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tate Sen. Nikil Saval announced a $125 million appropriation in Pennsylvania’s 2022–23 budget to establish his Whole-Home Repairs Program. Saval issued the following statement: “Every person has a right to a home that is safe — a home that is healthy. But right now,...

High utility bills and years of deferred maintenance have forced many low-income homeowners and renters in Pennsylvania to live with lead paint, drafty windows, leaky roofs, exposed wiring, mold, and other health hazards. Many residents endure these conditions because...

The passage of the bipartisan Whole-Home Repair program is “what democracy looks like,” said state Rep. Sara Innamorato. “It’s not just about showing up and voting. It’s about making sure that you stay engaged with your community and your elected officials,” said Ms....

If you haven’t examined your monthly utility bill lately, brace for a shock when the cost of air-conditioning comes due in the next few weeks. If the AC bill doesn’t raise your pulse, your heating tab next January might, assuming that global energy markets remain...

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a bill that would “address habitability concerns in owner-occupied and rental units, measures to improve energy or water efficiency and make units accessible for individuals with disabilities, and...

This time the hosts interview Pennsylvania state Senator Nikil Saval about the remarkable fact that he got a climate and affordable housing bill through a Republican-controlled legislature. What's up with that? Other stuff mentioned in the episode: the previous...

Philadelphia’s realty transfer tax, already one of the highest in the nation, will soon include a new fee. Last month City Council unanimously passed a bill that would add an additional $15 fee onto each transfer of real estate or recording of a deed or mortgage in...

In the two-plus years since the pandemic emptied America’s office towers, there have been dozens of media reports speculating about the future of downtowns. This column isn’t one of them. It should be obvious by now that desk workers will never again fill the trophy...

America is in the grips of a nationwide housing shortage that totals about 3.8 million housing units. Last week, the New York Times published an informative analysis showing how this problem has moved beyond just the big cost-crisis metros on the coasts, and now...

Last year, Congress allocated $3.5 billion over five years to a little-known federal program designed to help low-income households pay for energy efficiency upgrades like attic insulation, new windows, and energy-saving appliances. Called the Weatherization...

In spite of it happening a week late and controversies arising about a number of funding issues, the Pennsylvania General Assembly once again managed to pass a budget. As always there was some good, some bad, and some ugly in the process. Perhaps the worst of the bad...

Struggling homeowners and renters could get some financial relief under the newly passed state budget, with over $250 million set for tax rebates and a home repair program. A later-than-expected state budget — buoyed by pandemic-era federal stimulus money — included...

Under the state budget passed last week, Pennsylvania’s conservation programs will receive a one-time, pandemic-related federal booster shot of $765 million for state parks, forests, streams, open space, farms, and home energy efficiency — an amount one environmental...

With a $45 billion state budget finally implemented, Pennsylvania schools, businesses and housing projects are the big winners. Each is slated to receive substantially more funding in the new fiscal year. State lawmakers last week unveiled a plan to spend an...

As leaders in the Pennsylvania General Assembly negotiated the 2022-23 budget in recent weeks, the House and Senate sent a slate of controversial and potentially transformative stand-alone legislation to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk. On Friday, Wolf signed the roughly $45...

Three new housing policies by state and city officials aim to preserve and grow the amount of housing that residents can afford. Included in the Pennsylvania budget is $125 million for home repairs and weatherization intended to preserve the state’s aging housing...

Residents of Pennsylvania homeowners will experience financial relief after State Senator Nikil Saval’s Whole Home Repairs Act was included last week as part of the new state budget. It allocates $125 million in funding for home repairs and weatherization costs across...