ROAD to Housing Act boosts small bank lending
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which became law on July 10, seeks to boost housing supply while providing regulatory relief to banks and easing requirements for "de novo" institutions — which are brand new, not the result of mergers, etc. — to encourage growth. Supported by the Independent Community Bankers of America, the bipartisan legislation aims to strengthen community banks and expand local lending, combating the long-term decline in new bank formations. According to the recently released 2026 Report on Employer Firms, 28% of the surveyed small business owners said they went to small community banks. That number has steadily fallen from 39% in 2020.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 7/12/2026 

New PA law lets property owners add third parties for tax notices
Pennsylvania property owners who are older adults or have qualifying incapacities will be able to designate a third party to receive notice of delinquent property taxes before their homes face sheriff’s sale under legislation signed into law on July 13 by Gov. Josh Shapiro. House Bill 96, now Act 27 of 2026, creates an optional notification process intended to help prevent vulnerable homeowners from losing their properties because unpaid tax bills go unnoticed. The measure was sponsored by state Rep. Chris Pielli (D-156) of Chester County. Pielli said the law was informed by his experience as a court-appointed guardianship attorney representing individuals who lost their homes despite having the financial means to pay their taxes.
Source: MyChesco; 7/14/2026

Data centers to add billions in power costs in 13 states, including PA
PJM, the nation’s largest electrical grid operator, released results of an electricity auction that would add $6.3 billion in costs to the bills of millions of households and businesses within the next three years, an increase driven by the power demands of data centers. During the annual auction, power companies supplied prices that they were willing to accept to supply electricity to PJM at times of peak demand. Those prices are then factored into the electricity rates that are eventually charged to the grid’s customers in 13 eastern states and the District of Columbia. In a statement, PJM said data centers were increasing electricity demand throughout the region, outpacing supply. Gov. Josh Shapiro sued PJM in December 2024 over prices to stop severe electricity price spikes and reform the auction design, resulting in a settlement that capped the price set by the auction, saving consumers billions of dollars. The PJM grid has often had only a thin buffer of excess power during extreme weather. Shapiro and other governors have complained that PJM has been too slow to connect more power plants, solar and wind farms, batteries and other resources that would have helped lower prices and eased strain on the grid. Read more in the Inquirer.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 7/15/2026

Approved PA budget is a boon for education funding
Pennsylvania’s recently signed $50.85 billion budget for 2026-2027 includes a total of $11.85 billion for schools, an increase of more than $670 million. The largest piece of the education funding increase comes through the bipartisan adequacy and tax equity formula, a method of providing state dollars to schools that need them the most. That funding is provided to public school districts through the state’s Ready to Learn Block Grant program. The new budget adds $565 million to that program.
Source: Daily Times; 7/18/2026 

PA launches measles dashboard to track spread
The Pennsylvania Department of Health launched a new online dashboard to keep Pennsylvania families and communities informed about measles cases in the commonwealth, including case details on county, age and hospitalizations. As of July 22, the dashboard showed 114 total cases in 2026, including seven in Chester County and three in Montgomery County. Read the announcement on the state website.
Source: PA Department of Health; 7/14/2026

Middletown weighs zoning change for senior-focused apartment complex
BET Investments recently presented a conceptual plan to the Middletown Township Planning Commission for a 290-unit, mixed-use development on a 20-acre, wooded site at North Flowers Mill Road and East Maple Avenue. The plan would require a zoning change from residential to Community Mixed Use. Modeled on the company's Promenade at Upper Dublin, it would include a five-story residential building, a parking structure and retail space anchored by a Sprouts Farmers Market, along with a $1.5 million realignment of South Flowers Mill Road meant to ease a nearby traffic bottleneck. Despite the developer's fiscal projections showing roughly $140,000 in annual township tax revenue and nearly $900,000 for the school district, residents and planning commission members pushed back on concerns over building height, traffic, flooding from a creek on the property, tree removal and affordability, with one planner noting that retail workers at the site's own businesses likely couldn't afford to live there — a critique the developer acknowledged as accurate. No formal action was taken, and the plan is expected to be formally submitted at a later date.
Source: LevittownNow; 7/10/2026

Springfield Township to review fence restrictions
Springfield Township supervisors agreed to revisit the township's fence height restrictions after a State Road business owner, Harvey Cook, was cited for erecting an eight-foot deer fence — exceeding the township's seven-foot limit — around his flower- and crop-growing property. Cook said the $18,000 structure was necessary to protect his goods and that he didn't expect to draw scrutiny since a previous fence had gone unnoticed. He has since applied for a variance and the request remains pending before the zoning hearing board. With similar deer fence issues arising multiple times in recent months, supervisors are planning to amend the zoning ordinance because it is causing undue hardship for residents.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 7/15/2026

