STATE REPRESENTATIVE JARED SOLOMON PASSES AFFORDABLE HOUSING LEGISLATION

July 7, 2022 (Philadelphia, PA) - Today, House Bill 581 passed the House of Representatives in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. This bill allows 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. 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 today. 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.” - Representative Jared Solomon

The affordable housing bill will benefit residents across the Commonwealth. 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 creates more access to that.

The affordable housing bill gives local authorities a menu of options to pass tax abatements or exemptions for the creation or improvements of affordable housing, be they for homeownership or rentals. Use of these abatements is entirely up to local policymakers, and in some cases, offers various exemption schedules to tailor the tax relief to the needs and budgetary constraints they face.

This was a true example of bipartisan collaboration, "Thank you to the Urban Affairs Chairs and staff on both sides of their 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 advanced 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." - Representative Jared Solomon, 202nd District

After the City of Philadelphia, several organizations, and housing partners advocated for Representative Solomon’s housing bill, it passed the Senate on a 50-0 vote and the House on a 172-28. Partners include:

Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations

Building Industry Association of Philadelphia

City of Philadelphia

SHIFT Capital

Habitat for Humanity

Housing Alliance

Community Legal Services

Homeowners Association of Philadelphia

Lomax Real Estate Partners

Find letters of support in this folder.

Spokesperson from community organizations are available for comment.