PA Senate passes HB666, allows Philadelphia Housing Authority to negotiate performance-based contracts

Rep. Donna Bullock    December 14, 2023 | 9:22 AM

HARRISBURG, Dec. 14 – A bill (H.B. 666) sponsored by state Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Phila., passed the Pennsylvania Senate Wednesday by vote of 43-7.

This legislation would remove the requirement in the Housing Authorities Law that executive members of the Philadelphia Housing Authority be “at will” employees, enabling the PHA board to negotiate performance-based contracts and compensation arrangements.

“This bill will bring the Philadelphia Housing Authority back into alignment with the other 89 public housing authorities in Pennsylvania,” Bullock said. “Once this legislation is in place, Philadelphia will be able to better retain talent, be competitive with other major cities and keep our public housing authority on its current upward trajectory.”

The provisions requiring PHA executive members to be “at will” employees were primarily established in 2011 in response to governance issues with the city housing authority under a prior city administration and previous PHA board. The board was dissolved and the PHA was put in the hands of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under an administrative receivership until 2013.

In the years since, the PHA and its board have operated to a high standard and earned back the trust of stakeholders, Bullock said.

“I look forward to Gov. Josh Shapiro signing this legislation into law,” she said.