House passes Solomon bill to expand affordable housing
Rep. Jared G. Solomon June 28, 2021 | 12:35 PM
HARRISBURG, June 28 – The state House passed legislation, authored by state Rep. Jared Solomon, D-Phila., that would allow local taxing authorities to expand access to affordable housing in an unprecedented way.
“For every 100 people who need affordable housing in Pennsylvania, only 42 people will get it,” Solomon said. “In extreme cases, in counties like York and Monroe, only 28 people out of 100 will get the affordable housing they need; in Lancaster, only 19 people. This is unacceptable. I’m thrilled to have sponsored and passed the affordable housing bill. This is a step in the right direction to ensuring every resident of Pennsylvania can have the housing they need to raise their families and comfortably live and work in every one of our 67 counties.
“The affordable housing bill will benefit residents across the commonwealth,” Solomon added. “Developers will be incentivized to build affordable housing all across the state. Everyone deserves a home they are proud of, and the affordable housing bill would create more access to that.”
House Bill 581 would give local authorities a menu of options to pass tax abatements or exemptions for the creation or improvements of affordable housing, for homeownership or rentals. Use of these abatements would be determined by local policymakers, and in some cases, would offer various exemption schedules to tailor the tax relief to the needs and budgetary constraints they face.
“This was a true example of bipartisan collaboration," Solomon said. “Thank you to the Urban Affairs Committee chairs and staff on both sides of the aisle. They worked tirelessly to advance this bill. In addition, I want to thank the House and key staff in the Senate who realized the importance of affordable housing for all Pennsylvanians. Lastly, the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania and so many stakeholders helped advance this legislation and placed the housing needs of Pennsylvanians first. Government works best when we do things together and this is a great example of this collaborative spirit."