The Whole-Home Repairs Program creates a one-stop shop for home repairs and weatherization for residents in each county in Pennsylvania.
WHOLE-HOME REPAIRS AT WORK!
Learn how Whole-Home Repairs has helped Dominique’s family in Philadelphia.
Learn how Whole-Home Repairs has helped Kelly’s family in Pittsburgh.
See our FAQ for information about the program and how you can apply.
Pennsylvania’s groundbreaking Whole-Home Repairs Program helps preserve homes and stabilize communities while building out our local workforce and adding new family-sustaining jobs in a fast-growing field. This program is the first of its kind in the nation, making it so that Pennsylvanians can stay warm, safe, and dry in homes they can afford.
The need for this program is enormous: one in four Pennsylvania voters lives in a home that needs a critical repair, and one in three can’t afford their utility bills.
We’re working for every household, in every county, to have what they need to make their home whole. Help ensure Whole-Home Repairs is funded for years to come by adding your name in support of the program.
It’s not just Pennsylvania residents who are supporting Whole-Home Repairs—a coalition of community organizations and housing and energy advocates worked tirelessly to make this program a reality. If your group wants to support, please reach out!
Support Whole-Home Repairs
Please add your name below to support the Whole-Home Repairs Program and affirm Pennsylvanians’ right to homes that are warm, safe, and dry. We’ll make sure that you receive updates on the program and additional actions to support it.
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I Support the Whole-Home Repairs Program
Whole-Home Repairs Coalition
The Whole-Home Repairs Program exists because of the tireless organizing of a coalition of housing and energy advocates, community organizers, Pennsylvania residents, and legislators committed to taking action on our state’s housing crisis.
The following organizations are part of this coalition:
- 5th Square
- ACTION-Housing
- Berks Stands Up
- Carbon County Action Committee for Human Services
- Clean Air Council
- Commission on Economic Opportunity
- Community Action Agency of Delaware County, Inc.
- Community Justice Project
- Community Legal Services of Philadelphia
- Ebony Suns Enterprises LLC
- Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA)
- Franklin Energy
- Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Inc
- Green Building United
- Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County
- Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley
- Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia
- Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware Counties
- Health, Education and Legal assistance Project: A Medical-Legal Partnership (HELP: MLP)
- Hill District Consensus Group
- Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
- Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia
- Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance
- Lancaster Lebanon Habitat for Humanity
- Lancaster Stands Up
- Lehigh Valley Stands Up
- MaGrann Associates
- Make the Road PA
- National Energy Improvement Fund
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Neighbors Against the Gas Plants
- Northern Tier Community Action Corporation
- Northumberland County Weatherization
- Omicelo Cares
- One Pennsylvania
- PennFuture
- Pennsylvania Stands Up
- Pennsylvania Utility Law Project
- Performance Systems Development
- Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC)
- Philadelphia Energy Authority
- Philadelphia Rent Control Coalition
- Philly DSA
- Philly Thrive
- Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group
- POWER Interfaith
- Preservation Alliance
- Rebuilding Together Philadelphia
- Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh
- Reclaim Philadelphia
- Regional Housing Legal Services
- Self-Determination Housing of Pennsylvania
- Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter
- Sunrise Movement Pennsylvania
- Sunrise Movement Philly
- The Public Interest Law Center
- Trehab
- Women for a Healthy Environment
If you, your organization or business, or your office would like to become involved, please let us know!
About
The Whole-Home Repairs Program was introduced by Pennsylvania State Senator Nikil Saval in March 2022 as Senate Bill 1135 and signed into law in July 2022 with an unprecedented $125-million appropriation in the state budget. The program language is enshrined in the state’s fiscal code.
Pennsylvania has some of the oldest housing stock in the nation. Hundreds of thousands of homes across the Commonwealth have moderate to severe physical inadequacies, including leaky roofs or windows, blown fuses or exposed wiring, unreliable heat, or the lack of a flushing toilet. As people struggle to simply hold on to their homes, they may be forced to forgo regular maintenance and small repairs and upgrades, deferring until a repair is more urgently needed, and far more expensive.
Deferred maintenance can result in homes with energy inefficiencies, which not only lead to dangerous low temperatures in the winter and high temperatures in the summer, but also impose extremely high utility burdens on households that can least afford them. In Philadelphia, low-income households spend an average of 23% of their household’s income on utilities alone. A household that can’t afford badly needed repairs may be forced into an untenable situation: continue to live in a home that is fundamentally unsafe, abandon it, or sell to a speculator for far less than their home is worth and risk losing their community.
The housing crisis is inextricable from the climate crisis. Pennsylvania’s climate is projected to become increasingly hotter and wetter. The “tropicalization” of our climate decreases the service life of building and roofing materials, increases demand for cooling and for energy, and increases maintenance costs for our built infrastructure.
