KEEA Disappointed by Whole-Home Repairs Omission from 2024-25 Budget
July 12, 2024
Partisan politics won out over Pennsylvanians when the General Assembly declined to include an appropriation for the popular and desperately needed Whole-Home Repairs program in this year’s budget.
Whole-Home Repairs funds critical repairs for income-qualified homeowners and small landlords and improves access to energy efficiency. This important program:
- Improves homeowner health, safety, and comfort. Whole-Home Repairs addresses critical repairs such as broken stairs, a leaky roof, a broken furnace, water damage, faulty wiring, or lack of a flushing toilet
- Fights blight. Addressing critical repairs lets homeowners stay in their homes and communities, stabilizing property rolls and avoiding abandoned properties.
- Builds local workforces. Whole-Home Repairs creates work and growth opportunities for local contractors, while workforce development grants support career paths.
- Helps Seniors age in place. Whole-Home Repairs funds accessibility modifications (such as shower bars) that help Seniors stay in their homes.
- Cuts energy bills. Critical repairs like roof repair reduce heating and cooling losses, while letting qualifying homeowners access the Weatherization Assistance Program and other energy efficiency programs that often must defer homes in severe disrepair.
The Whole-Home Repairs program was established in 2022 with one-time federal COVID relief funds. Since then, 64 of 67 counties have applied for and received funding to administer programs, and many have exhausted their funds. 17,000 eligible households are already on waiting lists statewide.
Pennsylvania has some of the oldest homes in the country – many in long-neglected and deteriorated condition. With aging housing stock impacting every legislative district, Whole-Home Repairs should be a bipartisan matter.
The fight for Whole-Home Repairs isn’t over until every home is fixed. KEEA and our partners plan to explore all avenues for future funding, including in next year’s budget, to help Pennsylvanians access the critical home repairs and energy efficiency services they need.
Learn more about Whole-Home Repairs on our website.