PA lawmakers work to address housing crisis
Pennsylvania lawmakers from both parties are working to address the state's housing shortage with a flurry of bills advancing through both chambers, though none have yet reached the governor's desk. Key proposals include a House-passed bill to allow accessory dwelling units (like backyard cottages) on single-family lots without extra local approvals, a Senate-passed bill creating an accelerated approval process for qualifying residential developments, and a grant program incentivizing municipalities to adopt pro-housing policies. Local government organizations broadly support addressing the shortage but resist anything that reduces their zoning control, calling some proposals a "one-size-fits-all" overreach. A bipartisan resolution also tasked a legislative committee with studying Pennsylvania's outdated Municipalities Planning Code and recommending updates — including potentially allowing duplexes in single-family zones — with findings due in October. With the June 30 budget deadline approaching and a structural deficit limiting new spending, it remains uncertain which bills will ultimately pass, though supporters say even incremental progress this session would build momentum for future action. Read more from Spotlight PA.
Source: Spotlight PA; 6/15/2026

PAR’s Legislative Feedback Panel hears from governor’s staff
Representatives from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration outlined Pennsylvania’s first-ever housing action plan during the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors’ Legislative Feedback Panel in Harrisburg, highlighting a strategy aimed at addressing the state’s housing shortage and affordability challenges. Orlando Almonte, deputy secretary of policy and planning in the Governor’s Office, and Melissa Wright, executive policy director at the Department of Community and Economic Development, said the plan focuses on five priorities: increasing and preserving housing supply, expanding housing opportunities, improving housing stability, modernizing development regulations, and strengthening coordination across state and local governments. The plan estimates Pennsylvania needs to build 450,000 new homes by 2035 and notes that development regulations account for an estimated 25% to 30% of new home construction costs. Proposed initiatives include investing in infrastructure and mixed-use development, addressing tangled titles, supporting first-time homebuyers, reducing homelessness, streamlining local approval processes and creating a deputy secretary of housing position. The full housing action plan is available through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
Source: PA Realtors; 6/12/2026

Manufactured homeowners rally in Harrisburg
Manufactured homeowners, lawmakers and housing advocates rallied at the Pennsylvania Capitol, urging the state Senate to pass long-stalled legislation protecting residents of manufactured home communities from skyrocketing lot rents driven by private equity and out-of-state corporate buyers. Two bills — House Bill 1250 and Senate Bill 745 — would tie lot rent increases to the consumer price index, while Senate Bill 746 would give residents the right of first refusal if their community is sold. Supporters argue the measures are urgently needed because residents own their homes but not the land beneath them, leaving them defenseless against unlimited rent hikes; one community founder noted lot rents in his own community doubled from $400 to $800 over six years. Opponents call the bills a form of rent control that could burden legitimate operators, but advocates counter they simply provide predictability and fairness. With Gov. Shapiro pledging to sign the bills and the legislative session ending by year's end, advocates warn that without Senate action the legislation will die and the process will have to start over. Read more from The Center Square.
Source: The Center Square; 6/13/2026

PA broadband expansion can move forward
Pennsylvania's $700 million broadband expansion into rural areas can move forward after federal officials dropped a dispute over the state's prevailing wage classifications for fiber-optic cable workers. The standoff had stalled funding that would connect roughly 130,000 homes and businesses, but the federal government quietly removed the wage condition from Pennsylvania's funding agreement in late April, following a state appeals court ruling against Verizon and an industry group that had sought to change the worker classifications. The state now has six months to sign contracts with grant recipients, who must then deliver service within four years — though nearly a quarter of eligible locations will receive satellite internet rather than fiber due to Trump administration policy changes, raising concerns about long-term reliability and cost. Additional hurdles remain, including potential permitting delays at the local level and uncertainty over how to deploy roughly $400 million in leftover funds after federal cost-cutting reduced the number of eligible locations.
Source: Spotlight PA; 5/21/2026

State launches specialized website to help travelers
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) put together a website to help travelers going to FIFA related events, MLB All Star Week or America250PA events in Philadelphia. The site lets users plan their trips using the enhanced real-time travel information available at its 511 PhillyEvents site. The page is dedicated to monitoring traffic conditions on primary travel routes to the events.
Source: Daily Local; 6/12/2026

Newtown Borough discusses sidewalk installation at point-of-sale
Newtown Borough Council is weighing a proposal that would require homeowners to install sidewalks, curbs and driveway aprons as a condition of selling their properties, as well as when undertaking new construction or structural additions. The proposal, discussed at a June 3 council work session, would require installation to be completed before closing. During the discussion, the borough solicitor also floated the idea of a broader point-of-sale inspection program, noting that many other municipalities require sellers to verify working smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and other basic safety features before a transaction closes — something the solicitor said would be valuable given the borough’s older housing stock. Several council members expressed openness to both ideas, though some raised concerns about feasibility in cases where only one side of a street has sidewalks or where "substantial improvement" is too loosely defined. The Suburban Realtors Alliance has requested a copy of the draft resolution regarding sidewalk installation. Some aspects of the proposal as discussed by council would not comply with the Pennsylvania Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act. The proposal did not appear on the June 17 council agenda.
Source: Newtown Borough

