Inside Pennsylvania's Housing Action Plan: A Regional Briefing with State and Local Leaders

Photo credit: Rodney Atienza

HealthSpark Foundation recently hosted a community briefing on the Pennsylvania Housing Action Plan, serving as venue and thought partner for an event led by Bucks-Mont Collaborative. 

This convening marked the first regional forum to publicly share and discuss the Housing Action Plan, creating continued momentum for community informed implementation. HealthSpark hosted a local roundtable discussion in December 2024 to ensure that local voices contributed to the plan's development.

The briefing included a representative from the Governor's Office, Morgan Boyd, Special Assistant to the Secretary of Community and Economic Development. Morgan delivered a comprehensive deep dive into the plan's goals. This presentation grounded the conversation in the statewide vision while clarifying how the plan is designed to support communities across the state's regions. 

Following the presentation, Jamila Winder, Chair of the Montgomery County Commissioners offered forward-thinking remarks that emphasized the importance of long-term planning, cross-sector collaboration, and aligning local decision-making with the opportunities presented by the plan. 

Afterwards, Phyllis Chamberlain, Executive Director of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, moderated a panel discussion "Impact, Opportunities & Reflections" with Neil Makhija, Vice Chair, Montgomery County Commissioners; Robert J. Harvie Jr., Vice Chair, Bucks County Commissioners; and Marian D. Moskowitz, Vice Chair, Chester County Commissioners. All three Commissioners drew upon their local leadership experience and priorities, expressing optimism about the plan's potential impact while also raising thoughtful considerations related to implementation at the county and regional level. 

Key themes included the importance of aligning housing development with transportation infrastructure to ensure residents can access employment, healthcare, and essential services. The Commissioners also emphasized concerns around population growth and retention, noting that housing affordability and availability are central to communities' long-term sustainability. 

Additional priorities discussed included the need for dedicated funding for accessible housing units, ensuring individuals with disabilities, older adults, and others with accessibility needs are fully included in future developments. The Commissioners also highlighted the importance of supporting first-time homebuyers, particularly as rising costs and limited inventory continue to present barriers to homeownership. 

A shared concern across counties was the growing challenge facing younger generations, who are increasingly unable to secure affordable housing- both rental and ownership options - within the communities where they live and work. Leaders underscored that without intentional affordability strategies, regions risk losing younger residents critical to long-term economic and civic vitality. 

This early convening reinforced the value of state-local collaboration and cross-county dialogue as the Housing Action Plan moves from vision to implementation. We are proud to have supported this conversation as a host and thought partner, and look forward to continued collaboration to ensure the plan delivers equitable, lasting outcomes for communities across the region. 

This event was sponsored by fellow Bucks-Mont Collaborative partners TriCounty Community Network and Interagency Council of Norristown as part of their C3 mission and by the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania. 

Read the Pennsylvania Housing Action Plan

Learn about HealthSpark's Housing Justice Framework