Gov. Shapiro signs Senate Bill 1173 into law
Senate Bill 1173 was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro, making it Act 52 of 2024. A priority piece of legislation of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR), SB 1173 was overwhelmingly approved by the state Senate and unanimously approved by the House. The law, which goes into effect on Jan. 9, 2025, requires a real estate salesperson license to conduct residential wholesale transactions in the commonwealth, and ensures that consumers are made aware they are engaging in a wholesale transaction by receiving proper disclosures. The bill’s passage comes just weeks after hundreds of Pennsylvania Realtors visited the state Capitol to advocate for SB 1173 as part of PAR’s annual Realtor Day on the Hill. Read more and watch for updates at the PAR website.
Source: PAR JustListed; 7/8/2024 

Owners of manufactured homes rally against rent increases
Manufactured homes have long been considered an affordable housing option, but in recent years lot rents across the nation have risen sharply. Reasons for the increase include heightened demand for affordable housing and an increase in corporate ownership. Residents in Douglass Village, near Pottstown, were paying $400 to $500 a month in lot rent two years ago, but now pay about 30% more — an increase that’s way above the consumer price index and raking in about $2.8 million for the owners. Legislation has been introduced in both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly that would amend the Manufactured Home Community Rights Act to limit annual lot rent increases by tying it to the consumer price index. The Pennsylvania Manufactured Housing Association, which serves as the legislative and regulatory voice of the factory-built housing industry, is opposed to legislation calling for lot rental limits, saying rent caps would “handcuff” owners of manufactured home communities. A 2023 statewide analysis published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia says Pennsylvania has about 2,300 manufactured home communities, including 77 in Chester County, 31 in Bucks County, 16 in Montgomery County and five in Delaware County.
Source: Main Line Media News; 7/1/2024

NAR offers support for new federal housing plan
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced new steps to address housing affordability. The plan mirrors many policies also advocated by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to help lower housing costs and increase housing supply. “Executive agencies have the power to act quickly to promote homeownership. We applaud the Biden administration’s comprehensive, multi-agency response targeting solutions at every level of government,” said NAR’s chief advocacy officer, Shannon McGahn. “It will take an all-of-government approach to yield results in this fight.” NAR also supports the Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) Act (H.R. 3507), which would require localities receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to publicly report how they are removing barriers to affordable housing development. Read more at the NAR website.
Source: NAR; 6/28/2024

Biden administration and HUD award $85 million to PRO Program
The Biden administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman announced they are awarding $85 million in grant funding for the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO) program. The PRO Housing program seeks to remove barriers to affordable housing production and ultimately lower housing costs by addressing the main culprit of housing affordability — the limited housing supply. Grant recipients have actively committed to address the affordable housing supply shortage by taking actions like updating zoning requirements, taking advantage of under-utilized vacant land, updating the existing housing stock, and streamlining permitting and construction processes. The United States is facing a historic housing supply shortage of 5.5 million units. The National Association of Realtors thanks the Biden-Harris administration and HUD for their commitment to tackling an issue that impacts families across the country.
Source: NAR; 6/27/2024

Advocates hope for support for historic revitalization in state budget
Preservationists and developers are keeping their fingers crossed for new state funding to revitalize historic buildings. Two new bills would significantly raise the annual cap for the state’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit program, a public subsidy developers often use to finance the transformation of vacant historic properties on the National Register of Historic Places. At $5 million, advocates say Pennsylvania’s program is unable to meet the demand for these credits, discouraging developers and putting irreplaceable properties at risk. Pennsylvania has one of the smallest annual caps in the country. A bipartisan measure introduced in the Senate would set the program’s annual cap at $50 million, the same as New Jersey and above Maryland ($20 million) and Delaware ($8 million). A companion bill moving through the House would raise the annual cap to $20 million. The legislation was recently voted out of committee, moving it one step closer to passage. Read more here.
Source: PlanPhilly; 6/27/2024 

BCWSA successfully uses innovative treatment on forever chemicals
The Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority (BCWSA) has successfully utilized innovative treatment technology to remove toxic PFAS, known as forever chemicals, from its drinking water. The new treatment system was recently piloted at two water supply locations that had slightly elevated PFAS levels above the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) regulation. BCWSA partnered with TruClear Water Solutions, a leading service provider to clean water using non-chemical technology, to operate its advanced molecular oxidation (AMO) system. BCWSA is currently seeking DEP approval to permanently utilize the technology. If approved, BCWSA would be the first to operate the technology to remove PFAS from drinking water. “It’s a remarkable moment for the county to be a leader in addressing an issue that impacts communities across the globe,” said John Cordisco, BCWSA board chairman. Read more from BCWSA here.
Source: Doylestown Patch; 7/1/2024

