Policy Committee examines attainable housing crisis in Chester Co.
Rising costs, lack of inventory contributing to the issue
Rep. Paul Friel December 9, 2025 | 12:07 PM
PHOENIXVILLE, Dec. 9 – Prospective homeowners are continually being shut out of today’s housing market, and while experts highlighted the local barriers fueling the crisis at the county level, lawmakers discussed ways to scale those solutions statewide.
The cost of housing continues to soar in Chester County, already known as one of the most expensive Pennsylvania counties to live. The House Majority Policy Committee convened a roundtable discussion Tuesday, hosted by Rep. Paul Friel (D-Chester), to talk with housing advocates and experts about what can be done to put more Pennsylvanians in homes.
"The stark reality of today's economy is working families can no longer afford to buy a home in Chester County, and many other regions of the state," said Rep. Paul Friel who represents portions of Chester County. "Homeownership should be within reach for the people who teach our children, protect our neighborhoods, and keep our local economy moving — but right now, it’s not. We owe it to them to fix that.”
The average median home price in Chester County ranges between $530,000 and $560,000, while the median household income sits at approximately $120,000. Since 2010, those home prices have increased by nearly 50%. Testifiers said working families, including those that earn between 60-120% of the area median income, cannot access home ownership. According to the Chester County Department of Community and Development, there are more than 3,700 people currently on the wait list for affordable housing in the county.
High interest rates are impacting both the availability and affordability of homes as current homeowners don’t want to give up their low fixed-rate mortgages, while first-time homebuyers are stretching to afford downpayments and higher monthly payments. Current average interest rates hover around 6%, and median-income families are struggling to afford median-income housing in Chester County.
Another issue impacting the housing crisis is the deep and ongoing challenge of Chester County’s critically low housing inventory. Low inventory causes bidding wars, which drives up the price of already expensive homes. It also means that houses are selling quickly, averaging fewer than 30 days on the market.
Housing organizations and developers are attempting to create more attainable housing options for residents. Chris Wiseman, who serves as the CEO for Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, testified that his organization currently has more than 150 homes in active planning, design, or predevelopment across the county. Additionally, Habitat for Humanity is partnering with the Hankin Group to build a 40-unit affordable housing building in Phoenixville. But, as testifiers claimed, new construction faces a swath of barriers too, including rising infrastructure costs, construction costs and red tape.
“Builders in our area face enormous upfront costs—often $75,000 to $100,000 per lot—before they can even put a shovel in the ground. With base prices up to $100,000 and the costs of materials and labor at a record high, builders are essentially forced to build more expensive properties to recoup their costs,” said Kathleen McQuilkin, past president of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors and current board member of the Suburban Realtors Alliance. “These increased costs are sometimes coupled with restrictive zoning ordinances, which limits housing options and further complicates the new home construction process.”
What all these barriers have led to, testifiers say, is that the traditional starter has gone by the wayside. The first home people use to build their lives and families is becoming more difficult to attain. To help put more Pennsylvanians into homes, testifiers at the roundtable discussion recommended implementing a statewide infrastructure fund for affordable and attainable housing, providing incentives for mixed-income housing development, and reducing regulatory costs for new homes while eliminating red tape.
"People pursuing the American dream of homeownership are increasingly being squeezed by runaway housing costs, said House Majority Policy Chairman Ryan Bizzarro, who represents portions of Erie County and has championed a first-time homebuyers' tax credit bill. "Cutting red tape at the state level and promoting economic diversity in communities can help relieve these pressures."
Tuesday’s roundtable discussion was held in Phoenixville at Hankin Manor, a state-of-the-art affordable housing community for seniors. Testifiers at the roundtable included Neal Fisher, Vice President of Development for Hankin Group; Kathleen McQuilkin, a realtor and board member of the Suburban Realtors Alliance; Steve Chintaman, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania Apartment Association; Kris Keller, a member of Allies for Affordable Housing in Chester County; and Chris Wiseman, Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity of Chester County.
Information about this roundtable discussion and other House Democratic Policy Committee events can be found at pahouse.com/policy.