Build America, Buy America law is causing construction delays
A Build America, Buy America Act requirement that federally funded housing projects use U.S.-made materials is contributing to construction delays and rising costs amid the nation’s affordable housing shortage, according to developers and housing advocates. Builders say many necessary items — from ceiling fans to appliances — are not domestically produced, forcing them to seek waivers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where staffing cuts have slowed approvals to a crawl. As a result, projects are being delayed for months, with developers incurring tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in added expenses and, in some cases, reducing the number of units built. While supporters argue the law strengthens American manufacturing and supply chains, critics say the waiver process is “failing” due to unclear guidance and insufficient domestic capacity, leaving some developers considering avoiding federal funding altogether despite its importance in financing affordable housing.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/3/2026

NAR podcast tracks movement of major housing bills
The latest installment of Policy Scoop, an advocacy podcast from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), focuses on once-in-a-generation proposed legislation that is on the move in Congress. NAR’s Shannon McGahn and Patrick Newton discuss two similar but not identical housing bills, one passed in the House and one passed in the Senate, that garnered overwhelming support in their respective chambers. They break down what happens next, what could stall the progress and what it all means for the future of homebuyers and Realtors.
Source: NAR; 4/3/2026

PECO seeks rate hikes for electric and gas
PECO Energy has filed for a 12% electric and 11.4% natural gas rate hike with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027 — after receiving similar increases at the start of 2025. If approved, typical residential customers would pay an additional $20 per month for electricity and $14 per month for natural gas, with small commercial customers seeing gas bills rise by about $34. PECO, owned by Chicago-based Exelon, cites a $10 billion grid modernization plan and growing energy demand as justification. The request is drawing fierce pushback from Pennsylvania lawmakers who point out that the utility posted record profits of $814 million in 2025 — a 47.7% jump following the last rate hike — while its CEO earned over $15.6 million. Critics argue that working families, already stretched thin by rising costs, shouldn't be subsidizing grid upgrades tied to energy-hungry data centers. The Pennsylvania House has already passed a bill requiring data centers to cover their own electricity costs. The PUC, which historically approves lower hikes than requested, will review the proposal before anything takes effect.
Source: New Hope Free Press; 3/30/2026 & Pottstown Mercury; 4/2/2026

White House releases proposed budget for fiscal year 2027
On April 3, the White House released its fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, which suggests preferred funding levels to Congress for a wide range of discretionary agency spending. The proposed budget includes significant cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD), including the elimination of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program, housing counseling assistance, and the Fair Housing Initiatives Program. It also proposes prohibiting public housing agencies from issuing new vouchers through the Housing Choice Voucher program, with limited exceptions. The president's proposed budget is not policy; it is sent to Congress's appropriators as a messaging document sharing the White House's spending priorities. The National Association of Realtors is monitoring the budget-making process and actively advocating for the wide range of federal grants and programs used to support homebuyers, a healthy rental housing market, and Realtors.
Source: NAR; 4/6/2026

Beware of ‘housefishing’
"Housefishing" is a growing real estate scam where listing photos are digitally altered using AI or editing software to make properties look far more appealing than they actually are — think lush green lawns in winter, pristine windows on a fixer-upper, or foundation cracks removed entirely. Tiffanie Bailey-Romey, board president of the Pocono Mountains Association of Realtors, warns that the practice ranges from relatively harmless lead-generation tactics to genuinely dangerous misrepresentation that could put buyers at physical risk. Red flags to watch for include seasonal inconsistencies in photos, prices that seem too good to be true, missing exterior angles, and listings that look flawless but have sat on the market unusually long. While some digital enhancements — like virtual staging — are considered ethical when properly disclosed, concealing defects is not, and states like California and Wisconsin are now passing legislation requiring disclosure of altered images and access to original photos.
Source: Morning Call; 3/30/2026 