Court approves sale of Quakertown school district land
Bucks County Court recently approved the sale of three parcels of land owned by the Quakertown Community School District to developer D.R. Horton. The three parcels along West Pumping Station Road were acquired in 2015 by the district for $1.75 million to be used as a future elementary and middle school. Stagnant enrollment caused the district to scrap the plans and list the parcels for $7.8 million. It is estimated up to 150 homes could eventually be built by D.R. Horton. The sale will help reduce the district’s $12 million deficit and potentially reverse the district’s falling enrollment numbers.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 7/2/2024

Bucks County PIT count shows increase in homelessness
The annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count shows the number of Bucks County residents sleeping in emergency shelters, transitional housing or outdoors increased 27% over the previous year. The federally mandated count is conducted by the Bucks County Housing and Community Development Department in the last week of January. For the eighth consecutive year, the PIT identified children sleeping outdoors. In line with nationwide trends, Bucks County saw both a 42% rise in seniors 55 and older experiencing homelessness, as well as a 35% increase in unhoused, unaccompanied youth ages 18 to 24.
Source: The Advance; 6/17/2024

Middletown seeks resident input on trash pickup
Middletown Township recently received bids from trash and recycling companies to provide service to the community for the next five years. Waste Management was the lowest bidder for all options. The bids included an option to leave collection “as is” and several options aimed at controlling costs, such as moving to once-a-week collection and incorporating automated collection. Currently, Middletown residents pay $401 per household per year to receive twice-a-week manual trash collection. Maintaining the current level of service would be about a 75% increase over the current rate, and dropping to once-weekly service would still increase costs by up to 28%. Read more and access a township survey here. The board may award the contract in August.
Source: Middletown Township; 6/2024

Upper Makefield wants to designate Taylorsville as a historic district
Upper Makefield Township supervisors approved a contract with consultant and preservation expert Jeff Marshall that authorizes an effort focused on getting the Taylorsville section of the municipality designated a historic district. The township and Marshall are also working on getting the Washington Crossing Bridge placed on the National Register of Historic Places to halt a replacement being considered by the Delaware River Joint Toll Commission. By getting the bridge, other structures and Taylorsville historical status, officials believe they stand a better chance of preventing the large-scale bridge overhaul that some fear could fundamentally change the character of the area. Read more here.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 6/25/2024 

West Goshen Township seeks flood-prevention help from residents
The West Goshen Township Board of Supervisors recently authorized the submission of a Multimodal Transportation Fund application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development. The application will seek to address the continuous flooding issues that impact Montgomery Avenue during significant rain events. Flooding has been a detrimental issue on the road for years, and the township is planning to address it through various infrastructure improvements. To bolster its application, the township is asking the community for pictures or other information about how they have been impacted by flooding on Montgomery Avenue.
Source: West Goshen; 6/17/2024

Sewer rates to increase in East Goshen Township
The East Goshen Township Board of Supervisors approved new sewer rates that took effect on July 1, with a fixed rate of $60.61 and $12 per thousand gallons. It’s an increase over the old rates of $55.61 fixed and $9.70 per thousand gallons. Residents should expect to see a change in the July 2024 bill. To calculate sewer consumption for any given year, the township takes an average of the quarterly water consumption between the fourth quarter of the previous year and the first quarter of the current year, based on data provided from Aqua.
Source: East Goshen Township; 6/27/2024

Kennett Library gets $500k grant
Kennett Library has received a $500,000 grant from the Longwood Foundation to enhance and expand its makerspace facilities. Focusing on STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), the makerspace will offer new opportunities for learning and creativity, fostering a culture of innovation within the community.
Source: Chadds Ford Live; 6/26/2024

Recorder of Deeds warns of scam
New Chester County homeowners have reached out to the Chester County Recorder of Deeds (ROD) office with concerns about potential scam mail. Potential victims receive a letter in the mail that offers a fee of around $100 dollars to receive a copy of their deed. The tone of the letters implies a sense of urgency for new homeowners to quickly pay the fee so that they can receive a copy. The ROD will never send a letter soliciting payment for service. The ROD provides official copies at a far lower rate (50 cents per page in person or $5 via mail), and unofficial copies are online for free.
Source: Chester County Recorder of Deeds; 7/2/2024