Introduction

On March 11, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a $1.9 trillion stimulus package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This historic legislation authorized the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program, which provided state, local, tribal, and territorial governments with $350 billion in flexible funding to replace lost revenue, respond to the pandemic’s economic and health impacts, and invest in critical infrastructure.1  

A little more than a year after they began, they secured $125 million to provide funding directly to low-income Pennsylvania residents for home repair and weatherization.

In Pennsylvania, community organizers, housing and environmental justice advocates, and elected officials saw this influx of resources as an opportunity to address the state’s ongoing housing crisis. This coalition created a campaign rooted in environmental and economic justice to fight for weatherized, green, and affordable housing. Through strategic communication and organizing, the Whole Home Repairs Campaign developed broad-based, bipartisan support for a statewide program to help improve housing quality through home repairs. A little more than a year after they began, they secured $125 million to provide funding directly to low-income Pennsylvania residents for home repair and weatherization. 

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The success of the Whole Home Repairs Campaign teaches us two powerful lessons. First, addressing the housing crisis will require multiple solutions, including improving housing quality. Home repair programs can be critical to increasing the supply of quality housing in our communities.  

Organizing and community-involved decision-making can steer public investments toward community needs.

The campaign also illustrates how organizing and community-involved decision-making can steer public investments toward community needs. Grassroots organizations were at the table, and lawmakers listened. As a result, Pennsylvanian families have another valuable public resource for supporting their health and economic security.  

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