Senator Saval speaks at a 2022 rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania during the Whole House Repairs Campaign. Created as part of the $125 million 2022-2023 budget, it was the first home repair and community stabilization program of its kind in the country.
Since its launch, Pennsylvania’s Whole House Repair Program has helped repair nearly 4,000 homes across the Commonwealth and has been hailed as a groundbreaking tool in the fight against the housing and energy affordability crises. Expanding the program at the federal level opens the door to these benefits for communities across the country, with the possibility of additional funding for Pennsylvania.
HARRISBURG, PA – June 23, 2026 – Today, with Congress’ passage of the sweeping 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, Pennsylvania’s famous whole-home repair program has been expanded to a national pilot.
Whole House Repair was developed, implemented and supported by State Senator Nikil Saval (D – Philadelphia) in 2022 in partnership with a coalition of housing and energy advocates, community partners and Pennsylvanians. It passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan majorities, creating an opportunity for the program to benefit communities across the country.
Following the federal transition, Saval released the following statement:
“When we passed the Whole Home Repair Program, we hoped it would serve as a model for other states grappling with how to preserve their aging housing stock and protect the health of their residents. Today’s passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act demonstrates the realization of that hope.
“Four years ago, in the face of a chronic housing crisis that threatens the safety and well-being of millions of Pennsylvanians, including hundreds of thousands living in homes in need of critical repairs, members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly came together to take decisive, meaningful action.
“The creation of the Whole Home Repair Program was a direct investment in the health of Pennsylvanians and the stability of our communities. The program was the first statewide response to the epidemic of destruction afflicting our aging homes. It provided people with the opportunity to protect their homes from extreme weather and high energy costs. It provided resources for residents to adapt their homes so they could remain even as their opportunities changed. Moreover, in a time of depopulation and displacement, it offered critical support for Pennsylvanians to remain in their communities.”
“Now these benefits will be available to communities across the country – a victory made possible by the unwavering efforts of a dedicated coalition of advocates, organizers and residents. I am extremely proud of Pennsylvania for leading the way for national housing action and extremely grateful to our federal partners for their vision and commitment to enabling people across the country to live in warm, safe and dry homes.”
The Pennsylvania Whole Home Repair Program has created one-stop-shops in every Pennsylvania county for home repair and weatherproofing, while building a skilled local workforce and creating recent, family-sustaining jobs. Since its launch, almost 4,000 households have benefited from the program, and home repairs are ongoing across the Commonwealth.
The success of Pennsylvania’s whole-house repair program has inspired work on similar programs in other states, including Maine, Maryland and Washington state. Saval’s office met with legislators and advocates across the country, and Saval traveled to Washington, D.C. to consult with federal policymakers about adopting the program nationally.
The passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act comes as people across the United States grapple with a prolonged housing affordability crisis. One in three American households is cost-burdened, spending at least 30% of their monthly income on housing costs; almost one in six citizens is severely cost-burdened and spends at least 50% of their income on housing.
The long-awaited bipartisan housing bill, introduced by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D – Massachusetts) and Tim Scott (R – South Carolina) and U.S. Representatives Maxine Waters (D – California) and French Hill (R – Arkansas), passed both chambers with overwhelming support. The bill is expected to be signed by the president on Wednesday.
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Senator Nikil Saval is a father, husband, writer and organizer representing Pennsylvania’s First Senatorial District. Serving as Democratic chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee and chairman of the Senate delegation to Philadelphia, Saval’s legislative work focuses on a critical response to Pennsylvania’s housing, mass incarceration, wages and climate crises while pushing for deep structural change. He is fighting for a Philadelphia and a Pennsylvania that works for all.
