PRINTER'S NO. 3175
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2234
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY MURT, KINSEY, HOHENSTEIN AND YOUNGBLOOD,
JANUARY 17, 2020
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES,
JANUARY 17, 2020
AN ACT
Establishing the Shared Housing and Resource Exchange Program;
imposing powers and duties on the Department of Aging; and
making an appropriation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Shared
Housing and Resource Exchange Program Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Aging of the Commonwealth.
"Participant." An individual who is at least 60 years of
age, is a resident of this Commonwealth and is in need of
housing.
"Program." The Shared Housing and Resource Exchange Program
established in this act.
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"Program host." An individual who offers to provide housing
to a participant and has been approved by the department for
participation in the program.
Section 3. Establishment of program.
The Shared Housing and Resource Exchange Program is
established in the Department of Aging. The program shall assist
participants with finding alternative housing offered by program
hosts based on common interests, geographic preference and
lifestyle choices.
Section 4. Program hosts.
(a) Duty of department.--The department shall establish a
procedure by which an individual may submit an application to
the department for approval as a program host.
(b) Criteria.--In order to be approved as a program host for
a participant, the applicant must satisfy the following
criteria:
(1) Be at least 18 years of age.
(2) Occupy a residence with at least two bedrooms, one
of which is to be occupied solely by the participant.
(3) Not charge the participant more than 30% of the
participant's gross monthly income as rent.
(4) Enter into a home-sharing agreement with the
participant.
(5) Comply with any other condition established by the
department for the health, safety and welfare of the
participant and the program host.
(c) Revocation of approval.--The department may revoke the
approval of an individual to be a program host if the program
host breaches the home-sharing agreement with the participant or
otherwise fails to comply with the conditions established by the
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department for the program host.
Section 5. Matching procedure.
The department shall establish a procedure by which an
individual may apply to become a participant in the program.
After the application is approved for participation in the
program, the department shall attempt to locate a match between
the participant and a program host and shall inform the
participant of whether or not a program host has been located.
If a program host has been located, the department shall
facilitate the execution of a home-sharing agreement between the
participant and program host.
Section 6. Regulations.
The department may promulgate rules and regulations as deemed
necessary to administer this act.
Section 7. Appropriation.
The sum of $2,400,000 is hereby appropriated from the General
Fund to the Department of Aging for the Shared Housing and
Resource Exchange Program for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
2020.
Section 8. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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