Housing

HB 1020 creates a system for Pennsylvania municipalities to register vacant and blighted properties and impose annual fees on owners who fail to bring properties into compliance with municipal codes. Properties remain on the registry until owners fix issues or sell to compliant buyers, with fees starting at $500 in year one and rising to $5,000 after nine years. Exemptions include properties under active renovation (within 12 months of a permit), those actively marketed for sale/rent (with time limits), and government-owned properties. This directly affects property owners in municipalities that adopt the registration program, requiring them to pay escalating fees if properties remain unaddressed.

HB 369 amends Pennsylvania's land bank law by updating two key definitions in the property code. It changes "land bank jurisdiction" to allow two or more small municipalities (each with fewer than 10,000 residents) to form a land bank together through an agreement. The bill also expands "municipality" to include home rule, optional plan, and optional charter municipalities. These changes clarify which local governments can establish land banks under current law. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.