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PA HB1696

PA HB1696
Establishing the Pennsylvania Lease with Guaranteed Purchase Option Home Ownership Program and the Pennsylvania Lease with Guaranteed Purchase Option Home Ownership Program Fund.


summary

Introduced
07/07/2025
In Committee
07/07/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2025-2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

Amending the act of December 3, 1959 (P.L.1688, No.621), entitled "An act to promote the health, safety and welfare of the people of the Commonwealth by broadening the market for housing for persons and families of low and moderate income and alleviating shortages thereof, and by assisting in the provision of housing for elderly persons through the creation of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency as a public corporation and government instrumentality; providing for the organization, membership and administration of the agency, prescribing its general powers and duties and the manner in which its funds are kept and audited, empowering the agency to make housing loans to qualified mortgagors upon the security of insured and uninsured mortgages, defining qualified mortgagors and providing for priorities among tenants in certain instances, prescribing interest rates and other terms of housing loans, permitting the agency to acquire real or personal property, permitting the agency to make agreements with financial institutions and Federal agencies, providing for the purchase by persons of low and moderate income of housing units, and approving the sale of housing units, permitting the agency to sell housing loans, providing for the promulgation of regulations and forms by the agency, prescribing penalties for furnishing false information, empowering the agency to borrow money upon its own credit by the issuance and sale of bonds and notes and by giving security therefor, permitting the refunding, redemption and purchase of such obligations by the agency, prescribing remedies of holders of such bonds and notes, exempting bonds and notes of the agency, the income therefrom, and the income and revenues of the agency from taxation, except transfer, death and gift taxes; making such bonds and notes legal investments for certain purposes; and indicating how the act shall become effective," establishing the Pennsylvania Lease with Guaranteed Purchase Option Home Ownership Program and the Pennsylvania Lease with Guaranteed Purchase Option Home Ownership Program Fund.

AI Summary

This bill establishes the Pennsylvania Lease with Guaranteed Purchase Option Home Ownership Program, which is designed to help low and moderate-income households (those earning at or below 80% of the area median income) access homeownership through a unique leasing arrangement. The program allows individuals to lease a property with a guaranteed option to purchase the home in the future, with at least 20% of monthly rent payments being deposited into an escrow account that can be used towards the eventual home purchase. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency will administer the program, which includes provisions for matching funds, home ownership counseling, and specific protections for lessees such as limits on eviction and mandatory disclosures by lessors. The bill creates a dedicated fund in the State Treasury to support the program and requires the agency to develop standard lease agreements, develop annual implementation plans, and provide annual reports on program activities. Key features include preferences for projects in distressed areas, mandatory matching funds for lessees' escrow accounts, and exemptions from realty transfer taxes for program participants. The program aims to increase affordable housing opportunities by providing a structured pathway to homeownership for low-income households, with built-in protections and support to help lessees successfully transition to home ownership.

Committee Categories

Housing and Urban Affairs

Sponsors (14)

Last Action

Referred to Housing & Community Development (on 07/07/2025)

bill text


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