Before and after renovations of a home in Harrisburg
As I walked down Harrisburg’s narrow Summit Street and spied the fresh siding and double yellow doors of the duplex, I knew that Beahive Affordable Housing Outreach was “in the house.”
Beahive rehabs blighted properties and offers them for affordable rent, known as “Hive Creation.”
“The mission is for me is to eventually create affordable housing that people can buy, so they can understand their own equity,” said Samara Scott, founder and executive director.
The seed for this nonprofit, named after Scott’s mother, was planted in 2013 when her family experienced a house fire.
“Someone set fire to the house beside us,” Scott said. “We lived in Uptown Harrisburg, so at 3 a.m., our family is up and our house is on fire. This was my family home too. This is the house that I grew up in and had the opportunity to begin raising my kids in.”
The family of five found themselves in a hotel for six weeks as they navigated finding a new place, but they encountered obstacles.
“I made good money—I had my bachelor’s and master’s in human resources and never cared about credit,” Scott said. “I just paid everything in cash. So, now I go to actually apply for our house, and they’re like ‘Your credit?’ I’m like, ‘I can pay.’ But it didn’t matter.”
Another hit: no insurance.
Eventually, the family found a rent-to-own opportunity. Incredulous at first, they did their research and found this to be a legitimate opportunity, which gave them time to build credit and assume the mortgage for the house they were renting.
“COVID was what flipped a switch,” Scott said. “I looked around my community, and I was like—‘What’s happening here? People need help. There needs to be more affordable housing.’”
So, in 2022, she and her husband used the equity in their house to renovate and sell their first property. They have two other completed and rented units on Summit Street.
Scott took everything she learned from her house fire experience and used that to direct decisions at Beahive Affordable Housing Outreach.
Those who rent from Beahive must go through financial literacy classes to understand the basics of how credit works. Renters must also have renter’s insurance. Its “Hive Savings” program assists folks with eviction prevention and with security deposits for those needing to find a new place due to eviction, fire or an unsafe living situation. In its four years, Beahive has helped over 58 families.
Purpose & Mission
Beahive’s current renovation project is a large Victorian house on 3rd Street that will serve as rental units. The carriage house will hold Beahive offices and emergency housing.
Scott pointed out that people need emergency housing for many reasons: house fires, moldy rentals and lead contamination.
“We want to make it available to the Red Cross or insurance companies when they remove people due to lead or mold,” Scott said.
Renters who report mold or lead issues to the codes office often find themselves without housing when owners don’t renew their lease due to the complaint.
Beahive’s completed houses have modern, fresh finishes with an open concept. Scott’s husband owns FHS Contractors, which serves as the general contractor for construction. Scott works to find deals on building materials.
“I have an addiction to building material auctions,” Scott said.
Recessed lighting will show up in future homes— she has 20 boxes of them.
The Summit Street duplex was taken down to the studs, and Beahive added half-baths, a laundry/mud room, and closets to the bedrooms. Scott remarked that Beahive’s renovations have had a positive effect on the street.
“We noticed, as we started doing work, a lot of other property owners started doing work,” Scott said.
All of this takes a lot of money, not so much in the purchase of the property, but in the renovation. It cost about $400,000 to renovate the duplex on Summit Street, so the organization relies on grants.
“Dauphin County has been our biggest supporter thus far,” Scott said.
And, just recently, they received a $400,000 grant from the city of Harrisburg. The properties do come with restrictions.
“We have to keep them for 20 years, and they have to remain at 30 AMI,” Scott said.
AMI stands for “Area Median Income,” restricting the rent to no more than 30% of a household income. This percentage is what’s considered sustainable for renters to maintain housing.
Scott said that they keep their overhead as low as possible, and she’s the only paid employee. They pay contractors, of course, but also rely on volunteers, including the hard-working board. Beahive has a relationship with Dirty Dog Hauling, which provided 44 volunteers on MLK Day of Service. That service event even made it onto “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir.”
So, what’s ahead in 2026?
“We want to purchase a property in Cumberland County,” Scott said.
Also on the 2026 docket—becoming a housing counseling agency. Its Shades of Honey Gala, on April 12, provides a fun opportunity for anyone to support the mission.
Scott has taken her life experiences and used them to create and secure housing for those in greatest need.
“I get up every day, and I’m happy,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s really hard, but I know that the work that I’m putting in is for our purpose and mission.”
For more information on Beahive Affordable Housing Outreach, including the Honey Gala, visit www.beahivehousing.org.
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