House committee OKs Freeman land bank legislation
Rep. Robert L. Freeman February 5, 2025 | 3:13 PM
HARRISBURG, Feb. 5 – The state House Local Government Committee today approved legislation that would allow all municipalities, regardless of population size, to establish land banks, according to the bill’s author state Rep. Robert Freeman.
“Land banks are a transformative resource that allow affected neighborhoods and business districts to be revitalized. We should be doing everything we can as a state to encourage economic development and improve quality of life in all municipalities, big and small,” said Freeman, D-Northampton.
Land banks are governmental entities that specialize in the conversion of vacant, abandoned and foreclosed properties into productive use.
Currently, state law only allows municipalities with 10,000 residents or more to create landbanks, leaving smaller municipalities without access to resources that are critical for addressing blight. Freeman said the General Assembly passed a law in the 2019-20 session that allows municipalities of all population sizes to establish redevelopment authorities.
“Building on that important change, we should now take the same step with land banks,” Freeman said.
Freeman said the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs has strongly advocated for the measure.
House Bill 369 moves to the full House for consideration. During the 2023-24 session, the House passed an identical bill written by Freeman, and it was approved by the Senate Housing Committee, but it didn’t receive a final vote by the state Senate.
“By working together in a bipartisan way, I am hopeful that we can get this bill through both chambers and to the governor to become law,” Freeman said.