Shapiro Administration Invests in Affordable Housing, Touts Progress Under PHARE Program

Strategic Insights -

Pennsylvania's Governor Josh Shapiro, in a recent press release, highlighted the grand opening of JMB Gardens, a new 41-unit affordable housing community in Harrisburg. Developed by former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy's firm, Vice Capital, the project was made possible with over $1.3 million in state support through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). This investment reflects the Shapiro Administration's commitment to making housing more affordable and accessible. Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has nearly doubled the Commonwealth's investment in the PHARE program, which helped fund JMB Gardens. The 2025-26 budget proposal calls for the largest overall housing investment in Pennsylvania history, with new funding to help families repair aging homes, support first-time homebuyers with closing costs, and build more affordable housing faster.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Shapiro Administration has nearly doubled the Commonwealth's investment in the PHARE program since taking office.
  • The 2025-26 budget proposal calls for the largest overall housing investment in Pennsylvania history.
  • JMB Gardens, a new 41-unit affordable housing community, was developed by Vice Capital and funded with over $1.3 million in state support through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA).
  • Since taking office, Governor Shapiro's PHARE-funded housing projects have increased by 55 percent, with more than 1,000 projects funded to build or repair over 8,200 housing units across the Commonwealth.
  • The latest round of PHARE funding announced in June 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 serving households earning less than 50 percent of the area median income.
  • 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.
  • The Governor's 2025-26 budget proposal includes a new statewide housing repair fund to help homeowners fix aging homes, funding to help first-time homebuyers with closing costs, and targeted eviction record sealing reform to improve access to housing and employment.

Statistics:

  • Since Governor Shapiro took office, PHARE-funded housing projects have increased by 55 percent, with over 1,000 projects funded to build or repair over 8,200 housing units across the Commonwealth.
  • The latest round of PHARE funding announced in June 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 serving households earning less than 50 percent of the area median income.
  • Pennsylvania is currently short more than 100,000 housing units, and nearly 60 percent of homes were built before 1970.
  • 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.

Sources:

  • Department of Commonwealth Pennsylvania news release
  • Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA)
  • Governor Shapiro's 2025-26 budget proposal
  • Governor Shapiro's 2024-25 bipartisan budget
  • Executive Order 2024-03, creating Pennsylvania's first-ever comprehensive Housing Action Plan
  • Shapiro budget.pa.gov