LAMPa Releases 2025-2027 Policy Agenda
The PA General Assembly runs on a biennial basis. LAMPa's Policy Council sets a policy agenda before each session begins and revises as necessary midway through the term. Below are the policy priorities and issue areas LAMPa will be focused on in as we begin this session. Other priorities
Gov. Shapiro’s Proposed Budget Supports Investments in Hunger, Housing, Education
Gov. Josh Shapiro this week proposed a $51.5 billion spending plan that includes increases in several LAMPa priority areas, including hunger, housing, education equity and violence prevention, while calling for an increased minimum wage and proposing changes intended to spur energy production. The budget proposal would tap about $4.5 billion
ELCA Responds to False Accusations on X
In a message to the church, ELCA Presiding Bishop Eaton says that “despite misinformation and baseless doubt cast today on funding that supports Lutheran organizations across our country, the ELCA remains steadfast in our commitment and work with our many Lutheran partners and expressions of our church.” Watch the video
PA 2024-25 Budget Passed; Hunger Remains Underfunded
Late Thursday, July 11, the Pennsylvania General Assembly voted on a $47.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2024-25. The final compromise was about $860 million below what Governor Josh Shapiro had initially proposed in February but maintained commitments to key programs Lutherans in Pennsylvania have diligently advocated for this cycle
Bishop Eaton Expresses Disappointment in Grants Pass Supreme Court Decision
June 28, 2024 I am disappointed by the Supreme Court's decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson, which clears the way for onerous civil and criminal penalties for unsheltered neighbors forced to sleep in parks or on other public property. This could jeopardize the work of Lutheran ministries and organizations dedicated
Affordable Housing is “Out of Reach” for Many PA Workers
To afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent in Pennsylvania, full-time workers need to earn $26.26 per hour. This is Pennsylvania’s “2024 Housing Wage” according to Out of Reach, a report published jointly today by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
National Shortage of Affordable Rental Housing; PA No Exception
On March 14, 2024 the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) released its annual report The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes. This year’s report finds that the lowest-income renters in the U.S. face a shortage of 7.3 million affordable and available rental homes. In Pennsylvania alone, the report finds a
New Policy Brief on Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Homelessness
The "State-Level Brief Update - A Call for Action: Participation of Young Children Experiencing Homelessness and Young Children in Foster Care in Early Childhood Programs in Pennsylvania" was released by the Pennsylvania Head Start State Collaboration Office (PA HSSCO) and HopePHL in February. The brief update "highlights key state-level
Housing Alliance Releases Interactive Report on Post-Pandemic Evictions
LAMPa's coalition partners, the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, released an interactive web report on the rise of eviction filings in Pennsylvania post-pandemic. As people of faith, we grieve the ways in which so many of our neighbors are turned out of their homes and are called to work for policies
Legislature enacts budget with childcare tax credit, indigent defense; addressing medical debt and whole-home repairs delayed
The General Assembly ended 2023 with passage of code bills that enact the budget. After months of stalled negotiations, and almost halfway through the fiscal year, the final bill passed with significant bipartisan support and was signed immediately by Gov. Shapiro. “I think it's important to note that we learned
