House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Subscribe to receive notifications of new Co-Sponsorship Memos circulated

House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	November 2, 2023 09:35 AM
From:	Representative Joshua Siegel and Rep. Tarik Khan
To:	All House members
Subject:	Housing Affordability Bill Package

Pennsylvanians are struggling to find affordable housing. As the housing crisis drags on, the General Assembly needs to do more to help families find a place they can afford to call home. I will be introducing a three-bill package that makes changes to our status quo and will hopefully utilize real estate and methods used in other states and countries to ensure the Commonwealth has quality, affordable housing.

Document #1

Description:	Multi Family Housing in Areas Zoned as Office Space Many buildings that are zoned for office space are sitting empty or are being drastically underutilized. Most of the time, this is because this area of the municipality is zoned for office space or commercial use and businesses do not need as much office space due to teleworking. Often, these spaces already have parking, accessibility, and other infrastructure that can be easily adapted for residential use. My legislation would revise zoning laws to allow multi-family housing and mixed-use development in urban areas zoned for office, retail and parking with existing water and sewer systems. Based on a recently enacted Montana bill, by thinking outside the box, we can help provide options that can help alleviate the housing crisis.

Document #2

Introduced as HB1975

Description:	Duplex Housing in Single-Family Designated Areas My legislation would revise the Municipalities Planning Code to require cities, boroughs, towns and townships with more than 5,000 in population to permit the use of duplex, triplex and quadplex housing in areas currently zoned for single-family residences only. This would increase the number of multi-family residential units available in Pennsylvania. Housing needs can only be met when we are able to increase the supply to meet the demands of the housing marketplace.

Document #3

Introduced as HB1988

Description:	Single-Exit Stairwells Single-exit stairwells allow better use of interior space, allowing additional, more open units to be constructed with spacious corridors and better light throughout. Intelligently planned spaces allow residents to gather more easily, creating an improved sense of interaction and community. In addition, these types of building designs have been used in Europe and parts of Asia.