meeting in Audubon is aimed at Pottstown, Chester, Coatesville and other communities who are dealing with First Suburbs issues, the Mercury reports.

    First Suburbs is a coalition of some of Philadelphia’s suburbs that now deal with urban issues like unfair education funding, the struggle with affordable housing and decaying infrastructures.

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    U.S. Rep. James Gerlach has already written to HUD to ask that is support First Suburbs, which is now calling on HUD to reassess the Housing Voucher program to make it easier for its renters to live in more affluent communities, so the municipal and educational burdens low-income housing often brings is more fairly shared.

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