New Polling: PA voters’ Want the Legislature to Take Action on Housing
Pennsylvania voters support state legislative proposals to address housing shortage
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania –A new statewide poll found that 84 percent of Pennsylvania voters believe that the cost of renting or buying a home is a major problem in Pennsylvania. The survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania assessed residents’ priorities, their views toward the current state of the housing market, and their support for new policies that would expand housing availability and affordability in the state.
“Pennsylvania voters are sending a clear message that housing solutions like Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) are not just popular, they’re necessary,” said Chris Rosselot, Policy Director of Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group. “With 66% of voters supporting policies that make it easier to build ADUs, there is growing recognition that these flexible housing options can lower costs for both renters and homeowners while increasing overall supply in our communities. Given how outdated zoning codes have limited these opportunities across much of the Commonwealth, it’s encouraging to see more local governments to modernize their policies and responsibly expand access to ADUs. State and federal policymakers should build on this momentum by incentivizing zoning reforms and providing resources that help communities adopt and implement ADU friendly policies.”
“Housing affordability is an urgent issue, and voters are look at the legislature to get engaged and take steps to address the challenge,” said Stacie Reidenbaugh, President & CEO of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania. “There are several bills in Harrisburg right now that would increase housing choices and voters are looking at the General Assembly to get engaged and take action to address the shortage of homes.”
Key findings from the statewide poll include:
Voters believe the legislature should take action to address housing concerns, and prioritize building more homes, even when prioritizing preserving the power of local governments is pitted against building more homes, a large majority would rather the state legislators prioritize housing
84% of Pennsylvania voters agree that the state legislature should take action to address the cost and availability of homes.
Only 12% of Pennsylvania voters think their city or town is doing enough to address the housing shortage and affordability crisis.
When asked to choose between building more homes in their neighborhood or preserving neighborhoods from change, fully 61% of Pennsylvanians believe that building more homes is more important and just 27% said protecting their neighborhoods from change was more important
Bipartisan majorities of voters support key housing reforms that would allow more homes to be built in Pennsylvania. This includes overwhelming support among Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, as well as voters living in urban and rural parts of the state
Fully 89% percent of Democrats, 90% percent of Independents, and 78% percent of Republicans view housing in Pennsylvania as a “major problem” or “somewhat a problem.”
67% of Pennsylvania voters say there are not enough homes that average people can afford to rent or buy.
56% of Pennsylvania voters say housing costs have had a negative impact on their or their loved ones’ ability to save money.
Voters support specific policy solutions. When voters were asked about a suite of policies proposed in the state legislature this year, [all received at least 60% support]:
66% of Pennsylvania voters support a state legislative proposal to make it easier to build small homes, sometimes called “accessory dwelling units” (ADUs), “backyard cottages,” or “granny flats” on existing residential properties.
69% of Pennsylvania voters support a state legislative proposal to make it easier to build smaller home types like duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and townhomes.
84% of Pennsylvania voters support a state legislative proposal to allow homes to be built near businesses and shopping districts, or be built closer to jobs and transit.
81% of Pennsylvania voters support a state legislative proposal to allow more housing to be built near bus stops, light rail stops, and train stations.
79% of Pennsylvania voters support requiring state and local governments to make changes to streamline permitting processes, including speeding up reviews and reducing how complicated approval processes are.
65% of Pennsylvania voters support removing arbitrary limits on the number of unrelated people who can live together in the same home and replace those with rules based on public health requirements.
70% of Pennsylvania voters support a state or regional agency developing standard home designs to be used in certain growth areas.
60% of Pennsylvania voters support a state legislative proposal to lift parking mandates, and allow more flexibility for homebuilders, businesses, and property owners to determine how much parking to build on their specific property.
"A majority of voters in Pennsylvania recognize that we simply cannot relegate nearly all major decisions on housing to local elected and appointed officials in our 2,555 municipalities,” said Mike Hays, director of the Montco 30% Project. “Housing is too important and too vital to our residents' well-being. Because we have failed to keep up with demand and failed to build enough attainable housing for all income levels, we need action at the state level to help address our housing crisis. Housing markets also need predictability; having over 1600 different building and zoning codes works against that. We need statewide standards."
Pennsylvania legislators are currently considering legislation that aims to restore smaller, more affordable housing options, allow more housing near jobs and public transportation, eliminate parking minimums, modernize occupancy laws, and legalize accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
“In Philadelphia's collar counties, stagnant incomes and limited housing supply are pushing homes out of reach for a growing number of local families and workers. This poll confirms what our members in the Bucks and Montgomery County health and human services sector have been saying for years: housing is foundational, and people want more options and leaders to take action. When we work together to create housing that meets the diverse and evolving needs of our communities, our region can grow and thrive,” said Kristyn DiDominick, Executive Director, Bucks-Mont Collaborative.
Full polling results and details about methodology can be viewed here: pahousingchoices.com/yougov2026
Contact: Nicole Brunet, nbrunet@10000friends.org, 267-225-1362