21 hours Ago By Tom Riese
State lawmakers gathered in Harrisburg Wednesday to denounce what they see as a Trump administration rollback of anti-discrimination housing laws. They’re aiming to garner bipartisan support in the state Senate to ensure Pennsylvania upholds federal standards that have been in place for decades. Allegheny County state Senators Jay Costa, Wayne Fontana, Lindsey Williams and Nick Pisciottano joined Philadelphia-area lawmakers to discuss a package of bills to block steep rent increases , seal eviction records , establish a housing fund for survivors of domestic violence, and allow counties to raise more money for housing trust funds.
A constitutional amendment to allow local officials to lower property taxes for seniors is also on the table, they said. Costa, who leads Senate Democrats, said new state laws are needed to counter federal cuts to organizations that enforce national anti-discrimination housing laws. He said Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who has so far led the administration’s effort to ax government spending, are eroding rules put forth by the federal Fair Housing Act in 1968.
“But as Trump and Musk continue to dismantle the housing protections and funding, we as Senate Democrats are clear and are going to continue to work, push back and fight back, and enact legislation here in Harrisburg to be able to offset those,” Costa said. Along with a $50 million proposal by Gov. Josh Shapiro to replenish the funds in a popular but depleted home repair program in next year’s budget, Williams said the state should increase spending on quality affordable housing.
“Constituents of mine live in public housing properties with failing heat systems, with rats in their kitchen, with holes in their ceilings — it's inexcusable,” she said. “These residents need protections, they need investments — they don't need cuts. Joining the Allegheny County delegation were Senators Amanda Cappelletti of Montgomery, Marty Flynn of Lackawanna, as well as Vincent Hughes and Nikil Saval, both of Philadelphia.
Democrats launched a similar effort last month in the state House . In the Senate, party members hope Republicans will support the measures, and ultimately agree to Shapiro’s budget, which is supposed to be passed by the end of June. Wednesday’s press conference was also attended by newly-elected Democrat James Malone of Lancaster County, who upset a Republican and added to Democrats’ numbers in the chamber.
Costa said that extra vote would be beneficial as budget negotiations move forward. Republican leadership did not immediately respond to a request asking which of the Democratic housing proposals would be most likely to be considered. One proposal discussed Wednesday — to seal court records of eviction proceedings — has found bipartisan support in the Senate, with Republican Camera Bartolotta of Washington County also sponsoring the measure.
( Supporters of the measure say that having such records publicly available can make it harder for families to ever obtain stable housing.) Most of the Democratic proposals have yet to be formally introduced, making it unclear if there’s Republican co-sponsorship support. Among groups affected by Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts in southwestern Pennsylvania, the Fair Housing Law Center, based in Washington, Pa.
lost a federal grant worth $425,000, WESA previously reported . A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order on the move by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Fair Housing Law Center still can’t access the money, despite the court ruling. Asked whether state lawmakers would try to replace lost funding for groups like the law center, Costa said many Pennsylvania organizations may be looking to the state to “backfill” funding as federal grants are terminated.
“Those may be part of those conversations as we go forward, because these are important programs,” he said. “If we don't do that, we're subjecting ourselves to an outcome that's simply not good for anyone.” Kate Giammarise contributed reporting.
.
