Reminder: Take Four Minutes to Tell Harrisburg What to Prioritize in Housing Action Plan While Survey Remains Open
An important survey asking opinions on housing priorities remains open (at least for today!). Gov. Josh Shapiro has tasked DCED with developing a comprehensive Housing Action Plan through Executive Order 2024-03. This new plan will propose strategic planning initiatives and policies to tackle the commonwealth’s housing shortage. DCED is now asking for feedback from Pennsylvanians via the Pennsylvania Housing Action Plan Survey regarding housing affordability and availability. This is your chance to weigh in on potential statewide zoning mandates. (Note: if your completed the survey late last year, you can share with those who may not have taken it as other interested groups will certainly be sharing their opinions.)
Township officials and planning staff are encouraged to take this survey, which asks users to rank the importance of such topics as mixed-use zoning, property taxes, accessory dwelling units, funds for home repair, and incentives for creating housing. The survey includes a section to provide comments — making it a great opportunity to communicate any efforts your township has already taken to tackle housing demands, tell Harrisburg that land use decisions should remain at the local level, and assert that the state cannot address housing with a one-size-fits-all approach.