The Whole-Home Repairs Program establishes a one-stop shop for home repairs and weatherization while building out our local workforce and adding new family-sustaining jobs in a growing field. This program is the first of its kind in the nation, making it so that Pennsylvanians can stay warm, safe, and dry in homes they can afford.
The Whole-Home Repairs Program builds on existing federal, state, and local home repair and weatherization programs to fill the three main gaps identified by practitioners:
First: Whole-Home Repairs provides grants for repair work for homeowners and forgivable loans to small landlords with affordability restrictions so that they can make habitability repairs and upgrades for energy efficiency and accessibility.
Second: The Whole-Home Repairs program allocates resources for support staff to ensure that eligible applicants are accessing the right programs in the right order to meet their needs and maximize their access to holistic repairs.
Third: The Whole-Home Repairs Program provides resources to increase retention in home repair and weatherization training programs and pre-apprenticeship programs, including with the provision of cash stipends to trainees, so that Pennsylvania can build the workforce we need to meet the demand while keeping our skilled workers, and the jobs they do, local.
Currently, there aren’t enough skilled workers to do be able to do the repairs at scale. A recent report on energy efficiency jobs in America found that there are decades of work ready and waiting for Pennsylvania’s growing energy efficiency workforce.
The Whole-Home Repairs Program is housed within the Department of Community and Economic Development. The program is administered at the county level so that individual counties can maximize their resources and address the needs of their residents. Nearly all counties applied to administer Whole-Home Repairs to their residents, showing near universal demand.
Dozens of stakeholders were involved in drafting and editing and finalizing the program logistics.
The Whole-Home Repairs program is a housing security initiative, an energy initiative, an anti-blight initiative, a jobs initiative, and a community safety initiative. The cumulative effect of all these things means that this program can tackle many of the root causes of community instability by keeping people in their homes and keeping these homes safe and healthy. Work to scale up the program is ongoing. We’re fighting for every household, in every county, to have what they need to make their home whole.
FAQ
My home needs repairs! How do I apply?
The Whole-Home Repairs Program is a statewide program administered at the county level, and Pennsylvanians must apply with their local county administrator.
FOR PHILADELPHIA RESIDENTS: Whole-Home Repairs is being administered by PHDC. Learn about eligibility requirements and how the funds will expand and enhance PHDC’s program here. To begin the application process, complete the Philadelphia Housing Benefits tool here.
FOR RESIDENTS IN ALL OTHER COUNTIES: The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development maintains a list of Whole-Home Repairs administrators for all participating counties. Go here to find contact information for your local administrator.
Because individual counties have discretion over how they administer Whole-Home Repairs, the rollout of the program is currently at different stages across the state.
Who is this program for?
Whole-Home Repairs is designed to help Pennsylvania homeowners with low- and moderate incomes who live in a home that needs a critical repair.
Whole-Home Repairs also assists small landlords who commit to keeping their properties affordable and in good shape with forgivable loans to repair and upgrade their rental units.
What kind of repairs are covered?
Whole-Home Repairs is designed to support residents with critical repairs (such as broken stairs, a leaky roof, a broken furnace, water damage, faulty wiring, or lack of a flushing toilet), weatherization measures to increase energy efficiency and lower utility bills, and adaptive modifications to help seniors and people who experience a change in their mobility to remain in their homes. The goal for the program is to ensure that all people can stay warm, safe, and dry in their homes and in their communities.
Whole-Home Repairs funds do not cover nonessential remodeling projects or redecorating projects.
How do I know if I am financially eligible?
The program language allows each county the flexibility to set income eligibility requirements to ensure that the resource best meets the needs of their low- and moderate income households. The best way to find out if you are eligible is to contact your local county administrator.
Philadelphia residents can look up income eligibility guidelines on PHDC’s website here.
Residents of all other counties can look up the contact information for their administrator here.
How does Whole-Home Repairs work? Will I just get a check?
Funds are administered at the county level, by a local Whole-Home Repairs administrator. Administrators will confirm financial eligibility, identify repair and weatherization needs, coordinate funding from different sources, and secure and pay approved contractors to perform the work.
Philadelphia residents can learn about how Whole-Home Repairs is administered in Philly here.
Residents of all other counties can find out who their local administrator is here.
I rent my home—can I get repairs?
Renters can have their homes repaired and adapted, too! If you rent your home and your landlord (1) is a small landlord (owns no more than 15 rental units across no more than 5 properties) and (2) commits to keeping the rent affordable, then your landlord can apply to receive a forgivable loan to make repairs to each rental unit.
How were the county administrators chosen?
