Harrisburg, PA − February 4, 2025 − Celebrating the housing proposals in Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025–2026 budget address, State Senator Nikil Saval (D–Philadelphia), who serves as Democratic Chair of the Senate’s Urban Affairs and Housing Committee and chairs the Senate’s Philadelphia Delegation, issued the following statement:
“Our homes are ballasts for our lives, providing safety and stability and opening up opportunities for our futures. But right now, Pennsylvanians across our Commonwealth are being harmed by a protracted housing crisis, spurred by high costs of living, aging housing stock, extreme weather, and a severe deficit of homes that people can afford.
“To gain ground against this crisis, we need to tackle it from every direction. This means preserving and repairing the homes we have, building those we need, and making it easier to access the homes that exist, whether those homes are rented or owned.
“For years, advocates from across the state have worked tirelessly to show the devastating impact of Pennsylvania’s housing crisis, especially for poor and working-class households who face particularly steep barriers, and to point us toward the solutions we need. This advocacy has lifted the urgency of the housing crisis not just to a statewide conversation, but to a national one. Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal shows his commitment to being a partner in the fight for our homes and positioning our Commonwealth as a leader in legislating housing as an essential material need.
“The solution to the housing crisis is to have enough homes that are warm, safe, and dry for all of us, and that we can afford. I look forward to working with the Governor and with my colleagues in both chambers to ensure the funds he has proposed are included in the final budget and invested in communities throughout the Commonwealth.”
Across Pennsylvania, more than 18,000 people are on waitlists for Whole-Home Repairs, eviction records haunt tenants for years and destabilize families for generations, and census data show nearly 30% of Pennsylvanians are cost burdened. Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal allocates $50 million for home repairs and preservation, calls on the General Assembly to pass eviction sealing legislation (sponsored in the Senate by Senator Saval), and includes resources to help people access homes they can afford.