Housing

HB 1062 creates a statewide system for tracking neighborhood blight by requiring municipalities to collect data on property maintenance violations. It establishes a Property Maintenance Code Serious Violations Registry to list properties with repeated severe maintenance issues and a dedicated funding account to support blight remediation efforts. The bill directly affects Pennsylvania municipalities, property owners, and landlords in areas designated as blighted, providing local governments with standardized data to target enforcement. Key provisions include mandatory data collection by cities/towns, a centralized registry for serious violations, and dedicated funding through the new account to aid property rehabilitation. If enacted, this would standardize blight reporting and funding across Pennsylvania communities.

This Pennsylvania bill prohibits real estate service agreements that unfairly bind future property owners, create liens, or allow silent assignment without owner notification. It makes such agreements unenforceable, bans their recording (with misdemeanor penalties), and allows consumers to sue for damages - $5,000 minimum or actual losses, $15,000 for seniors over 60. The law directly affects homeowners and buyers who sign real estate service contracts, ensuring transparency and preventing deceptive terms. It also provides remedies including debt forgiveness, attorney fees, and court orders to void invalid agreements.

This bill allows land banks to acquire blighted or abandoned properties under specific conditions. Municipalities must verify properties have been vacant/blighted for 5 years (with exceptions for unimproved land), have building code violations or tax delinquency, and send three certified mail notices to owners. Property owners can appeal by submitting a redevelopment plan with financing, architectural details, or developer contracts; if approved, they get 6-month extensions but must meet redevelopment timelines. Land banks must pay owners the property's appraised value minus fines or liens, directly affecting land banks, municipalities, and owners of distressed properties.

HB 472 amends Pennsylvania's vehicle code to support minors experiencing homelessness (defined as individuals under 18 meeting federal homelessness criteria under 42 U.S.C. § 11434A). It allows these minors to use temporary addresses (like schools or shelters) for license applications, substitute school/social worker signatures for parental/guardian signatures, and waive initial license/ID fees. The bill directly affects homeless youth under 18 seeking driver's licenses or learner's permits in Pennsylvania. Key provisions include updated definitions in Section 102, revised application requirements in Sections 1505(g), 1506(c), and 1507(a), and fee waivers in Sections 1510(k) and 1951(e).