Rural housing attainability focus of House Majority Policy Roundtable
Pennsylvania facing aging housing stock, rising costs, insufficient supply
Rep. Ryan Bizzarro August 11, 2026 | 11:51 AM
COLLEGE TOWNSHIP, Aug. 11– As housing costs continue to rise and homes become harder to attain for working Pennsylvanians, every corner of the commonwealth is seeing the impact of the ongoing housing crisis. Rural areas of the state are especially feeling this pressure. The House Majority Policy Committee convened a roundtable discussion in Centre County Tuesday to discuss potential solutions to the housing crisis and help more people put a roof over their heads.
“There are some unique challenges in this community that put an upward strain on housing costs. If you look out across rural communities, you’ll find an aging stock of homes that continue to deteriorate. A lack of attainable housing is a real barrier to economic development in our community,” said Rep. Paul Takac (D-Centre), who hosted Tuesday’s roundtable discussion. “Housing is a basic human right and everyone deserves to have a safe and affordable place to live. We will continue to work on solutions that lead to better, safer and more attainable housing for everyone.”
Pennsylvania is undoubtedly faced with aging housing stock. More than half of Pennsylvania’s existing homes were built before 1970, including more than 1.5 million homes built before 1940. That issue is compounded by the costs of housing stock continuing to soar and construction costs not keeping up with demand. Pennsylvania’s first Deputy Secretary for Housing, Kevin Bush, says rural areas of the commonwealth especially feel these strains, but Governor Shapiro’s Housing Action Plan will work to address those.
“Whether it is aging homes and blight, or rising costs and limited options, housing is one of the most pressing challenges we’re facing,” Bush said. “The Plan outlines a practical 10-year strategy focused on building and preserving housing, expanding opportunity, strengthening pathways to stability, modernizing development regulations, and improving coordination among state and local partners.”
Bush said to properly address the crisis, Pennsylvania needs to build 450,000 homes by 2035, but the current rate shows we will fall short by nearly 200,000 units. The Housing Action Plan calls for expanded grant and tax credit tools to support more developers and build more units. Additionally, more than 1.4 million Pennsylvania households are cost burdened, with these homeowners spending more than 30% of their income on housing. The plan looks to increase investment in home repair programs and expand tenant protections.
The plan also calls for statewide first-time homebuyer initiatives, something House Majority Policy Chairman Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) has championed for years.
“This is an issue that I’ve been working on since 2018. There’s nothing like saving up and buying your first home, but that’s becoming increasingly difficult for Pennsylvanians as they navigate a myriad of issues that continue to fuel this housing crisis. I believe this is a common-sense solution, and we’ve seen other states successfully enact similar initiatives,” Bizzarro said. “House Democrats are committed to easing these burdens and helping more families find reliable and affordable housing. We’ve already passed several components of the Housing Action Plan. It’s time for the state Senate to join us and help provide much-needed relief to our communities.”
Tuesday’s roundtable discussion was held in the College Township Council Chambers and featured remarks from Kevin Bush, Deputy Secretary for Housing for the Pa. Dept. of Community and Economic Development; Johanna Byrd, Policy Director for the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania; and Gregory Scott, President and CEO of the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County. Testimony submitted for the roundtable discussion can be found here.
“Safe and affordable housing is very significant in communities across the commonwealth and affects not just quality of life but is a key economic development issue. Rural communities face unique challenges in even providing basic infrastructure, such as water and sewer, as well as aging housing stock and a declining population,” said Takac. “In addition, affordability is preventing young people from even entering the housing market. This roundtable was an opportunity to bring together experts from the state, regional and local levels to share insights and ideas about how to address the housing crisis in communities across Pennsylvania.”
Information about this and other House Democratic Policy Committee events can be found at pahouse.com/policy.