Urban Affairs & Housing 2023-2024

The Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee met on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 to consider the following:

SB802 (Farry) – creates the Redevelopment Authority Start Up Loan Program, available to all redevelopment authorities across the Commonwealth except those in counties of the first and second class, that will be administered by DCED to authorities and seeded with $10M in General Fund dollars.

  • A01203 (Farry) – technical amendment to SB802.
  • The amendment passed with one negative vote (10-1) and then the bill as amended passed out of the committee with one negative vote (10-1).

The Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee met on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 to consider the following:

SB 532 (Vogel) – Funding PHARE – would increase appropriations to the PHARE program, by redirecting revenues captured by the Real Estate Transfer Tax from the General Fund (without increasing the rate of tax imposed on real-estate transfers) into the Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund, from $60M annually starting in FY2023 to $80M for FY2023, $90M for FY2024, and $100M for FY25 and each year thereafter.

  • SB532 passed out of committee unanimously.


The Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee met on May 9, 2023 to considered the following bills:

SB 149, Brewster, Demolition and Rehabilitation Fund: This bill amends the Real Estate Tax Sale Law to allow counties to levy fees upon the purchase of tax delinquent or real estate owned properties and dedicate said fees into a fund used to support the demolition or rehabilitation of blighted properties.

  • A00164, Brewster, exempts PHFA.
  • The bill was amended and then passed out of committee unanimously.

SB 202, Fontana, Tax Claim Changes for 2nd Class Counties: This bill amends the Municipal Claim and Tax Lien Law to provide cities and counties of the second class the ability to acquire property at sheriff sale. It would also shorten the redemption period for cities and counties of the second class, which is established so that property owners may come forward and pay their debt to regain full ownership of the property after the sale, from nine to three months.

  • The bill passed out of committee unanimously.

SB 517, Argall, Supporting the County Demolition Funding Program: This bill amends the Recorder of Deeds Fee Law to increase the optional deed recording fee levied by counties by one dollar and allow for future adjustments accounting for inflation.

  • The bill passed out of committee unanimously.

The Urban Affairs and Housing Committee met on Wednesday, March 8 to consider the following bills:

SB149 (Brewster) – would amend the Real Estate Tax Sale Law to allow counties to levy fees upon the purchase of tax delinquent or real estate owned properties and dedicate said fees into a fund used to support the demolition or rehabilitation of blighted properties

  • The bill went over.

SB202 (Fontana) – amends the municipal claim and tax lien law in a way that would allow land banks in and around Allegheny County to exercise the same procedural benefits that the Philadelphia Land Bank currently enjoys during the vacant property acquisition process

  • The bill went over.

SB295 (Brown) – creates a First-time Homebuyer’s Savings Account Program

  • The bill was reported out of committee with one negative vote (10-1).

SB466 (Brown) – extends environmental protections already granted to Redevelopment Authorities and other Economic Development Agencies to Landbanks

  • The bill was reported out of committee unanimously.

SR45 (Langerholc) – encourages the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to take action to address “abuse of porting” as it pertains to the Housing Choice Voucher Program

  • The bill was reported out of committee with a party-line vote (7-4).