Warwick considers U&O amendments
Warwick Township supervisors are considering a draft ordinance to amend Chapter 61 of the township code, making changes to the requirements for obtaining a use and occupancy certificate. Suburban Realtors Alliance staff have reviewed the draft ordinance and sent a letter to township leaders expressing concern that, as currently written, it does not appear to incorporate several core requirements of the Pennsylvania Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act (MCOCA). A public hearing on the draft ordinance is scheduled for Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. at the township offices, 1733 Township Greene, Jamison.
Source: Intelligencer; 3/31/2026

Wrightstown proposes sewer lateral inspection ordinance
Wrightstown Township supervisors are considering an ordinance that would require homeowners in the Jane Chapman East and Matthew's Ridge sewer systems to inspect and repair lateral sewer lines before selling their properties, targeting cracks and other defects that allow groundwater infiltration. The move follows the township's expectation of spending more than $200,000 on improvements to those systems. The ordinance would also prohibit "unlawful connections" like roof drains and sump pumps that strain capacity and drive up costs. Officials plan to notify affected homeowners and hold a public meeting before formally adopting the measure.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 4/5/2026

Northampton sidewalk project will improve safety, connectivity
Northampton Township's Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $612,667 contract for Phase II of the Richboro Sidewalk Project, which will add pedestrian walkways along several major roads, including Almshouse Road, Tanyard Road, Temperance Lane, Second Street Pike and Newtown Richboro Road. The project is fully funded through a $990,000 PennDOT grant, meaning minimal cost to local taxpayers. Supervisor Joe Lombardo highlighted the urgent need, noting that currently "kids and people have to walk on the street," and the new sidewalks are expected to improve pedestrian safety, increase walkability, and better connect residential areas to commercial and public spaces. The project builds on earlier phases that have already been well-received by residents. See a map of the project in the Bucks County Herald.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 4/3/2026

Tense zoning hearing over mosque in Lower Southampton
Hundreds of residents packed a Feasterville middle school gymnasium for a Lower Southampton Township zoning hearing on Al-Asr Islamic Community Center's request to open a mosque on Buck Road, primarily to serve the area's growing Uzbek Muslim community. The hearing, which had to be moved from a smaller venue due to overwhelming interest, centered largely on traffic and parking concerns, particularly around weekly Friday prayers expected to draw 100 to 150 attendees. The atmosphere was tense and at times hostile, with some opponents jeering, cheering at procedural setbacks, and yelling at Muslim attendees who stepped out for a prayer recess. The hearing was continued to May 5 at the same location, when the applicant is expected to present a parking plan and public comment will be heard.
Source: WHYY; 4/1/2026

Pennridge approves elementary school redistricting plan
The Pennridge School Board approved an elementary school redistricting plan called "Scenario 6" to address projected overcrowding at Bedminster and Seylar elementary schools, which are expected to reach 90% and 99% capacity respectively by the 2030-2031 school year. The population growth in the schools was driven by the introduction of full-day kindergarten and new housing developments in the southern and western parts of the district. The plan will expand Sellersville Elementary's zone and shift some Seylar students to Deibler, among other changes. It was chosen over an alternative partly because it's projected to better balance the concentration of low-income students across schools, dropping Sellersville's lower socioeconomic enrollment from 37% to below 30%. While the district's overall elementary enrollment is expected to decline over the next decade, the redistricting aims to more evenly distribute students across buildings. Affected families will receive final zoning decisions by the end of April.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 4/2/2026

Doylestown Township unanimous in e-bike regulation ordinance
Doylestown Township has unanimously adopted an ordinance regulating e-bikes and e-scooters on its trails, roads and walkways, allowing them throughout most of the township but barring them from trails narrower than 8 feet, restricted areas, and sidewalks. Key rules include a 15 mph speed limit on township property, a minimum riding age of 16, required safety equipment, such as brakes, a bell and lights, and pedestrian right-of-way at all times. E-scooters cannot carry passengers while e-bikes may carry one, and no more than two vehicles can ride side-by-side. Violations will be enforced by township police, with fines starting at $100 for a first offense and capping at $500.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 4/1/2026 

