Lancaster, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro visited the Lancaster City Housing Authority’s Farnum Street East apartment building to highlight his Administration’s strategy to expand access to safe, affordable housing across the Commonwealth — including historic new investments through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) Fund.
Last week, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) awarded $73 million in PHARE funding to support 387 housing and community development projects across all 67 counties — including $300,000 for critical exterior renovations at Farnum Street East, a 169-unit public housing complex serving seniors and Pennsylvanians with disabilities.
“My Administration is making the largest investment in housing in Pennsylvania history because we know that housing is a key foundation for opportunity,” said Governor Shapiro. “If we want kids to succeed in school, if we want people to work and build a better life, they need a place to call home. That’s why we’ve nearly doubled the amount of funding available for PHARE — the largest, most flexible, most effective tool we have for building and repairing affordable housing — and why my budget lays out a commonsense plan to build more housing, lower costs, and help more Pennsylvanians achieve the American Dream.”
In total, the PHARE funding will create 270 new affordable housing units; preserve or rehabilitate 2,050 existing units; build 56 new single-family homes; provide housing assistance to more than 13,900 families; and deliver housing counseling and financial education to over 11,400 households. At least $49 million — or 67 percent — of PHARE funding this cycle will support projects benefiting households earning less than 50 percent of the area median income.
Since Governor Shapiro took office, PHARE has helped fund the construction or repair of over 8,000 housing units across the Commonwealth.
“PHARE is an example of how effective state government can make a positive difference in people’s lives,” said Robin Weissmann, PHFA Executive Director and CEO. “The two keys to PHARE’s tremendous success are letting local communities identify their most pressing housing needs and leveraging the funding to multiply its impact. At a time when affordable housing is needed more than ever, PHARE is a key part of the solution.”
The $300,000 PHARE grant awarded to Lancaster City Housing Authority will help to redesign the Farnum Street East building’s Duke Street façade, repair the existing brick exterior, and replace windows — improving both the safety and architectural integrity of this vital community asset. In addition, the Housing Authority’s nonprofit affiliate, Partners with Purpose, received $200,000 in PHARE funding to support the ongoing preservation and rehabilitation of up to 33 single-family affordable homes throughout Lancaster.
“The PHARE fund has been a vital resource in helping us maintain and improve our affordable housing portfolio across Lancaster City,” said Lancaster City Housing Authority Executive Director Barbara Wilson. “Since 2021, PHARE has awarded over $1 million to our organization, allowing us to complete essential upgrades — from ADA-accessible bathrooms and modern HVAC systems to full-unit renovations. These investments make a meaningful difference in the lives of the people we serve. Today is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when public leadership and local housing authorities work together with a shared purpose.”
“I moved into Church Street Towers in October 2023, and it has been my home ever since,” said Irene Jamison, who serves as Chair of the Resident Council at Lancaster City Housing Authority. “On Resident Council, I work alongside my neighbors and the Housing Authority staff to help make our community a safe, welcoming, and supportive place to live. I want to thank Governor Shapiro for his leadership in supporting programs like PHARE, which directly improve the quality of life for residents like me. It’s not just about buildings — it’s about people. It’s about preserving our homes, ensuring accessibility, and helping residents live with dignity and pride.”
“Conestoga North Townhouse homeownership project represents more than bricks and mortar. It stands as a symbol of what’s possible when vision, community, and partnership come together,” said Jose R. Lopez, President and CEO of the Spanish American Civic Association (SACA) and SACA Development Corporation. “At SACA Development, we have always believed that safe, affordable housing is the foundation for opportunity and economic stability. The PHARE investment in this project is a testament to what can be accomplished when local leadership, state agencies, and committed partners align around a shared mission. I am deeply proud of the role SACA played in bringing this vision to life. Projects like this are not isolated successes; they are models for sustainable, transformative impact that uplifts entire communities.”
"We can see the effects in our communities — and that’s why the work we’re doing on housing matters,” said Representative Ismail Smith-Wade-El. ”Everything we talk about — education, job creation, making Pennsylvania a place where people want to come, where they want to learn, get a degree, stay, work in the trades, and build the housing we need — all of it relies on making sure people have a place to start their day every morning. I’m so proud to have a Governor who actually has a housing action plan. I’m proud to have a Governor who’s taking proactive steps to help protect and house our unhoused neighbors. We cannot take that for granted — especially at a time when the need is so apparent in every part of our community.”
Historic Housing Investments Under the Shapiro Administration
Governor Shapiro’s 2024–25 bipartisan budget made major strides to address Pennsylvania’s housing crisis — nearly doubling the Commonwealth’s commitment to affordable housing by raising the PHARE Fund cap from $60 million to $100 million per year by 2027. Building on that progress, the Governor’s 2025–26 budget proposal calls for an additional $10 million increase in PHARE funding by 2028–29, raising the cap to $110 million and delivering the largest overall housing investment in Pennsylvania history.
The Governor’s budget proposal also includes:
- $50 million for a new statewide housing repair fund to help homeowners fix aging homes
- $10 million to help first-time homebuyers with closing costs
- Targeted eviction record sealing reform to improve access to housing and employment
- New investments to strengthen local zoning and permitting capacity and speed up home construction
- Establishing an Interagency Council on Homelessness to improve coordination of services and support unhoused Pennsylvanians
In September 2024, Governor Shapiro signed Executive Order 2024-03, creating Pennsylvania’s first-ever comprehensive Housing Action Plan to expand affordable housing, address homelessness, and make the Commonwealth more competitive. The plan is guiding efforts to increase housing availability, affordability, and quality through a multi-agency approach that brings together state, local, and federal partners with stakeholders across the public and private sectors.
Pennsylvania is currently short more than 100,000 housing units, and nearly 60 percent of homes were built before 1970. Meanwhile, the number of renters in Pennsylvania has grown by nearly 200,000 households since 2010 — even as the supply of low-cost rentals has declined.
Through investments like PHARE, the Shapiro Administration is taking action. Since Governor Shapiro took office, PHARE-funded housing projects have increased by 55 percent and over 1,000 projects have been funded to build or repair more than 8,200 housing units. The Governor has also expanded housing support through property tax relief, eviction prevention, and historic investments in legal aid and homelessness assistance — delivering on the promise he made to Pennsylvanians to make homes more affordable and more accessible.
Read more about Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal. Explore the Governor's 2025-26 Budget in Briefhere, or visit shapirobudget.pa.gov to learn more.
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