With rents climbing, homelessness rising and homeownership increasingly out of reach, Gov. Josh Shapiro is preparing to release a long-awaited statewide housing plan aimed at addressing Pennsylvania’s severe shortage. The state ranked 44th nationally in new housing construction between 2017 and 2023, adding just 3.4% to its housing stock while households grew by 5%, according to Pew Charitable Trusts. Officials estimate Pennsylvania needs 450,000 new units by 2035, but proposed solutions — including loosening local zoning rules, speeding up permitting and incentivizing denser development — face strong resistance from municipal groups and would require legislative action in a divided General Assembly. Costs have risen the most in areas with growing populations that haven’t added enough housing, including the Philadelphia suburbs, Northeastern Pennsylvania, and cities like Harrisburg, York and Lancaster. For Realtors, the issue is critical because limited housing supply continues to drive up prices, constrain inventory, push buyers and workers out of key markets, and restrict transaction volume, making state policy on zoning and development a major factor shaping future market activity and affordability. Read more in the Inquirer (gift link).
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 2/1/2026