Harrisburg, PA — Late last night, PA lawmakers passed budget legislation that excluded funding for the extremely popular and proven successful Whole-Home Repairs program. In response, Pennsylvania Stands Up Communications Organizer Mary Collier has offered the following statement:

“Last night, Senate Republicans chose partisan politics over the proven needs of our communities. Every county in the Commonwealth has seen overwhelming demand for the Whole-Home Repairs Program that far exceeds what can be served with the first round of funding. By blocking funding this year, Republicans have left thousands more families vulnerable.

Without Whole-Home Repairs, over the past year, thousands of Pennsylvanians would be living in unhealthy homes with no recourse; others would have been forced to move from their communities, from their safety nets, and potentially even from the state. When you have a proven model and a proven need, you continuously work to help the program run smoothly. That’s not possible when you block funding to it. You block funding to a program when you are trying to kill it.

We’re in the midst of a national housing crisis and need to deploy every available tool to combat it. Whole-Home Repairs is the most enthusiastically received housing program in recent history. People heard about it and immediately recognized what it would do for their homes and communities. They deserve investment.

We will keep pushing past every roadblock to ensure our communities have what they need to be safe, healthy, and housed.

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Pennsylvania Stands Up is a statewide organization made up of dues-paying members dedicated to winning a Pennsylvania that works for all of us.

www.pastandsup.org