Housing for All
Everyone deserves a place to call home. It is where we watch our children grow, where we celebrate life’s victories, and where we comfort one another during difficult times. In recent years, several issues have arisen in the Philadelphia region regarding residential construction and faulty, defective building materials and/or building techniques. A family’s most valuable investment is often their home, and it can be devastating to learn that because of shoddy techniques used during construction, they now are facing repairs that could cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Development must be responsible and accountable. Because Joe believes homeowners deserve a fair deal, he has introduced a four-bill package that seeks to protect family homes and increase standards and safeguards for residential homes:
HB1854: A Residential Construction Lemon Law – This bill will create a guarantee that if there are a number of defects in new construction within the first two years from delivery to the owner, the builder shall repair construction defects within six months at no cost to the owner or be liable for double the repair costs.
HB1855: Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act – This bill would require that for a contractor or house flipper to be considered an “owner” under the act, they must live in the home as a private residence for one year following construction. This closes a loophole and ensures that house flippers are held responsible for the residences that they are rehabilitating.
Joe speaks at a press conference addressing construction problems in Philadelphia. (Sept. 2021)
HB1856: Adjacent Neighbor’s Bill of Rights – This bill advises homeowners of their rights and the laws surrounding construction including limitations on the hours when construction can occur, rights to clean and safe access, and rights to hold construction officials liable for any damage or disobedience to the law.
HB1857: Continuing Education for Construction Code Officials – This bill enhances the continuing education requirements for code enforcement officers to include education on illegal construction practices and adds the Attorney General as an entity capable of providing continuing education. It will also require continuing education for residential building code inspectors to include education on proper installation of stucco.
These four pieces of legislation would go a long way towards giving homeowners and neighborhoods the tools they need to keep their homes sound and neighborhoods safe.