Pa. House Democrats focus on affordable housing

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

The state House Democratic Caucus’ statewide PA Rescue Plan tour stopped Tuesday in Pittsburgh, where lawmakers discussed investments in “affordable housing support strategies.”

Allegheny County Delegation Chairman Austin Davis, the state representative from the 35th Legislative District, hosted a hearing as part of the tour to discuss how the PA Rescue Plan would invest federal funding to bring relief to homeowners and renters. 

He said House Democrats propose spending more than $500 million worth of PA Rescue Plan funds to address housing issues.

On May 5, House Democrats announced they would tour the state, visiting Philadelphia, Reading, Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg, State College, Scranton and Allentown to talk about how money from the federal American Rescue Plan being distributed to Pennsylvania will impact things such as infrastructure and the rebuilding of downtown districts, housing, worker pay and helping frontline workers recover from the coronavirus pandemic’s impacts.

“Next week more than $7 billion is coming to the Keystone State as part of the American Rescue Plan, and we have to make sure that money is invested properly, not hidden away in a government vault for a rainy day — because it’s hard to imagine a storm that could hit harder than COVID-19. People need help now,” state House Democrats said in a prepared statement May 5.

Davis, a McKeesport Democrat, joined other Democratic lawmakers Monday in Philadelphia to kick off the tour.

“We are laying out our plan to revitalize communities, invest in our infrastructure and jumpstart our economy,” he said. 

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