SB 218 — An Act amending the act of May 28, 1937 (P.L.955, No.265), referred to as the Housing Authorities Law, further providing for establishment of rentals and selection of tenants and for veteran preferences.

PRINTER'S NO.    167

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 218
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY LANGERHOLC, ROTHMAN, PHILLIPS-HILL, BROWN,
        HUTCHINSON, STEFANO, J. WARD, PENNYCUICK, VOGEL AND DUSH,
        FEBRUARY 3, 2025

     REFERRED TO URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING, FEBRUARY 3, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of May 28, 1937 (P.L.955, No.265), entitled "An
 2      act to promote public health, safety, morals, and welfare by
 3      declaring the necessity of creating public bodies, corporate
 4      and politic, to be known as housing authorities to engage in
 5      slum clearance, and to undertake projects, to provide
 6      dwelling accommodations for persons of low income; providing
 7      for the organization of such housing authorities; defining
 8      their powers and duties; providing for the exercise of such
 9      powers, including the acquisition of property by purchase,
10      gift or eminent domain, the renting and selling of property,
11      and including borrowing money, issuing bonds, and other
12      obligations, and giving security therefor; prescribing the
13      remedies of obligees of housing authorities; authorizing
14      housing authorities to enter into agreements, including
15      agreements with the United States, the Commonwealth, and
16      political subdivisions and municipalities thereof; defining
17      the application of zoning, sanitary, and building laws and
18      regulations to projects built or maintained by such housing
19      authorities; exempting the property and securities of such
20      housing authorities from taxation; and imposing duties and
21      conferring powers upon the State Planning Board, and certain
22      other State officers and departments," further providing for
23      establishment of rentals and selection of tenants and for
24      veteran preferences.
25      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
26   hereby enacts as follows:
27      Section 1.    Section 13 of the act of May 28, 1937 (P.L.955,
28   No.265), referred to as the Housing Authorities Law, is amended
 1   to read:
 2      Section 13.   Establishment of Rentals and Selection of
 3   Tenants.--Subject to the preferences under section 13.2, an
 4   Authority may rent or lease dwelling accommodations only to
 5   persons of low income and at rentals within their financial
 6   reach. It may rent or lease to a tenant a dwelling consisting of
 7   the number of rooms (but no greater number) which it deems
 8   necessary to provide safe and sanitary accommodations to the
 9   proposed occupants thereof without overcrowding. It shall not
10   accept any person as a tenant in any housing project if the
11   person or persons, who would occupy the dwelling, have an
12   aggregate annual income in excess of six times the annual rental
13   of the quarters to be furnished such person or persons. In
14   computing rental for the purpose of selecting tenants, there
15   shall be included in the rental the average annual cost, as
16   determined by the Authority, to the occupants of heat, water,
17   electricity, gas, cooking range, and other necessary services or
18   facilities, whether or not the charge for such services and
19   facilities is in fact included in the rental. An Authority may
20   not rent or lease dwelling accommodations to a person who is not
21   a citizen of the United States or any person who is present in
22   this Commonwealth or the United States in violation of 8 U.S.C.
23   Ch. 12 (relating to immigration and nationality). Every
24   Authority shall file a schedule of its rental charges for
25   dwelling accommodations with the State Planning Board.
26      Nothing contained in this or the preceding section shall be
27   construed as limiting the power of an Authority to vest in an
28   obligee the right, in the event of a default by the Authority,
29   to take possession of a housing project, or cause the
30   appointment of a receiver thereof, or acquire title thereto

20250SB0218PN0167                  - 2 -
 1   through foreclosure proceedings, free from all the restrictions
 2   imposed by this or the preceding section.
 3      Section 2.   Section 13.2 of the act is amended by adding a
 4   subsection to read:
 5      Section 13.2.   Veteran Preferences.--* * *
 6      (b.1)   The preference established by this section shall apply
 7   to all programs offered by the authority for which the recipient
 8   of the preference qualifies.
 9      * * *
10      Section 3.   This act shall take effect immediately.




20250SB0218PN0167                   - 3 -