Housing is a top concern for Pennsylvanians
POLL: AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF BIPARTISAN VOTERS SAID THE COST OF HOUSING IN PENNSYLVANIA WAS A PROBLEM
A new poll of Pennsylvania voters conducted by the leading pollster YouGov shows broad, bipartisan support for policies currently being considered by the State Legislature that would allow more housing options across the Commonwealth.
The poll, commissioned by 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, 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.
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.
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.
70% of Pennsylvania voters support a state or regional agency developing standard home designs to be used in certain growth areas.
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).
On behalf of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, YouGov fielded a sample of 824 registered voters in the state of Pennsylvania. The survey fielded from March 5 to March 12, 2026. The survey included measures of Pennsylvanians’ 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.