DCED highlights need for funding to make housing more affordable, accessible

Yahoo

12-05-2025

May 11—Rick Siger, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) secretary, this week highlighted the Gov. Josh Shapiro Administration's commitment to ensuring all Pennsylvanians have access to safe, affordable housing.
Advancing that commitment with common sense solutions, Shapiro's 2025-26 budget proposal calls for significant investments to restore and modernize Pennsylvania's aging housing stock with a new $50 million statewide housing repair fund to help homeowners struggling to make needed repairs to their aging homes, he said.
The budget also proposes $10 million to help first-time home buyers cover closing costs, as well as $1 million in dedicated funding to the State Planning Board to help municipalities with growth-oriented housing policies.
"The Shapiro Administration understands that we must address the long-standing affordable housing crisis to build resilient regions and open doors of opportunity for every Pennsylvanian," Siger said. "We are committed to making real progress on affordable housing to get people into good homes, grow our economy and lift up the entire Commonwealth."
Last September, the Shapiro signed an executive order to create Pennsylvania's first ever Housing Action Plan. Since then, the Shapiro Administration has collected feedback from thousands of Pennsylvanians and worked directly with developers, nonprofits, local governments and labor leaders to create a comprehensive, coordinated, statewide housing solution, a press release stated.
The final housing plan will be coming in the next few months, but the administration identified six steps that can be addressed to begin to solve this problem that are included in the governor's 2025-26 budget proposal, the press release stated, including:
—Investing $50 million to create a new statewide housing repair fund to help homeowners struggling to make needed repairs to their aging homes.
—Investing $10 million to help first-time home buyers cover closing costs — putting a roof over their head and giving them a real chance to build generational wealth here in the Commonwealth.
—Staffing up the State Planning Board, so it can help local communities fix their permitting, zoning and code enforcement issues and build more homes.
—Creating an Interagency Council on Homelessness to improve support and coordination for homeless people in Pennsylvania.
—Continuing the progress made last year by increasing Pennsylvania's largest and most flexible affordable housing tool — the PA Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE) — by an additional $10 million to reach $110 million by the end of 2028. In the last two years, these funds have been used to begin construction on 2,000 new homes and apartments and repair another 3,200.
—Sealing eviction records for people who were not actually evicted to help increase housing security and improve access to affordable housing and employment opportunities.
State: Apply for Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program
Members of the Shapiro Administration this week announced the deadline for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program has been extended to Dec. 31, 2025.
The extension provides more time for eligible older Pennsylvanians, widows and widowers, and residents with disabilities to apply for rebates on property taxes or rent paid in 2024.
Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne and Department of Aging Acting Deputy Secretary Jonathan Bowman spoke about the recent impact of the PTRR program, explaining that last year the program delivered 522,434 rebates totaling $319.2 million to Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth.
This was a major increase from the prior year — when 405,493 rebates totaling $192 million were distributed. So far this year, the Department of Revenue has received approximately 400,000 PTRR applications, outpacing the record number of applications received at this time last year.
"We want to make sure that Pennsylvanians realize the impact the expansion of the PTRR program is making in every county throughout the Commonwealth," Browne said. "If you're eligible for the program, the extension of the filing deadline gives you more time to take advantage of a rebate that could make a big difference in your life."
"Affordable housing remains the biggest concern for older adults across Pennsylvania. The Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is a powerful tool to help ease this burden for many older Pennsylvanians, allowing them to stay in their homes longer and thrive in their communities," said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich.
Laughlin bill modernizing slot machines moves forward
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, to give Pennsylvania casinos greater operational flexibility this week cleared the Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee.
Senate Bill 666 eliminates the outdated statutory requirement that Category 1 and Category 2 casinos must operate a minimum of 1,500 slot machines, regardless of demand.
Instead, it allows gaming operators to adjust the number of machines on their floors based on business needs — while still requiring regulatory approval for significant reductions.
"Let's face it, the gaming landscape has changed dramatically since 2006," Laughlin said. "Competition is fierce, and rigid mandates no longer serve the industry or the public. This bill is about common sense and keeping our casinos competitive without sacrificing oversight or revenue."
Laughlin emphasized that casinos are in the business of making money, and that excessive regulation and exorbitant tax rates put them at risk.
"We cannot hamstring these businesses with inflexible laws that don't reflect today's market," he said. "Casinos provide thousands of family-sustaining jobs across Pennsylvania and contribute substantial gaming revenue to local communities. We cannot afford to see that disappear because of outdated or unnecessary mandates."
Under Senate bill 666, casinos that wish to reduce their slot machine count by more than 2% must apply to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which will conduct a full review to ensure there is no negative impact on revenue, taxes, employment or surrounding communities.
Senate Bill 666 now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
Argall bills advance to address workforce crisis
Legislation authored by Sen. Dave Argall, R-Pottsville, to encourage more employees to join the long-term care workforce was approved with bipartisan support by the Senate today.
"Too many of our families, including mine, have faced the difficult decision of moving a parent or grandparent into a long-term care center," Argall said. "The professionals who make sure they are cared for are facing increasing challenges because of workforce shortages."
Senate Bill 115 would allow individuals without a high school diploma or GED to take a skills competency examination to receive their long-term care employee certification. This bill was approved by a bipartisan vote of 47-3 by the Senate. It advances to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Additional legislation authored by Argall to address the long-term care workforce crisis was approved by the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 114 would expand both the availability of long-term care training courses for nurse aides and the eligibility for individuals to take the nurse aide competency exam. The bill was approved by a vote of 7-4. It advances to the full Senate for consideration.
The number of Pennsylvanians aged 65 and older is expected to double by the year 2040. Despite this sharp increase, labor statistics revealed that from 2019 to 2022, Pennsylvania saw a 14% decrease in long-term care professionals.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.