Gov. Josh Shapiro is targeting home repairs to take a bite out of the cost of living for homeowners and tenants across Pennsylvania. During a recent Harrisburg visit, Shapiro showcased how his proposed 2024-25 budget, armed with a $50 million injection for the Whole-Home Repairs program, aims to directly assist homeowners to keep more families housed and enable small landlords to provide safer, affordable living spaces.
The Whole-Home Repairs program, which has reportedly awarded grants for nearly 1,150 properties statewide, provides grants and loans to low- and moderate-income homeowners desperately trying to maintain their abodes amidst escalating living costs.“At a time when it seems like the price of everything – from rent and childcare, to groceries and medicine – is making it harder for people to make ends meet, I wanted to be here today to highlight a practical, commonsense way that we can cut costs and deliver real relief for folks all across Pennsylvania by helping them stay in – and take care of – their homes,” Shapiro said during his visit, according to a statement on his website.
In Dauphin County alone, out of 128 applications were received within mere hours, illustrating the pent-up demand for such financial assistance. A survey highlighted that over 22,000 applications had been received statewide with 2,468 homes to be funded, leaving nearly 17,000 applicants stranded on waitlists due to scanty resources.
Potential beneficiaries like Rick and Pebbles Seay, who are planning to use the funds for urgent home improvements, underscore the program's importance.“I truly want to encourage other people in Pennsylvania to apply to the Whole-Home Repairs Program. My advice to others is: if you want to apply for the Whole-Home Repairs Program, stick with the process and be patient – because for my situation they did what they said they were going to do and now my home is being repaired.” Rick Seay told officials.
The program, steered by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), not only facilitates repairs, safety upgrades, and efficiency improvements but also fuels construction-related job training. Secretary Rick Siger remarked on the transformative potential of Whole-Home Repairs, “Help from the Whole-Home Repairs Program to cover the cost of essential repairs can be life-changing for families and individuals on tight budgets or fixed incomes. Thousands of our neighbors across the Commonwealth are now living in safer, more affordable homes thanks to the program, but the need remains enormous.” as described on the governor's webpage.
Alongside the Whole-Home Repairs boost, the governor's budget seeks to hike funds for the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation and Enhancement (PHARE) Fund by $40 million over four years and diverts an additional $5 million for cities and counties to address pressing housing needs on the local front. From preserving historic homes to alleviating financial despair.
