(The Center Square) – Amidst a nationwide housing crisis, Pennsylvania is short at least 100,000 housing units, according to the Department of Community and Economic Development.
A bipartisan group of legislators have been building a package to address the crisis, adding three new bills this week.
The package seeks to encourage new development in the state to reduce red tap and incentivize new building projects. Among the new additions are bills to expand the construction workforce and reign in the delays endemic to Pennsylvania’s home-ruled local government structure.
Rep. Jared Solomon, D-Philadelphia, Rep. Abby Major, R-Ford City, and Rep. Joe Hogan, R-Penndel, are co-sponsors of the package.
In a memo introducing the new bills, they wrote, “Pennsylvania continues to face a critical housing shortage, with communities across the Commonwealth struggling to build enough homes to meet demand. These measures further our effort to expand housing supply, modernize outdated processes, and support communities that need relief the most.”
Drafts of the bills themselves are not yet available, but descriptions searching for co-sponsors suggest major changes could be on the horizon. An overhaul would be in keeping with Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2024 executive order directing the Department of Community and Economic Development to lead on the creation of a comprehensive Housing Action Plan.
“We recognize that Pennsylvania faces unique challenges and opportunities when it comes to housing – that’s why we need a comprehensive, coordinated statewide housing plan,” said Shapiro at the time. “We’re taking action to build more homes in the communities that need them most, lower costs so families can afford to stay in their homes, repair aging houses, and make sure our seniors can live with dignity and comfort.”
The first set of bills introduced would take up that mantle by creating a Commonwealth Housing Opportunity Agency to identify and direct development goals across the state. They would also designate a Commonwealth Housing Ombudsman to act as a point of contact reducing delays in development.
More legislation would create a Residential Economic Development District Grant Program. The initiative would leverage state funding to encourage communities to approve large-scale housing development near major job hubs. A fourth bill would create a system to fast-track pre-approved housing plans.
The first of three additional bills would create a funding source for expanding the construction trade by instituting a “modest fee” on residential building permits. Those permits are the purview of local municipalities and would be at their discretion to levy. The funds would be used to “create a new grant program, strengthen oversight, and give training programs more flexibility to purchase equipment, update curriculum, and expand capacity.”
Another bill would task the Joint State Government Commission to look into the varied permitting and construction processes employed by the state’s more than 2,500 municipalities. The commission would consider whether a statewide Housing Accelerator would benefit moving “shovel-ready” projects forward faster.
A final bill creates a “shot-clock” demanding local municipalities act quickly on building applications. It would afford local governments 30 days to make determination on single-family homes and accessory structures. They’d be given a 60-day timeframe for larger projects, both commercial and residential.
