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The new state budget creates a database of public housing and two housing bills advanced as lawmakers wrapped up the spring legislative session.
But no major initiatives to tackle the problem of affordable housing were enacted as part of the budget package.
Proposals for a state tax credit for first-time homebuyers and using state bonds to pay for large housing development projects didn't make it into the budget package.
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority (PHFA) is directed by the new Fiscal Code, Senate Bill 146, to maintain a searchable public database of housing financed by its programs. It's to be updated annually.
Local housing agencies have an Oct. 1, 2027, deadline to submit information to PHFA.
Housing bills
A House bill addressing blight problems awaits Gov. Josh Shapiro's signature to become law.
House Bill 858 sponsored by Rep. Jared Solomon, D-Philadelphia, cleared both the House and the Senate by a 44-6 vote on Sunday.
HB858 allows the county chief assessor to make a list of real properties and their owners. The goal is to have someone to contact if problems arise with blighted or abandoned properties.
The House and Senate are showing bipartisan support for legislation removing legal barriers for so-called granny units or accessory dwelling units (ADU) in residential neighborhoods.
The Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee voted 10-1 Sunday for Senate Bill 1346, an ADU bill sponsored by Sen. Greg Rothman, R-Cumberland.
The House voted 139-62 last month for House Bill 2186, a similar ADU bill sponsored by Rep. John Inglis, D-Allegheny.
HB2186 gives individuals the right to build an accessory unit in an area zoned for single family homes while allowing municipalities to make reasonable restrictions on a unit.