In the near future we plan to reintroduce a modified version of Senate Bill 616 from last session.  This legislation would create a publicly accessible database of affordable housing projects in the Commonwealth.
 
The landscape of affordable housing in Pennsylvania is approaching a drastic turning point, as federal tax credits issued in the 1980s are expiring in the next few years. The creation of the Commonwealth’s own tax credit program for low income housing will help to weather this shift. But in the meantime, policymakers, advocates, and the public will need better visibility into the state’s existing affordable housing projects. A number of states, including California, Massachusetts, and New York, have already created resources to track expiring affordability restrictions and empower preservation initiatives at the state and local level.
 
To that end, our bill, which is modeled on legislation out of New York, will require the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to create a database of the publicly financed properties under its jurisdiction.  Our legislation will be mindful of certain information that may not be allowed to be released and will allow PHFA to collaborate with local housing authorities to include information regarding properties owned or operated at the local level. The database will include information concerning the location of the property, the name of the owner, the anticipated termination date for affordability restrictions, and whether the affordability program or programs affecting the property can be extended. In addition, PHFA will be required to deliver annual reports to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding the number of properties expiring in the succeeding two years.
 
Pennsylvania has a variety of tools to help preserve and expand the affordable housing stock within the Commonwealth. But before we can use these tools at their full capacity, we need to collect and maintain the right information. Please join us in sponsoring this crucial first step.
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 680 (Apr 28, 2025): P.L.343, No.176