BCCC students guaranteed transfer to Ursinus College
Bucks County Community College (BCCC) and Ursinus College have signed a guaranteed transfer agreement allowing BCCC graduates with associate degrees to seamlessly apply their credits toward Ursinus bachelor's programs, with eligibility for up to $43,000 per year in merit scholarships. The deal adds Ursinus to BCCC's network of more than 50 transfer partners and gives Ursinus — which already has similar agreements with Delaware County and Montgomery County community colleges — a new pipeline of students at a critical time. The Collegeville liberal arts college is grappling with serious financial and enrollment challenges. The partnership reflects a broader national trend of small, private colleges seeking creative strategies to survive, as nearly a quarter of the country's roughly 1,700 private nonprofit colleges are estimated to be at risk of closing within the next decade.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 6/15/2026

West Rockhill to consider amended data center ordinance in July
West Rockhill Township in Bucks County is moving toward adopting a significantly strengthened data center ordinance. The move comes after residents pushed back on an earlier version passed in April and demanded tougher protections. The revised ordinance includes a minimum site size of 35 acres (up from 25), a building height cap of 35 feet, a strict 55 dB(A) noise limit at all times with phased sound studies required before and after construction, mandatory water and wastewater and electrical feasibility studies, a prohibition on groundwater or surface water extraction, closed-loop cooling systems that must comply with state and federal environmental regulations, soft yellow LED lighting only, and required economic impact and energy safety plans along with an enhanced decommissioning plan. The board approved the advertisement of the amended ordinance, and a public hearing to adopt the ordinance will be held at the July 15 supervisors meeting. The board also created a West Rockhill Citizens Committee to provide ongoing feedback. Township officials emphasized that no data center applications have been filed or are pending.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 6/10/2026

Wrightstown amends landscaping ordinance
Wrightstown Township has adopted a revised landscaping ordinance requiring that at least 80% of trees, shrubs and ground cover used in land development projects be native to eastern North America, citing native species' greater longevity and resistance to insects and disease. For the first time, the ordinance also mandates that property owners perpetually maintain all landscaping shown on approved development plans, including replacing dead or damaged plants and removing invasive species from buffer areas. Other changes include reducing the required caliper size for newly planted shade trees from three inches to two-and-a-half inches to improve survival rates, restricting street trees to within the property rather than in the right-of-way, strengthening parking area landscaping standards with an emphasis on shade and heat reduction, and updating definitions for buffer yards, tree protection zones and woodlands. The board also authorized a resolution giving property owners the option to follow either the old or new regulations when restoring existing plantings.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 6/10/2026

Northampton Township approves plan for six single-family homes
Northampton Township supervisors have unanimously approved a plan to build six single-family homes on a 4.9-acre parcel at 400 Twining Ford Road in Richboro, near the Northampton Valley Country Club. A separate stormwater management lot was also approved. The planning commission had previously recommended the project unanimously, though neighboring residents raised concerns about tree removal, which became a central focus of negotiations. The applicant's attorney committed to complying with all township tree replacement requirements and pledged further discussions with neighbors to shape the final landscaping plan. Supervisors also encouraged the developer to consider dedicating the internal roadway to the township rather than leaving it under a homeowners association. Final approval is subject to conditions, including execution of a land development agreement, financial security, recreation fee payments, a tree replacement plan and compliance with outside agency requirements.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 6/11/2026

North Coventry holds off on data center zoning pause
The North Coventry Township Board of Supervisors declined to adopt a curative amendment that would have temporarily barred data center proposals for 180 days while officials draft zoning regulations for the facilities, opting instead to rely on protections provided through the regional zoning agreement of the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee. Supervisors said the township remains shielded from data center proposals for at least a year because another member municipality currently permits the use, giving officials additional time to develop a local ordinance. The decision follows growing public concern over data center development and comes after supervisors earlier opposed a proposed 18-acre data center project in the township.
Source: Daily Local; 6/9/2026

Homelessness decreases by 30% in Chester County
Chester County has achieved a “functional zero” milestone for chronic homelessness, county officials announced, marking a significant reduction in the number of residents experiencing long-term homelessness. County data show a 52% decline in emergency shelter entries over the past five years, a 10% decrease in first-time homelessness between 2024 and 2025, and a 30% drop in overall homelessness during the 2026 Point-in-Time Count compared to 2025. Officials credited the achievement to a coordinated, data-driven approach involving government agencies, nonprofit organizations and community partners working to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring. While leaders celebrated the milestone, they noted that homelessness remains a challenge, with hundreds of county residents still experiencing housing insecurity on any given night.
Source: Daily Local; 6/8/2026

Chester County housing groups receive state funding
More than $2.9 million in state funding has been awarded to 13 Chester County organizations to support affordable housing initiatives, homelessness prevention programs and emergency shelter services. Among the largest recipients are $400,000 for the Housing Partnership of Chester County’s Senior Home Maintenance Program and $350,000 for Safe Harbor. See the full list at the website of state Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-19).
Source: Daily Local; 6/16/2026

Aqua expands lead service line inventory program in West Chester
Aqua Pennsylvania is expanding its lead service line inventory program in West Chester Borough as part of a statewide effort to identify and replace aging lead and galvanized water lines. Under Aqua’s Customer Lead Service Line Replacement Program, eligible customer-owned lines identified as lead or galvanized are replaced at no direct cost to property owners. Since launching the initiative in 2024, the company has completed nearly 2,800 replacements statewide, including more than 500 in West Chester Borough and surrounding communities in Chester County. The inventory and replacement effort is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and is intended to improve drinking water safety and modernize infrastructure.
Source: West Chester Patch; 6/16/2026