The first-ever comprehensive Housing Action Plan comes after CSH collaborative advocacy and will guide efforts to increase housing availability, affordability, and quality.
New York, NY | September 19, 2024 – In a landmark move to address homelessness and housing instability across Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro has announced the creation of the state’s first-ever comprehensive Housing Action Plan. This decision comes in response to advocacy efforts led by Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) and Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS) and supported by nearly 130 housing and homeless organizations across Pennsylvania.
The executive order signed last week directs his administration to develop a plan that addresses rising homelessness and widespread shortages of affordable housing. Brian McShane, CSH Assistant Director for Pennsylvania, applauded the governor’s order.
“The formation of the Pennsylvania Housing Action Plan is a critical step forward to addressing the complex issue of homelessness in our state,” said McShane. “We are grateful for Governor Shapiro’s leadership and commitment to providing the necessary coordination and resources that can make Pennsylvania a place where everyone has a safe and stable home.”
“We applaud the leadership shown by Governor Shapiro in Executive Order 2024-03 which elevates the critical issue of housing affordability and provides a clear and actionable road map for developing exactly the sort of collaborative solutions we know will have positive impacts in our communities,” said Jack Stucker, Supervising Attorney at RHLS. “At RHLS, we have worked over the last 50 years expanding access to affordable housing for Pennsylvanians. Over that time, we have seen many approaches to addressing the housing needs in our communities. Although many initiatives have been successful, we still find ourselves in the midst of an affordability crisis that prevents thousands of Pennsylvanians from affording safe and secure housing in their community of choice. One through-thread of success we have seen is collaboration.”
The governor tasked the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) with leading the plan’s development, which will include guidance on providing support to those experiencing homelessness across Pennsylvania. The order also directs the state’s Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop recommendations on policies and best practices for addressing homelessness and supporting individuals in need. DHS plans to convene an interagency group to address the need for more coordination among state agencies in collaboration with local and federal governments and community organizations.
“Pennsylvania must be a place where marginalized individuals and families receive the support they need to live independently and thrive in their communities,” said Governor Shapiro in an official statement. “By creating this interagency council, we are taking a significant step towards ensuring that no one is left behind.”
Deborah De Santis, President and CEO at CSH, highlighted this initiative’s significance compared to efforts in other states. “While some states are enacting laws to criminalize homelessness, Pennsylvania is taking a compassionate and proactive approach,” said De Santis. “By establishing this action plan, Pennsylvania is addressing immediate needs and creating a sustainable framework that other states can look to as a model for ending homelessness.”
The governor’s order comes several months after CSH and the Philadelphia-based RHLS submitted a report and called for the governor to establish an interagency council tasked with advancing affordable housing, supportive housing, and essential support services for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Over the past two years, CSH and RHLS conducted extensive listening sessions with 120 organizations across 50 counties. CSH and RHLS published their findings in May, which highlighted the urgent need for state-level change to enhance resources and scale housing solutions.
With better coordination of state resources and funding through the Interagency Council, Pennsylvania aims to become the first state to effectively end homelessness.
“From what we can tell, the state Housing Action Plan and the interagency collaboration it will foster is one of four critical policy priorities identified by community members we interviewed, who have now come together to form the Pennsylvania Supportive Housing Coalition, to address homelessness and create more housing,” said McShane. “Governor Shapiro’s commitment to this initiative demonstrates a strong dedication to making Pennsylvania a leader in the fight against homelessness.”
