Coal Region News

HARRISBURG – A group of House members has unveiled a package of 12 bills aimed at making housing more affordable and accessible in Pennsylvania.

The legislative package focuses on affordability through tax breaks, grants, and incentives for both homeowners and builders. It also includes measures to reassess and update building codes and regulations.

The legislators authoring the bills include House Republican Housing and Community Development Committee Chairman Rich Irvin (R-Franklin/Huntingdon), along with Reps. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin), Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon), Thomas Kutz (R-Cumberland), Andrew Kuzma (R-Allegheny/Washington), Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh), Abby Major (R-Armstrong/Westmoreland), Eric Nelson (R-Westmoreland) and David Zimmerman (R-Lancaster).

Bill sponsors note that over the past four years, a lack of supply coupled with increasing costs for rentals and home purchases has made it difficult for Pennsylvanians to find appropriate housing. According to some estimates, Pennsylvania is short 98,000 housing units, and the median new home sale price in Pennsylvania last year was $560,152—$130,000 more than the national average. Meanwhile, rent increases have grown so severe that most counties in the Commonwealth have less than 30% of renters paying below the recommended 30% of their income on housing.

“Government regulation has clearly contributed to the slowing of housing creation, fueling an ever-worsening shortage,” according to the bill sponsors.

“We know housing, which is both affordable and readily available, supports stable families, promotes employment, weans those living at or below poverty levels off public support by transitioning them to family-supporting jobs, and supports local economies. In addition, business leaders continue to emphasize the current labor shortage in Pennsylvania is being exacerbated by a lack of housing stock for workers, making it impossible to fill open positions as workers cannot find adequate housing nearby."

“The time has come to address this growing problem. We need to get government out of the way so housing needs may be met. Our economy, our families and our communities depend on it.”

The package of bills would:

• Require a yearly report from municipalities about housing needs, shortages, solutions etc. (Kuzma)

• Allow communities that are creative about housing (allowing for mixed use; accessory dwelling units; missing middle housing; or supporting programs to refurbish existing homes) to apply for the Attainable Housing Community Designation. Those communities would receive priority consideration with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency for Pennsylvania Housing Affordability Fund grants. (Kutz)

• Allocate Realty Transfer Tax revenues after required transfers to the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program for an increase to the Homestead Exclusion. (Benninghoff)

• Create a First-Time Homebuyer Savings Account to allow individuals to save income pre-tax toward purchasing a home. (Kutz)

• Provide a Realty Transfer Tax exemption for first-time homebuyers. (Kutz)

• Allow tax claim bureaus to enter into hardship agreements with homeowners who have fallen behind on their taxes—assisting with keeping individuals in their homes. (Irvin)

• Allow waivers of National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits for land disturbances between 1-5 acres aligning with federal standards—potentially saving individuals who buy land almost $40,000 when building a home. (Zimmerman)

• Allow low-interest loans for housing developers focusing on improving public infrastructure costs upfront. (Nelson)

• Implement a sliding scale based on home square footage size for blower door tests in the Uniform Construction Code allowing smaller home construction flexibility. (Mackenzie)

• Adopt building code standards for “tiny homes.”(Major)

• Enact a resolution directing the PA auditor general to audit the Whole Homes Repair Program.(Irvin)

• Instruct Review and Advisory Council to skip next UCC adoption round studying existing codes identifying cost drivers while creating alternatives without compromising safety.(Heffley)

Co-sponsorship memos are currently being circulated before these bills are assigned House committees consideration.

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