ICYMI: Governor Shapiro Unveils Pennsylvania’s First-Ever Housing Action Plan
After Governor Shapiro signed Executive Order 2024-03, his Administration spent over a year developing a strategic plan to ensure every Pennsylvanian has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.
“I know this is an ambitious plan, but I think we’ve proven we can do big things in Pennsylvania.” – Governor Josh Shapiro
“Parts of this plan provide actual housing. And that’s something that we need.” – John Marc Rittle, Executive Director of New Bethany Inc.
Read the Governor’s full Housing Action Plan online.
Philadelphia, PA – Yesterday, Governor Josh Shapiro announced Pennsylvania’s first-ever comprehensive Housing Action Plan, a statewide strategy to build and preserve more homes, modernize housing regulations, and break down barriers preventing people from finding stable housing.
After more than a year of engagement with Pennsylvanians from every corner of the Commonwealth, including 18 regional roundtables and nearly 2,500 survey responses from each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, the Governor’s Housing Action Plan focuses on five core goals: building and preserving housing stock; expanding housing opportunity; providing pathways to stabilization; modernizing housing development regulations; and improving coordination and accountability across the state government.
The Governor’s plan also outlines the current state of housing in Pennsylvania, highlighting that under current projections, Pennsylvania will fall short on housing needs by roughly 185,000 homes by 2035 without further action.
Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 proposed budget takes the first steps to implement his Housing Action Plan, including protections for renters and homeowners, reforms to address tangled titles, strengthened agency coordination with the creation of a new Deputy Secretary for Housing, and a new $1 billion Critical Infrastructure Investment Fund to build more homes.
Here’s what leaders around Pennsylvania are saying about the Governor’s Housing Action Plan:
Senator Jay Costa, Senate Democratic Leader: “I am so proud to support Governor Shapiro’s Housing Action Plan, which takes concrete steps to improve the lives of Pennsylvanians by bringing down housing costs and growing the available housing stock. From Philadelphia to Lancaster to Allentown to Pittsburgh, every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus is hearing from constituents that we must take action to address the housing crisis facing our commonwealth. Senate Democrats are laser focused on delivering for working families so that they can raise their children in a safe home they can afford right here in Pennsylvania. I look forward to working with my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to get these policy items over the finish line.”
Representative Jordan Harris, Chair, Democratic Appropriations Committee: “You can’t have life or liberty or pursue happiness without a home — and where you put your head down at the end of the night should be a right guaranteed to all of us. I’m grateful for the Governor’s leadership and grateful to all of my colleagues in the General Assembly. We will do the work necessary to address this issue, not just because it’s nice to have, not because it looks cute, but because it is a must-have for all Pennsylvanians.”
Senator Vincent Hughes, Chair, Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee: “Governor Shapiro is yet again taking action to help address housing affordability and access. Senate Democrats have been proud to work with the Governor to make progress with other affordable housing initiatives like PHARE, the Housing Options Program, and Whole Home Repairs. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to see how we can put this new plan into action and make a real difference for people who are looking for an affordable, safe, and welcoming place to call home.”
Senator Nikil Saval, Chairman of the Senate’s Philadelphia Delegation and Democratic Leader for the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee: “For years, advocates, organizers, and Pennsylvanians in every county have worked hard to make visible the devastating impact of the housing crisis. To gain ground against this crisis, we must tackle it from every direction. This means preserving and repairing the homes we have, producing the homes we need, and protecting people’s access to homes that exist, whether those homes are rented or owned. This work isn’t over until all our neighbors are safe and healthy in homes they can afford.”
Representative Tarik Khan, PA’s 194th House District: “When I’m knocking doors in the neighborhood, I hear this a lot from people — rent is too damn high and the cost of living is too damn high. And I’m thankful that the Governor, his Administration, and the House of Representatives are listening, because this is what we need in Pennsylvania — common sense reforms that make housing more affordable. We’re going to get this done.”
Rep. Brandon Markosek, Chair, Housing and Community Development Committee: “I commend Governor Shapiro for his visionary plan to address our housing crisis. As Chairman, I expect the Housing & Community Development Committee to be busy passing components that collectively will make more housing available and attainable.”
Rep. Lindsay Powell, Co-Chair of the PA Housing Caucus, Vice Chair of the House Housing and Community Development Committee: “Housing is one of the issues we hear about most from families in our communities, because it affects everything—whether people can stay near their jobs, raise their kids in stable neighborhoods, and plan for their future. I’m encouraged to see the governor put forward a comprehensive plan that treats our housing shortage with the urgency it deserves. Pennsylvania needs more homes, lower costs, and a system that works better for renters and homeowners alike. This plan lays out a serious roadmap to get there. I’m ready to work with the administration and my colleagues across the aisle to turn these ideas into real progress, so more Pennsylvanians can afford a place to call home.”
Ryan Boyer, President, Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council: “Dr. Martin Luther King said the fierce urgency of now is never a bad time to do the right thing. This is the right thing. Housing is about dignity, it’s about hope, and it’s about connectivity… We have the need and we have the prescription for the need. We can be the problem solvers.”
Rachel Gallegos, a divisional supervising attorney for the homeownership and consumer rights unit at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, called Governor Shapiro’s plan “ambitious” : “And I like that. I think it has to be in order to keep progress moving forward.”
John Marc Rittle, Executive Director, New Bethany Inc.: “As our members of [the General Assembly] are looking at the new budget that was just proposed, they can take a look at this plan and see that these are important strategies to pass from a fiscal point of view. Parts of this plan provide actual housing. And that’s something that we need.”
Mark Kibbe, Chair, Pennsylvania Association of Realtors Legislative Committee: “I think if we can address that inventory challenge, as we get more houses available, certainly the supply and demand comes into play. If we can get that supply up to meet the demand, I think prices are going to stabilize. There’s no silver bullet to the housing crisis we’re in. I think we’ve got to attack it from so many different ways. And I think the governor again, he’s putting forth a proposal that does look at it from many, many different angles.”
Phylllis Chamberlain, Executive Director, Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania: “Most of the time, landlords just won’t rent to them and so it takes a bad situation — in terms of not being able to find an affordable place to live — and it just makes it so much more frustrating. There are good ideas from both political parties. We need bipartisan solutions to resolve and make a dent in the crisis.”
Here’s what Pennsylvanians are reading and watching about the Governor’s announcement:
Politics PA: Shapiro Unveils Housing Action Plan to Address Critical Needs
Central Penn Business Journal: Shapiro unveils housing action plan
City & State PA: Gov. Josh Shapiro unveils statewide housing plan in Philadelphia
Tribune Review: Shapiro unveils plan to address Pa. housing needs
Philadelphia Tribune: Gov. Shapiro announces $1 billion housing plan, new executive role
6abc: Pa. Governor Josh Shapiro unveils housing action plan
CBS 3: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro unveils “Housing Action Plan” in Philadelphia
WGAL: Gov. Josh Shapiro unveils housing plan to address shortage
WENY: Governor Shapiro Stakes Housing as Major 2026 Priority
WFMZ: Shapiro unveils housing action plan to address looming Pennsylvania shortage
Tribune Democrat: Shapiro releases blueprint to boost new housing across Pa.
Realtor.com: Pennsylvania Envisions Building 450,000 New Units Under ‘Housing Action Plan’
MyChesCo: Shapiro Unveils Sweeping Housing Plan to Close 185K Home Gap
Read Governor Shapiro’s full Housing Action Plan online.
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