Pennsylvania Housing Advocates To Rally For Meaningful Reform

Pennsylvania lawmakers face a budget deadline Tuesday, and housing advocates plan to rally Monday in Harrisburg to push for bills they say would make housing safer and more affordable.

The group says the legislation would expand access to housing, prevent displacement and protect residents across the commonwealth. Pennsylvania has 39 affordable and available rental units for every 100 extremely low-income households.

Eden Tinkelman, volunteer statewide housing team coordinator for Pennsylvania Stands Up, said constituents plan to gather outside the Senate chamber to make sure lawmakers hear their concerns.

She said one key priority is Senate Bill 643, which would limit how criminal history is used in housing decisions.

“If you have minor crimes, like minor drug crimes or just nonviolent things," she said, "you shouldn't be discriminated against to get a house, particularly in the rental setting.”

Tinkelman said the group also hopes to meet with Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Dunmore, after a previously scheduled meeting was canceled.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2026-27 budget allocates $1 million to support stable housing. The investment builds on strategies in the commonwealth’s first Housing Action Plan, which focuses on promoting housing stability and long-term sustainability for individuals and communities.

Tinkelman said her group is also backing bills aimed at protecting residents of manufactured home communities. She said Senate Bills 745 and 746, along with House Bill 1250, would help stabilize costs and give residents a chance to buy the land their homes sit on before outside investors can.

“SB 745, it prevents crazy rent hikes and fees,” Tinkelman said, "a lot of our senators we've heard don't like [it], because, something about 'the fair market,' it doesn't play into that well for landlords. They feel it would be unfair."

She said the group has heard concerns from senators who say the proposal would be unfair to landlords and would not fit well with the fair market.

Tinkelman said the group is also backing House Bill 2028, the Ending the Criminalization of Homelessness legislation. She said unhoused people should not be penalized for being unhoused.