Gov. Wolf, General Assembly celebrate critical investments to address affordable housing crisis

PHILADELPHIA, PA, August 12, 2022 – Governor Tom Wolf was joined by members of the General Assembly, housing advocates, and stakeholders in Philadelphia to celebrate the critical $375 million investment in the 2022-23 budget addressing the affordable housing crisis.
“Safe, affordable housing is essential for families, for our communities, and for our commonwealth. That’s why my administration and the General Assembly worked so hard to fund programs that support safe, affordable housing in this year’s budget,” said Gov. Wolf. “We made a transformative investment in housing in Pennsylvania using federal American Rescue Plan Act funding which is exactly why that money was given to states – to help our neighbors – and that’s exactly what we are going to do.”
Totaling $375 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding, the commonwealth has made the following investments to address affordable housing needs–like creating new units, repairing existing units, and funding home repairs. All funding will be awarded through the competitive bid process.
$125 million for the Whole-Home Repair Program
• A program to address loan forgiveness to small landlords and homeowners to make home repairs and address habitability concerns, improve energy or water efficiency, or to make units accessible for individuals with disabilities.
$150 million Development Cost Relief
• A program to help offset higher development costs for affordable multifamily rental properties due to the pandemic.
$100 million Affordable Housing Construction
• A program providing grants for the development of affordable housing units, including new units, rehabbing existing properties for affordable housing construction, or preserving existing affordable housing for low-income tenants.