East Whiteland will revise its data center zoning
As public pushback continues to grow over a proposed 1.6-million-square-foot data center in East Whiteland, officials there will undergo a process to declare the township’s zoning ordinance regarding data centers invalid, and begin the process to revise it. The “curative amendment” process, which allows municipalities to alter past zoning ordinances if it deems them substantively invalid, will not affect the data center project that sits before the township’s board of supervisors now, where developers are seeking to expand the proposed center’s footprint by 60%. But the curative process will temporarily pause the acceptance of any new data center applications for up to 180 days. The township will draft regulations to update its zoning ordinance around data centers, which will then go to the planning commission and board of supervisors for review by the end of that six-month window. During the meeting, residents repeatedly asked to be part of that process, which the township hasn’t yet decided on.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/1/2026

Hankin Group breaks ground on new Keva Flats apartment building in West Whiteland
Hankin Group continues to develop its Keva Flats apartment community in West Whiteland Township. The real estate company has broken ground on what will be the seventh apartment building in the complex. The five-story building will feature a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units ranging from 795 to 1,570 square feet. When it’s completed next spring, the building will add 72 apartments to the 266-unit, 19-acre apartment community. Keva Flats is a LEED Gold-certified community and has received the PECO Green Award for exceptional sustainability initiatives.
Source: Daily Local; 4/1/2026

Well owners near Newlin landfill will get filtration systems
After a discovery roughly three years ago that probable carcinogenic chemicals were flowing from a former landfill to residential well water in Newlin and West Bradford Townships, more than a dozen households are eligible to receive water filtration systems this summer while a federal government agency constructs a public waterline to address the contamination. It’s a step forward for the community, which has pressed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to more quickly implement remedies as it works on a permanent solution. The contamination stems from the Strasburg Landfill, a 209-acre Superfund site in Newlin, which accepted industrial waste for disposal after opening in 1978. The state required the landfill’s closure in 1984, after contaminants — such as leachate, a liquid that forms when waste buried in the landfill decomposes — were found seeping into the soil and groundwater. In 2023, the state’s routine quarterly sampling of the site uncovered that the leachate contained PFAS “forever chemicals.” With the residents’ pushback, the EPA will now install, maintain and monitor carbon filtration systems for affected homes.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/3/2026

Chester and Montgomery counties release Data Center Ordinance Guide
Chester and Montgomery counties have released a Data Center Ordinance Guide to help municipalities develop local regulations for data centers, which have become a hotly debated topic due to concerns about environmental impact and power usage. The guide recommends that municipalities allow data centers of 100,000 square feet or more through a conditional use process — meaning they would be permitted only if specific zoning standards are met — a stance that is unlikely to satisfy those pushing for outright bans or moratoriums. The release is timely given ongoing data center discussions in the region, including a proposed ordinance in West Conshohocken and a withdrawn proposal for the former steel plant site in Conshohocken. The guide acknowledges that pending state and federal legislation could further shape how and where data centers operate, making the regulatory landscape very much a work in progress.
Source: MoreThanTheCurve; 4/1/2026

Coatesville school board weighs focus on opportunity vs. outcomes
Over the past five months, Coatesville Area School District (CASD) has engaged in a comprehensive and collaborative planning process to guide the future of schools through 2029. Debate over the Coatesville Area School District’s proposed comprehensive plan focused on how the district should define and measure success, with school board members divided between prioritizing student outcomes, such as academic performance and test scores, or emphasizing equitable access to resources, programs and support. The discussion highlighted broader philosophical differences, as some members pushed for clearer accountability through measurable results while others argued the plan should center on expanding opportunities for all students, underscoring an ongoing tension over how progress should be evaluated. Read more about the comprehensive plan here.
Source: Lancaster Online, 3/30/3026