In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to authorize the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Council to direct its technical advisory committee to explore the allowance of single-stair point access blocks in new apartment construction in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This legislation is a reintroduction of HB1988, introduced by former Representative Joshua Siegel in 2024.
 
Pennsylvania, like many states across the country, faces a critical housing shortage. The necessity of not only new housing, but flexible types of housing accommodating young families, seniors, empty nesters, and the like, runs face first into onerous and restrictive building codes drawn from the International Building Code (IBC) that mandate multiple points of egress for buildings over three stories. These multiple stairwells increase construction costs and limit the range of sizes and floor plans available to architects and residents of multifamily buildings at a time when a housing supply shortage necessitates significantly higher levels of apartment construction, and the maximization of units in said apartments. Though often defended in the name of fire safety, examples from Europe and East Asia, as well as recent analysis from Pew Charitable Trusts demonstrates that single-stair buildings well above three stories do not pose significantly higher fire safety concerns than multi-stair buildings of a similar height. Current low limits on single-stair apartment buildings were set before the requirement for modern fire protection features such as automatic fire sprinklers, which reduce the need for multiple points of egress in the name of fire safety in new apartment buildings.
 
Several jurisdictions in the U.S. already deviate from the IBC standard adopted in every city, county, borough, and township in Pennsylvania when it comes to stairwells and point access blocks in buildings: New York City and Seattle have allowed single-stair buildings up to six stories for decades, and Honolulu legalized single-stair buildings recently as well. Chicago allows single-stair townhouses up to four stories, and Dallas allows five and six story buildings to have one set of interlocking, or ‘scissor’ stairs, which are two sets of stairs contained in one stairwell. As a result, states such as California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and New York have been leading the way on single-stair reform by amending state building codes to either legalize single-stair buildings up to a certain amount of stories; further legalize single-stair buildings beyond four floors or beyond certain square footages; or authorize reports and task forces on single-stair reform in their respective states. Vermont and Georgia already allow single-stair buildings up to four stories because they use the National Fire Protection Association building code, which allows for such uses, instead of the IBC. Puerto Rico also allows such buildings up to four stories under similar code language.
 
Tennessee has been the national leader on single-stair reform, with legislation explicitly allowing single-stair buildings up to six stories in the state building code in 2024. As other states follow suit upon the publication of their reports on single-stair reform, Pennsylvania would be wise not to fall behind in studying a critical tool for increasing variety in the housing market, allowing for more affordable options that fit a variety of household needs.
 
I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this legislation. For questions or to express support, please contact Jawad Pullin, Legislative Director, at jawad.pullin@pasenate.com.

Thank you for your consideration.