It’s Mary from PA Stands Up!
My pal, Hannah, who usually sends you these biweekly emails, is offline celebrating her birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNAH!), so I have the privilege of reaching out to you instead.
This past Tuesday, I spent Earth Day reflecting on the intersection between the climate and housing crises we’re facing here in Pennsylvania, and I’d like to share some of my thoughts with y’all to process with me.
I believe, and I hope y’all do too, that no matter the color of our skin, where in Pennsylvania we live, whether we rent or own our homes, or how much money’s in our pockets, we all should have safe, accessible, sustainable, and permanently affordable housing. I also believe we all deserve to breathe clean air and drink safe water.
But for too long, greedy billionaires have been lining the pockets of certain politicians in Harrisburg so they can get away with poisoning our air and our water, putting our lives and families at risk, just to line their pockets. As the climate crisis worsens because of corporate greed, extreme weather events like heat waves, hurricanes, and flooding are hitting our neighborhoods more and more often, and our old housing stock wasn’t built to withstand these impacts.
Did you know that almost 60 percent of the homes in Pennsylvania were built before 1970? The median age of homes in Pennsylvania is 57 years old, and in some cities, such as Bethlehem, where I’m from, the median age is 70 years. Not only are older homes not climate resilient, but they also face a range of maintenance problems, including lead contamination, blight, poor insulation, roof holes, failing plumbing, electrical wiring issues, pest and mold infestations, and more.
Imagine with me, a future where our state government invests in green, affordable housing projects to develop energy efficient homes that lower our utility bills and use less fossil fuels. What if they were built with resiliency in mind to withstand climate hazards, such as floods and wildfires? What if our politicians were serious about addressing environmental racism by passing housing policies to address and undo the legacy of racial discrimination, segregation, and environmental pollution?
We deserve a state government that holds greedy developers and fossil fuel CEOs accountable while investing in green public housing, measures that protect tenants and homeowners alike, and housing justice reparations for Black and Brown PA families hurt by decades of racist housing and energy policies.
That’s the future we’re fighting for here across our chapters and statewide at PA Stands Up. Together, we can build a future where housing and climate justice are a reality for all Pennsylvanians, but we need you in the fight with us.
If you live outside of our chapter regions (Lancaster, Berks, Lehigh Valley, Northeast PA) reply to this email so I can plug you in with our statewide work.
If you’re already a dues-paying member, consider donating to help us continue our fight for working Pennsylvanians.
Let’s honor Earth Day by organizing for climate and housing justice in PA!
Mary