Regular Session 2023-2024 House Bill 2098 P.N. 2682

PRINTER'S NO. 2682

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

2098

Session of

2024

INTRODUCED BY N. NELSON, GIRAL, HILL-EVANS, BULLOCK, KINSEY,

MADDEN, FREEMAN, KAZEEM, SANCHEZ, BURGOS, SMITH-WADE-EL,

GUENST, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, CERRATO, ROZZI, DELLOSO, KRAJEWSKI,

SHUSTERMAN, KHAN, CONKLIN AND GREEN, MARCH 12, 2024

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,

MARCH 12, 2024

AN ACT

Amending the act of December 18, 1992 (P.L.1376, No.172),

entitled "An act providing for the establishment and

administration of an affordable housing program; and imposing

additional powers and duties on the Department of Community

Affairs," providing for municipal housing obligation program.

This act may be referred to as the Combating Homelessness

Across Municipalities in Pennsylvania (CHAMP) Act.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. The act of December 18, 1992 (P.L.1376, No.172),

known as the Pennsylvania Affordable Housing Act, is amended by

adding a section to read:

Section 6.1. Municipal housing obligation program.

(a) Obligation.--A municipality shall provide housing for

individuals residing in this Commonwealth and shall develop a

housing obligation plan that provides housing opportunities in

accordance with the timeline under subsection (b).

(b) Development.--A municipality shall develop a housing

obligation plan that specifies how the municipality plans to

increase housing opportunities within the municipality's

jurisdiction with the goal of offering at least one housing

opportunity to each individual or household that had already

established long-term residency within the jurisdiction and is

now experiencing homelessness by January 1, 2030, based on the

most recent point-in-time count. A municipality shall have

access to county-based resources and resources made available by

HUD and the Commonwealth to provide the housing opportunities

specified in the municipality's housing obligation plan.

shall be construed to require a municipality to provide the

operation of ongoing homelessness services. A municipality shall

only be required to develop and implement a housing obligation

plan that offers the requisite housing opportunities .

(d) Submission.--A municipality shall submit a housing

obligation plan to the department and post the plan on the

municipality's publicly accessible Internet website by January

1, 2025. The municipality shall update the housing obligation

plan on or before January 1 of each subsequent year after

January 1, 2025.

(e) Contents.--A municipality's housing obligation plan

shall include information on all of the following:

(1) The procedures to satisfy the municipality's housing

obligation plan, including specific projects and completion

deadlines.

(2) The p rogress completed to date by the municipality

to reduce the number of homeless individuals within the

municipality's jurisdiction.

(3) The i ntegration of the m unicipality's housing

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obligation plan with the municipality's regional housing

needs.

(4) The measures taken by the municipality to consult

with the regional housing advisory committees to ensure that

the municipality's housing obligation plan is consistent with

the CHAS.

(5) If a municipality partners and creates a joint

municipal housing obligation plan to satisfy the obligation

under this section, the municipality may apply to the

department and request approval of a joint municipal housing

obligation plan that allows for partnership with other

municipalities for housing opportunities and other services.

Any joint municipal housing obligation plan approved under

this paragraph shall include options and methods for a

resident to access employment, schools, social services and

medical services. If the department denies a plan, the

department shall clearly state the reasons for the denial and

allow a municipality to submit an amended joint municipal

housing obligation plan. The department shall develop an

application for a joint municipal housing obligation plan and

make the plan available on the department's publicly

accessible Internet website. The department shall approve any

joint municipal housing obligation plan within 30 days of the

submission of the application.

(f) Review.-- The department shall review each housing

obligation plan before the department distributes grants under

this act each year to determine whether each housing obligation

plan includes a sufficient number of housing opportunities. The

department shall respond to each municipality in writing upon

the conclusion of the department's review. If the department

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determines that a housing obligation plan does not identify a

sufficient number of housing opportunities, the department may

make recommendations for how the municipality can improve the

municipality's housing obligation plan. The municipality shall

notify the department if the municipality will implement the

department's recommendations or provide alternative methods to

improve the municipality's housing obligation plan.

(g) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following

words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this

subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Housing opportunity." The provision of any of the following

to an individual or household experiencing homelessness:

(1) Rental subsidies.

(2) Access to a permanent housing unit.

(3) Access to secure and sanitary encampment, temporary

shelter, hotel, transitional housing or another form of

affordable housing.

"Municipality." A city, town, borough or township in this

Commonwealth.

"Point-in-time count." A count of sheltered and unsheltered

homeless individuals on a single evening during the last 10 days

in January or at any other time as required by HUD.

Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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