Fetterman renews call to turn Pa.’s Whole Home Repairs program into national initiative

US Sen. John Fetterman reintroduced a national version of Pennsylvania’s Whole Home Repairs program last week turning the popular program into a five-year pilot program. 

US Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) reintroduced a federal version of Pennsylvania’s popular Whole Home Repairs Program last week.

The Whole-Home Repairs Act is a bipartisan bill aimed at repairing blighted communities by providing grants and forgivable loans to low- and moderate-income homeowners and small landlords to weatherize and make necessary repairs to their homes.

“Last year, we took an idea that was born and bred in Pennsylvania and brought it to the national stage. Now we’re back to finish the job,” Fetterman said in a statement. 

“Millions of families are living in homes that are unsafe, unhealthy, or unlivable because they can’t afford repairs. The Whole-Home Repairs Act promotes a practical, proven solution to this problem. This program helped thousands of Pennsylvanians stay in their homes, imagine what it could do for families across the country. I will proudly continue pushing to make this happen at the federal level.”

State Sen. Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia) and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato championed the passage of Pennsylvania’s Whole Home Repairs program after securing $125 million in the 2022-2023 state budget. The program was funded with money from the American Rescue Plan. 

Following its initial success, Pennsylvania Democrats pushed for permanent funding through the budget process to no avail. 

Demand for the program was astronomically high at the time. Counties such as Allegheny, Lehigh and Luzerne had ten times the amount of applicants than grants they were able to award.

“Frankly we’re not surprised,” Saval said about the program’s success in July 2023. “This is why we did the bill. We knew that the need was enormous. That the demand would be just as enormous, and we’re seeing that across the commonwealth.”

There are roughly 6.7 million Americans across the country who live in homes with serious deficiencies such as leaking roofs, mold, faulty wiring or inadequate heating and cooling systems according to the Join Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. 

Fetterman’s bill has the support from a number of housing advocates from across the country and it looks to create a five-year pilot program.