According to Poll, 1 in 4 Pennsylvania Voters Need Critical Repairs to Their Homes
Contact: Johanna Kichton, press@peoplesaction.org, 202.660.0605
WASHINGTON, D.C.—People’s Action Institute and Data for Progress today unveiled new research showing critical need and bipartisan support for public investment in housing repairs. The poll comes as housing prices and rent costs skyrocket in Pennsylvania leaving many families cash-strapped and forced to choose between paying for housing, making necessary repairs to their home, or covering basic utility costs.
“A shocking number of Pennsylvanians cannot pay for their utilities or make home repairs that would keep them safe,” People’s Action Institute Movement Politics States Director Amanda Weaver said. “This polling shows that Pennsylvanians are clear on what they need to stay in their homes and save on energy costs. Legislators should listen to them and pass the Whole-Home Repairs Act to create good jobs and good homes.”
“Pennsylvanians have been struggling to afford their home repairs for decades now, and increasingly dangerous weather events have highlighted the urgency for public investments into housing in the state,” Data for Progress Polling Analyst Anika Dandeker said. “Legislators in the state have a clear mandate from their constituents, both Democrats and Republicans alike: pass the Whole-Home Repairs Act to save energy and keep communities housed.”
“The Whole-Home Repairs Act is a direct response to the needs expressed by Pennsylvanians—my office may have put pen to paper, but this bill was written by them,” Pennsylvania State Sen. Nikil Saval said. Saval serves as Democratic Chair of the Senate’s Urban Affairs & Housing Committee. “Our Commonwealth has a revenue surplus of nearly $10 billion, and these results show there’s no better use for it than to help Pennsylvanians repair and maintain their homes. I’m proud to join my Democrat and Republican colleagues in the Senate and the House and call for this investment in our housing, in our communities, and in our constituents.”
Specifically, the new polling showed clear bipartisan support among Pennsylvania likely voters for public investment in home repairs:
- 1 in 4 Pennsylvania voters need critical repairs to their homes;
- Nearly 1 in 3 Pennsylvania voters say their utility bills are unaffordable;
- Nearly half of Pennsylvanian voters who are homeowners would struggle to pay for a critical repair; and
- A bipartisan majority of Pennsylvanian voters support the Whole-Home Repairs Act.
Pennsylvania has some of the oldest housing stock in the nation. The Whole-Home Repairs Act is a bipartisan bill that would create a one-stop shop for home repairs and weatherization while simultaneously building out Pennsylvania’s workforce and adding new family-sustaining jobs in a growing field. This bill is the first of its kind in the nation and can offer a blueprint to other states and municipalities on how to ensure working class people and communities of color can stay warm, safe, and dry in homes they can afford.
The new polling data may be found here.
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People’s Action Institute’s mission is to advance a long-term agenda for racial, economic, and gender justice by investing in powerful state and local organizations and campaigns that win real change in people’s lives and build a bigger “we.”
Data for Progress is a progressive think tank and polling firm which arms movements with data-driven tools to fight for a more equitable future. DFP provides polling, data-based messaging, and policy generation for the progressive movement, and advises campaigns and candidates with the tools they need to win. DFP polling is regularly cited by The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSNBC, CBS News, and hundreds of other trusted news organizations. Learn more at dataforprogress.org or follow DFP on Twitter at @dataprogress.