New CEO named for Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County
Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County has named Serina Gaston as its new CEO, effective Aug. 3, succeeding Florence Kawoczka, who has led the nonprofit since 2011. Gaston, the former executive director of Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area, brings more than 20 years of experience and has been praised by board president Michael Wilson for her leadership and strategic vision. Gaston said she aims to expand the organization's impact, deepen community partnerships, and develop innovative housing solutions supporting both homeownership and aging in place.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 7/15/2026

Bensalem Township School District announces residency tip line
Bensalem Township School District has launched a "Tell Benny" tip line allowing residents to report students who live outside district boundaries. The tip line is part of a broader "Residency Task Force" effort to cut costs amid a severe budget crisis. Interim Superintendent Victoria Velazquez said reported cases will be reviewed individually, with families given a chance to explain their situation before any action is taken. Those confirmed ineligible must enroll in their assigned district or pay tuition, which runs over $17,000 annually for general education students and $30,000-plus for special education students. The crackdown follows a projected $16 million deficit that prompted a 4.2% tax hike, 31 staff cuts and a nearly $2 million withdrawal from reserves, as well as the March resignation of the former superintendent, Samuel Lee. 
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 7/15/2026

Central Bucks accepting applications for rebate program
Central Bucks School District has opened its second-year Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program, which gives eligible senior citizens, disabled individuals, and low-income homeowners/renters an additional rebate worth up to 50% of what they already receive from the state's Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, capped at $750. Roughly 2,000 district households currently receiving the state rebate qualify, and eligibility generally requires a household income of $48,110 or less (with only half of Social Security benefits counted) along with being 65 or older, a widow/widower 50 or older, permanently disabled and at least 18, or already approved for the state rebate, with applications accepted through June 30, 2027. More details are available on the district's property tax rebate webpage.
Source: TapInto Doylestown; 7/8/2026

Bucks Recorder of Deeds warns about mail-based deed scam
Bucks County Recorder of Deeds Robin Robinson’s office said there are several companies sending official-looking notices to people who have recently purchased property. The office warned in a Facebook post that the mailings are designed to mislead residents into believing that they must purchase a copy of their deed through the outside vendors. The private companies sending the letters are charging fees for deed services and have no affiliation with the Bucks County Recorder of Deeds Office or any other government agency.
Source: LevittownNow; 7/19/2026 

Westtown supervisors replace entire historical commission
The Westtown Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on July 20 to remove all six members of the township's historical commission, citing a long history of difficulties working with the advisory body. Township officials said the decision was unrelated to the commission's efforts to preserve the historic Darlington Inn, a point of contention, and emphasized that the commission itself will remain in place while its role is reviewed before new members are appointed. The decision prompted significant public comment, with residents, preservation advocates and State Rep. Craig Williams (R-160) questioning the board's reasoning and calling for greater transparency. Several speakers expressed concern that the action could discourage independent advisory commissions and affect future historic preservation efforts within the township.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 7/21/2026

West Chester council approves data center zoning ordinance
West Chester Borough Council at its July 15 meeting approved an ordinance amending the zoning code to regulate data centers. The unanimously approved ordinance amended Chapter 112 to add definitions for data center terms, and to allow data center and data center campus as conditional uses in the industrial district and add regulations for them. View the discussion in the meeting video.
Source: Daily Local; 7/7/2026 and West Chester Borough Council; 7/15//2026

Developer attorney calls Exton Mall opposition an ‘anomaly’
Veteran real estate attorney Marc Kaplin, who is representing the proposed redevelopment of the former Exton Square Mall, said opposition to the mixed-use project is unusual at a time when many municipalities are seeking to redevelop struggling shopping centers and restore lost tax revenue. In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Kaplin said community resistance to development has increased across the region, often centered on traffic concerns, but he described the pushback from some West Whiteland Township officials as an "anomaly." Kaplin also said affordable housing cannot be created without government assistance because of high land and regulatory costs and argued that concerns surrounding data center development have been overstated, predicting continued growth in the sector as demand for computing power rises. He said, “It’s a societal problem that can’t be solved just by municipalities and homebuilders and homebuyers.”
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 7/15/2026

Amtrak signs agreement to restore Schuylkill River Passenger Rail
Amtrak has signed an agreement with the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority (SRPRA) which formalizes their relationship and makes official Amtrak's assistance in re-establishing a passenger rail line connecting Phoenixville, Pottstown and Reading with Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. The memorandum of understanding is a major step forward in a project that has been rumored for decades but which has gained increasing support, both politically and financially, in recent years. Officials said partnering with Amtrak provides the project with access to more resources, including potential federal funding, because the line will connect the Schuylkill River to the regional Amtrak network. SRPRA officials hope construction will begin by 2028 and that service could begin in 2030. Future expansion of the line could include direct trains from Reading to New York City, and potentially even connection into Lehigh Valley by 2035. More information is available on SRPRA’s frequently asked questions webpage.
Source: Phoenixville Patch; 7/15/2026