Wrapping Up Tap Talks: Understanding the True Cost of Living — and What Comes Next

Over the past several months, Franklin County residents came together for Tap Talks: The True Cost of Living, a community learning series designed to unpack the affordability crisis shaping everyday life. As the series comes to a close, one thing is clear: while the sessions have ended, the conversations—and the work ahead—are just beginning.

Led by anti‑poverty expert and SCCAP CEO Megan Shreve and SCCAP At Home Housing Coalition Coordinator Alana Anderson, Tap Talks brought together a diverse group of community members interested in better understanding how rising costs for housing, food, healthcare, and transportation are impacting local households—and why so many people are struggling despite working hard.

A Crisis That’s Personal, Not Abstract

From the very first session, participants quickly grasped that the affordability crisis isn’t an abstract policy issue—it’s a lived reality for many of their neighbors.

With one in three Franklin County residents living paycheck to paycheck, participants engaged in a hands‑on cost‑of‑living exercise that walked through realistic monthly budgets for two common local scenarios:

• A family of four with two children

• A single senior age 65

Using local cost data, participants estimated expenses for housing, food, transportation, childcare, healthcare, and more. When those figures were compared with actual Franklin County wage data, the conclusion was unavoidable:

Even full‑time work is often not enough to meet basic needs.

This exercise underscored what it means to “live in the margins”—where one unexpected expense can push a household into crisis. Throughout the series, Shreve connected these individual experiences to broader system‑level challenges, including outdated wage structures and policies that have not kept pace with today’s economic realities.

Food Access: When the Math Doesn’t Add Up

The session focused on the Cost of Eating Well built on that foundation by examining food affordability. Participants were challenged to “shop” for groceries using a SNAP budget and reflected on a Hunger Challenge ahead of the workshop.

In Pennsylvania, the average SNAP benefit is about $6.00 per day, but for residents of Adams and Franklin Counties it is even lower—$5.78 per day. That figure does not account for the many households that are food insecure but do not qualify for SNAP at all.

Participants also learned how decades‑old formulas, complex eligibility rules, and work requirements continue to shape benefit levels today—leaving many households under‑supported. One takeaway resonated throughout the discussion:

Using SNAP does not mean someone isn’t working hard—most recipients are employed.

Housing on the Brink: Connecting the Dots 

The Housing on the Brink session intentionally began with a guided reflection on the previous two topics—rising costs of living and food insecurity—recognizing that not everyone in attendance had participated in earlier sessions. This reflection helped level‑set conversations and connect the dots between rising household costs, limited incomes, and the increasing lack of affordable housing options amidst changing market and demographic trends in Franklin County.

Participants then explored additional local housing market data and trends, grounding the conversation in Franklin County–specific realities. The session also introduced the concept of NIMBYism (“Not In My Backyard”) and examined how community resistance, zoning, and perceptions of affordability shape housing availability.

Rather than stopping at theory, participants were asked to reflect honestly on what housing solutions they themselves would support—pushing the conversation from awareness toward accountability and shared responsibility for system‑level change.

The Final Session: Housing Systems and Local Solutions

The final Tap Talks session, held on April 15, dove deeper into housing systems and data—highlighting trends that have major implications for Franklin County’s future.

Participants reviewed market data showing that since 2010, incomes in Franklin County have increased by 36%, while during the same period:

• Housing costs increased by 69%

• Rents increased by 89%

At the same time, Franklin County’s vacancy rate sits at just 1.3%, signaling an extremely tight housing market. These figures fueled conversations about the urgent need for more attainable housing—homes that align with the actual incomes of people who live and work in the county.

Small group discussions explored gaps in housing availability for:

• Aging seniors

• Single adults

• Workers entering or remaining in the skilled workforce

Participants also noted barriers preventing older adults from downsizing—particularly that the cost of moving into smaller housing often exceeds the cost of staying in an oversized home. Combined with a shrinking skilled workforce, these housing constraints pose long‑term challenges for community sustainability.

Each attendee received a Franklin County housing market analysis and brief, which is now publicly available and intended to inform ongoing conversation and advocacy.

From Learning to Action: The Role of Coalitions

The final session concluded with a discussion facilitated by Alana Anderson, At Home Coalition Coordinator for SCCAP, focused on the role coalitions play in driving system‑level change. Participants discussed why coordinated community action is essential to addressing complex housing challenges—and how individuals and organizations can engage beyond the Tap Talks series.

Attendees were invited to join the newly formed At Home in Franklin County coalition, which will hold its first meeting on Monday June 15th from 1-2:30PM. Please register to attend our kickoff meeting here and we will follow up with more details in early June. The coalition aims to bring together residents, service providers, and stakeholders committed to improving housing stability and affordability countywide.

To learn more or sign up for updates, visit:👉 www.homeinfranklincounty.org/franklin-county

What Participants Shared

Across all sessions, feedback was candid, reflective, and deeply human. Common themes included:

• Families living in poverty experience constant stress.

• Wages are not keeping pace with the cost of living.

• Community support systems feel weaker than in the past.

• Policymakers often appear disconnected from local realities.

• Recent benefit changes fail to address root system issues.

At the same time, participants consistently expressed hope—and a desire to act.

Moving Forward Together

Tap Talks created space for data, lived experience, and honest dialogue to intersect. Participants didn’t just learn what the affordability challenges are—they explored why they exist and what it will take to address them.

The true cost of living in Franklin County is high. But so is the power of an informed and engaged community.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, shared openly, and committed to being part of the solution. The conversations sparked through Tap Talks now carry forward—into coalitions, community spaces, and the collective work ahead.