April 2024 | Legislative Update

Join us for a Virtual Policy Briefing on Friday, May 17th at 10:00am to learn more about the state of housing policy in PA, HAP’s legislative priorities, the state budget, and advocacy efforts. 

Our Budget Priorities

• Raising the cap on the PHARE program remains our top budgetary ask in 2024. With the cap currently at $60 million, we are seeking to increase the cap to $100 million.
• Funding Whole Home Repairs with $50 million in state funding.
• $20 million for new homelessness assistance program grants modeled after successful local programs.

HAP’s homelessness prevention proposal aims to duplicate successful local programs.

In the face of rising rents and the corresponding increase in housing insecurity, HAP has identified several county programs reporting outsized results in preventing eviction and homelessness.  We are proposing state investment to help continue and duplicate homeless assistance programs that utilize legal aid, direct assistance, mediation, and resource navigation. 

Successful eviction prevention programs in Pennsylvania help restore the landlord tenant relationship and get both sides working together. Assistance organizations are working with tenants and landlords resulting in landlords withdrawing or settling eviction cases at significantly higher rates or engaging in landlord tenant mediation. In four counties the percentage of cases withdrawn or settled by the landlord has on average increased by 25% with one community experiencing increases as high as 50%. Targeted landlord-tenant mediation programs are resulting in 85 -98% of mediations ending with a successful agreement between both parties.

Specifically, we are seeking a state appropriation of $20 million as a pilot investment to make grants to communities positioned to duplicate successful programs. Each local program will be required to present a plan that includes direct assistance, dispute settlement, and resource navigation. Each program will make a report to the agency and collectively report to the General Assembly.

Bills Introduced to Limit Access to Eviction Records

Open eviction records prevent tenants from obtaining safe, affordable housing due to the automatic screening process removing any rental applicant with an eviction filing.  Prior financial hardship should not be a permanent obstacle to obtaining a basic human need.  Each year, about 20,000 Pennsylvania renters acquire eviction records without ever being evicted—their cases are withdrawn, settled, dismissed, or found for the defendant. 

Bills have been introduced to correct this injustice and de-facto punitive measure against tenants facing hardship. 

HB 1769 (Reps Smith-Wade-El, Fiedler, Harris, Krajewski) would place all eviction filings under an order of limited access until the tenant loses their case in court. When the court finds for the plaintiff, the eviction record would become accessible. After 7 years, all eviction filings would be placed under an order of limited access.  The bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee on March 25th.

SB 1137 (Sen. Saval, Costa, Schwank) is the Senate companion bill to HB 1769 and was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Zoning Reform Legislation Introduced in House and Senate

Three bills have been introduced to broadly reform land use in the Commonwealth, providing for increased density / multifamily development where it was previously limited by local zoning ordinances.

SB 1126 (Sen. John DiSanto) would grant the automatic right to use manufactured housing and accessory dwelling units in single-family zoning districts. For municipalities with larger populations, medium-density housing will also be permitted by right. The legislation will also ensure onerous minimum lot sizes and parking space requirements don’t interfere with housing affordability.  This bill was referred to the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee on April 5, 2024.

HB 2045 (Rep. Siegel) would permit duplex, triplex, and quadplex developments where zoning is for single family homes.  The bill was referred to House Local Government on February 20th.

HB1976 would permit multifamily housing to be developed on land zoned commercial.  The bill was referred to House Local Government on March 18th.

Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee Advances Blight Bills

On Wednesday, April 10th, the Pennsylvania Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, chaired by Senator Frank Farry, approved two bills aimed at fighting blight.

HB 1207—Rep. Freeman:  Would permit a municipality of any size to establish a land bank. 

HB 775—Rep. Tim Twardzik— Establishes the “Vacant Property Registration Act” that allows communities to create and maintain a vacant property registration, which is a blight fighting, smart growth tool used to stabilize and re-develop communities.