By Alex Rochè, Director of Advocacy
I am not sure if you saw, but in early November, there was an election. Given the nearly 1 billion dollars spent in Pennsylvania on federal election ads, I am not sure how anyone could not have heard about the election while watching your favorite program (I am rewatching Parks and Rec). Between that and the 22 political text messages a day, I wanted to get off the grid like Ron Swanson by the time I cast my vote on Nov. 5 (seriously, give Parks and Rec a watch).
While the 2024 federal elections dominated headlines, I want to focus on Pennsylvania’s state politics, which directly impact residents’ daily lives. Despite all the local ads too, the results of Pennsylvania’s 2024 state elections did not alter the partisan composition of the legislature: the House of Representatives remains under Democratic control, while the Senate continues with a Republican majority. This balance of power ensures that the next two legislative sessions will operate within the same framework of bipartisan negotiation and compromise seen in the past couple of years.
Pennsylvania’s bipartisan legislature has set the stage for a continued dynamic partnership with Gov. Josh Shapiro. Gov. Shapiro and the legislator have prioritized bipartisan solutions, evident in the passage of the 2023-2024 state budget. While negotiations were occasionally contentious, compromises resulted in investments in public education, workforce development, economic development and public safety. Looking ahead to 2025, the legislature must maintain this collaborative spirit to address one of the state’s most urgent challenges: the housing crisis.
The U.S. housing crisis continues to be a pressing issue, with skyrocketing home prices, rising rents and limited affordable housing supply impacting communities nationwide. A shortage of 4 million to 7 million, depending on your source, housing units across the country underscores the urgency of the crisis, exacerbated by inflation, high interest rates and persistent wage stagnation. This national trend is felt in Berks County, where many residents face similar challenges: low inventory of affordable housing, increasing housing costs and economic pressures that leave some households on the brink of instability.
In Berks County, the housing shortage is compounded by growing demand for workforce housing as the region attracts new businesses and workers. Rents and home prices are rising faster than income levels, making it difficult for families to secure stable housing. These pressures threaten economic growth, as the lack of affordable housing directly impacts workforce retention and community well-being.
Addressing this crisis requires state and local leadership to work together. By maintaining a commitment to bipartisan action, the Pennsylvania legislature, alongside Gov. Shapiro, can expand funding for affordable housing development, streamline zoning regulations, update the municipal code and offer incentives for housing projects.
Locally, collaborative efforts between government, developers and non-profits can ensure sustainable solutions tailored to Berks County’s unique needs. We can already see this happening with events like Building the Boroughs, hosted by the County of Berks, the Reading-Berks Association of Realtors and the Berks County Planning Commission. This collaboration brought together state and local policy makers, community leaders, planners, business owners and others to discuss how we can continue to address housing needs, leverage economic development resources and create a sustainable and vibrant community using the concepts of joint comprehensive planning and zoning to help streamline developmental processes.
Pennsylvania’s and Berks County’s leaders have an opportunity to foster equitable growth, community stability and a future where safe, affordable housing is accessible to all. As we move forward into 2025 working towards those ideals, let’s continue to look to each other, our community and our local leaders remembering that we are greater together.