Section 135-C - Whole-Home Repairs Program.(a) Program established.--The department shall establish the Whole-Home Repairs Program. In administering the Whole-Home Repairs Program, the department shall coordinate with existing Federal and State resources relating to home repairs. From money appropriated for COVID Relief - ARPA - Whole Home Repairs Program, the department shall award funds to no more than one applicant per county. The department may develop and publish guidelines to implement the Whole-Home Repairs Program. The department and grantees may receive up to 4% each for administrative costs to implement this subsection from money appropriated for the Whole-Home Repairs Program. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit an applicant which receives funds from the program under this section from subgranting the funds to another entity approved by the department to perform any of the purposes specified in subsection (b), (c) or (d). An applicant which subgrants the funds to another entity shall notify the department and the department shall maintain a list of the applicants and subgrantees contact information on its publicly accessible Internet website.(b)Grants.--An applicant who receives funds from the Whole-Home Repairs Program shall make grants available to homeowners whose household income does not exceed 80% of the area median income and shall make loans available to small landlords renting affordable units and recorded against a residential property in a mortgage security. A single grant to a homeowner or a single loan to a small landlord may not exceed $50,000 per owner-occupied or rental unit and may be used to address habitability concerns, improve energy or water efficiency or to make units accessible for individuals with disabilities.(c) Loan forgiveness.--The following shall apply:(1) A loan to a small landlord under Subsection (b) may be forgiven if all of the following apply: (i) The small landlord offered a three-year extension of the lease to a tenant occupying a unit when the funds were accepted by the small landlord.(ii) Annual increases in monthly rent have not exceeded 3% of the base rent or the unit has been occupied by a tenant participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program for a period of no less than 15 years.(iii) In the prior 15 years, the small landlord has not committed a serious violation with regard to the small landlord's rental property for which the small landlord has taken no substantial steps to correct the violation.(iv) The small landlord has maintained ownership of the unit for a period of no less than 15 years.(2) The applicant shall recapture a loan not forgiven under this paragraph.(d) Use of funds.--An applicant who receives funds from the Whole-Home Repairs Program shall also use the funds to do all of the following:(1) Administer the program under this section, including staff, implementing systems and data management tools designed to maximize enrollment in all existing home repair programs administered by nonprofit organizations, governmental entities and public utilities.(2) Invest in workforce development programs that will connect trainees to jobs through committed employer partnerships related to improving the habitability and performance of homes, including cash stipends for trainees and costs related to the design and implementation of pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship and publicly funded on-the-job training programs.(e) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Affordable unit." A unit where the rent is affordable to a tenant at or below 60% of the area median income adjusted for household size, as defined annually by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency's PennHOMES Program countywide limits.
"Applicant." A nonprofit or governmental entity that serves one or more county.
"Department." The Department of Community and Economic Development.
"Habitability concern." Home repairs that are required to ensure that residential units are:
(1) fit for human habitation;(2) free from defective conditions of health and safety hazards, including asbestos, mold, pests and lead; or(3) free of conditions preventing the installation of measures to improve energy or water efficiency and lower utility costs. "Small landlord." A person who meets all of the following criteria:
(1) The person is a landlord.(2) The person has an ownership stake in no more than five properties and no more than 15 rental units.(3) The person rents the properties or units under paragraph (2) for use as a primary residence for a fee, regardless of the length or form of lease. Added by P.L. TBD 2022 No. 54, § 4, eff. 7/11/2022.