All Aboard!
The Pittsburgh Land Bank, or PLB, board elected new leadership and new members at its meeting last month. Beltzhoover Consensus Group consultant and PCRG Board Member Jennifer Cash Wade replaced Dr. Jamil Bey. District 9 Council Member Khari Mosley took over for Rev. Burgess and was elected secretary. Veteran board member Council Member Daniel Lavalle of District 6 was named vice chair of the board, District 1’s Bobby Wilson was installed as the body’s chair – and Wanda Wilson as treasurer.
PCRG is excited for the changes in PLB board leadership. There remains a lot of work to do to get a fully functioning land bank and we need to build off the recent momentum from the tri-party cooperation agreement and the state’s passage of the municipal tax claims and liens law, or MCTLL, to finalize the taxing body agreements with the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, school district, and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority.
Governor’s Budget Recap
Last month, Gov. Shapiro released his $48 billion 2024-25 budget proposal, and, as promised, we’ve highlighted the details for you here. The state legislature began appropriations hearings with state agencies and departments and has until June 30 to pass this budget.
Building on a successful state program
Pennsylvania junior Sen. John Fetterman (D), along with Wyoming Sen., Cynthia Lummis (R) introduced a bipartisan federal version of the popular Pennsylvania Whole Home Repairs Program. The Pennsylvania version – introduced by Senator Nikil Saval and then state representative Sara Innamorato – provides direct grants of up to $50,000 to homeowners for critical home repairs.
The federal Whole-Home Repairs Act would create a national five-year pilot program like the state’s version. We’ll keep you posted once more information becomes available on this legislation.
Have you heard?
A group of state legislators introduced two proposals aimed at improving lending disparities between white and Black Pennsylvanians. The first would direct the PA Department of Banking to partner with state-charted financial institutions to produce outreach programs for underbanked communities. The second proposal would create a statewide task force to research racial wealth disparities and produce policy solutions. It's worth noting that Pennsylvania does not have a state version of the federal Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA.
Speaking of CRA
The American Bankers Association, or ABA, filed a lawsuit in the 5th District Federal Court to block the new CRA modernization regulations that are scheduled to begin in 2026. This is nothing new from the ABA, as they previously filed – and lost – a suit against the recent small business lending data disclosure policy as part of Section 1071 of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
PCRG stands firm with community development advocates around the country – including our partners at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, or NCRC – and will fight against this frivolous lawsuit. Follow us for breaking updates on the lawsuit, impacts of the modernized CRA on communities, educational series and more.