HB 1650 — An Act providing for the Pennsylvania Home Preservation Grant Program; and imposing duties on the Department of Community and Economic Development.

PRINTER'S NO.     1972

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        HOUSE BILL
                        No. 1650
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY POWELL, MARKOSEK, TWARDZIK, HILL-EVANS, RABB,
        KRAJEWSKI, SCHLOSSBERG, SANCHEZ, GUENST, HOWARD, TAKAC,
        CONKLIN, MERSKI, RIVERA, PARKER, D. WILLIAMS, STAATS,
        FRANKEL, MAYES, SCOTT, SAMUELSON, MAJOR, KINKEAD, SMITH-WADE-
        EL AND WAXMAN, JUNE 20, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,
        JUNE 20, 2025


                                   AN ACT
 1   Providing for the Pennsylvania Home Preservation Grant Program;
 2      and imposing duties on the Department of Community and
 3      Economic Development.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania
 8   Home Preservation Act.
 9   Section 2.   Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12   context clearly indicates otherwise:
13      "Department."   The Department of Community and Economic
14   Development of the Commonwealth.
15      "Existing home repair programs."    Programs administered by
16   nonprofit organizations, governmental entities and public
 1   utilities, or the contractors and assignees of those entities,
 2   that provide services to repair residential housing and that are
 3   funded in accordance with or through, but not exclusively
 4   limited to, the following programs:
 5          (1)    The weatherization assistance programs administered
 6      as a part of the programs authorized under 42 U.S.C. Ch. 94
 7      Subch. II (relating to low-income home energy assistance) or
 8      42 U.S.C. Ch. 81 Subch. III (relating to energy conservation
 9      and renewable-resource assistance for existing buildings).
10          (2)    The Community Development Block Grant Program under
11      42 U.S.C. Ch. 69 (relating to community development).
12          (3)    The HOME program under the act of December 18, 1992
13      (P.L.1376, No.172), known as the Pennsylvania Affordable
14      Housing Act.
15          (4)    The Medical Assistance Community Health Choices
16      Program.
17          (5)    The Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and
18      Rehabilitation Enhancement Program under Article IV-D of the
19      act of December 3, 1959 (P.L.1688, No.621), known as the
20      Housing Finance Agency Law.
21          (6)    The Keystone Communities Program administered by the
22      department.
23          (7)    Low-income usage reduction programs established
24      under 52 Pa. Code Ch. 58 (relating to residential low income
25      usage reduction programs).
26          (8)    The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program
27      established under 66 Pa.C.S. § 2806.1(b)(1)(i)(G) (relating
28      to energy efficiency and conservation program).
29      "Local government."   Any county, city, home rule
30   municipality, town, borough or township in this Commonwealth

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 1   that have experience creating or implementing programs that
 2   restore or rehabilitate units.
 3      "Program."   The Pennsylvania Home Preservation Grant Program
 4   established under section 3.
 5      "Unit."   An owner-occupied house, condominium or other
 6   dwelling area designed and used as a home for a single household
 7   in a residential property.
 8   Section 3.   Establishment.
 9      The Pennsylvania Home Preservation Grant Program is
10   established in the department for the purpose of providing
11   grants to local governments to improve existing housing stock in
12   this Commonwealth.
13   Section 4.   Eligible applicants.
14      Consistent with section 10, a local government or a
15   combination of local governments, as determined by the
16   department that have experience creating or implementing
17   programs that restore or rehabilitate units, shall be eligible
18   to apply for a grant under this act. Nothing in this section
19   shall be construed to prohibit a local government that receives
20   a grant from the program from subgranting the money to another
21   entity approved by the department to perform any of the purposes
22   specified in section 5. A local government that subgrants money
23   received under the program to another entity shall notify the
24   department. The department shall maintain a list of the
25   applicants and subgrantees' public contact information on the
26   publicly accessible Internet website of the department.
27   Section 5.   Eligible uses.
28      Money awarded under the program shall be used to create or
29   implement programs that will restore or rehabilitate units in
30   this Commonwealth under section 6. Eligible applicants may use

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 1   up to 10% of the grant award for administration related
 2   expenses, including personnel expenses. The department may award
 3   additional grant money for the administration of applications
 4   submitted jointly by two or more local governments.
 5   Section 6.      Requirements.
 6      Expenditures by a local government or subgrantee under this
 7   act may not exceed $50,000 per unit and must be used to:
 8             (1)   Address habitability concerns of units, improve
 9      energy or water efficiency of units or to make units
10      accessible for individuals.
11             (2)   Fund repairs for a unit owner whose household income
12      does not exceed 80% to 120% of the area median income, as
13      determined by the department.
14   Section 7.      Grant application.
15      A local government may apply to the department for a grant on
16   an application form as prescribed by the department. The
17   application shall be posted on the department's publicly
18   accessible Internet website and shall contain the following:
19             (1)   The geographic boundary of the applicant's program.
20             (2)   A description of how the grant money will be
21      utilized.
22             (3)   A description of how the receipt and utilization of
23      grant money will meet the requirements of section 6 of this
24      act.
25             (4)   An affirmation demonstrating recent experience in
26      the administration of programs that restore or rehabilitate
27      units.
28             (5)   Additional funding sources that will be utilized, if
29      any, to further support the grant.
30             (6)   Any other information as required by the department.

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 1   Section 8.    Department review.
 2      The department shall review and approve grant applications on
 3   a schedule and in a manner as determined by the department.
 4   Priority shall be given to applications that demonstrate:
 5          (1)    Other non-State funding sources are secured for the
 6      applicant's program.
 7          (2)    The intent and ability to coordinate with and, where
 8      possible, utilize funds from existing home repair programs.
 9   Section 9.    Grant funds.
10      Grants under the program shall be made from funds
11   appropriated by the General Assembly for the program and other
12   Federal or State funds the department may receive for the
13   program. The department may use up to 3% of funds appropriated
14   for the administration of the program.
15   Section 10.    Limitations.
16      Grant awards under the program shall be competitive and based
17   on the need for funds demonstrated by eligible applicants.
18   Counties must have encumbered 75% of all available funds from
19   the county's allocations of the Whole-Home Repairs Program in
20   order to be eligible for program funding.
21   Section 11.    Effective date.
22      This act shall take effect in 30 days.




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