All counties had to pass resolutions to name who the county administrators would be. Counties are not required to administer Whole-Home Repairs, but almost all counties applied to do so, showing near-universal demand for the program.
How can I receive updates?
When you sign on as a supporter of the Whole-Home Repairs Program, your name will be added to our email list to receive updates on the status of the program and upcoming informational events and actions.
The Whole-Home Repairs Program was created because Pennsylvanians are experiencing a decades-long housing crisis, and residents deserve investment from their government in their wellbeing and the health of their communities. We want to make sure that every person who needs Whole-Home Repairs and who is eligible knows about this program and applies.
Statewide Actions
Whole-Home Repairs Program: Updates from Year
Senator Nikil Saval joins the Office of the Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, Rep. Summer Lee, Senator Jay Costa, Senator Lindsey Williams, Senator Katie Muth, Rep. Jessica Benham, ACTION-Housing, and homeowners and community members for a press conference the Whole-Home Repairs Program: Updates from Year.
Spring 2023 Week of Action
Members of the Whole-Home Repairs Coalition held a Week of Action in Spring 2023 to call for permanent funding for the groundbreaking Whole-Home Repairs Program.
Berks County | Monday, April 17
Partners: State Senator Judy Schwank, State Representative Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, Spring Township Supervisor Jess Royer, Berks Stands Up, Make the Road Pennsylvania, Sunrise Pennsylvania, Berks County Redevelopment Authority, Mission Trip Birdsboro and Beyond, Berks County residents
Lehigh Valley | Tuesday, April 18
Partners: State Representative Josh Siegel, Lehigh Valley Stands Up, Make the Road Pennsylvania, Community Action Lehigh Valley, Lehigh Valley residents
Pittsburgh | Thursday, April 20
Partners: State Representative Sara Innamorato, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, One Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania United, Pittsburgh United, 1Hood Power, Action Housing, Pittsburgh residents
Lancaster | Friday, April 21
Partners: State Representative Ismail Smith-Wade-El, Lancaster Stands Up, POWER Interfaith, CASA, Lancaster Lebanon Habitat for Humanity, Lancaster residents
2022 Historic Housing Investment Announcement
A groundswell of grassroots advocacy across the Commonwealth led to a historic housing investment in the 2022 state budget. Hundreds of millions of dollars were allocated to keep Pennsylvanians warm, safe, and dry in their homes, including through the passage of Whole-Home Repairs.
Philadelphia | Friday, August 12, 2022
Partners: Governor Tom Wolf, State Representative Morgan Cephas, State Senator Vincent Hughes, State Representative Joanna McClinton, State Senator Jay Costa, State Representative Jordan Harris, State Representative Donna Bullock, Pennrose, Make the Road Pennsylvania
2022 Rally at the Capitol
Bipartisan lawmakers, housing and energy advocates, and community organizations came together on the steps of Pennsylvania’s Capitol to rally and call for the passage of the Whole-Home Repairs Program.
Harrisburg | Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Partners: Make the Road Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Stands Up, POWER Interfaith, Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance, Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, Sunrise Movement Pennsylvania, Regional Housing Legal Services, and CASA
2022 Week of Action
Housing and energy advocates, community organizations, and residents across the Commonwealth held a Week of Action in Spring 2022 to sound the alarm on the state of Pennsylvania’s homes and call for the passage of the Whole-Home Repairs Program.
Philadelphia | Monday, March 21, 2022
Partners: Congressman Dwight Evans, State Senator Art Haywood, State Senator Sharif Street, State Representative Jordan Harris, State Representative Rick Krajewski, Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Philly Thrive, Make the Road Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Energy Authority, Disabled in Action, Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance, Energy Coordinating Agency, POWER Interfaith, Reclaim Philadelphia, Sunrise Movement Philadelphia, Philly DSA, Philadelphia residents
Lancaster | Tuesday, March 22, 2022
Partners: State Representative Mike Sturla, Lancaster City Council President Ismail Smith-Wade-El, Lancaster Stands Up, POWER Interfaith, Sunrise Movement Pennsylvania, Lancaster residents
Berks County | Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Partners: State Senator Judy Schwank, Berks Stands Up, Make the Road Pennsylvania, Sunrise Movement Pennsylvania, Berks DSA, Berks County residents
Lehigh Valley | Thursday, March 24, 2022
Partners: Lehigh Valley Stands Up, Make the Road Pennsylvania, POWER Interfaith, Lehigh Valley DSA, Sunrise Movement Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley residents
Policy Hearings
Whole Home Repairs: Lessons from Year One
February 2, 2024
Whole-Home Repairs: Preserving Pennsylvania’s Homes, Stabilizing Communities, and Reducing Utility Bills
December 8, 2021
Latest News & Video
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