“God heard the cry of a homeless people and delivered them out of oppression in Egypt. Jesus, “who [had] nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58), ministered with compassion to the poor and vulnerable. In practicing hospitality, we are promised to encounter the living Lord: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). –  ELCA social message “Homelessness: A Renewal of Commitment.”

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) published its yearly fair housing report,  State of Fair Housing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , which called on the state to not only dedicate more funding to affordable and safe housing, but also to remove barriers that act to perpetuate historical discrimination and to counter new policies that disproportionately harm people based on age, income, disability, race and other factors.

“The ability to live without fear of exclusion, retaliation, or bias is central to the promise of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and to the moral fabric of a just Commonwealth,” said Commission Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter. “This report is not simply an academic exercise. It is a call to action.”

In an example of such action, the House Housing and Community Development Committee in February unanimously voted to pass House Bill 2103 to close a potential loophole in the state’s anti-discrimination housing laws that could allow a white nationalist group to build a “whites-only” community. 

Another measure that passed the House with bipartisan support would seal eviction filings under certain circumstances or after a period of seven years. In Pennsylvania, eviction filings are publicly accessible and remain on a tenant’s record regardless of the outcome of that filing, including when a tenant is found not at fault by the court. Because eviction filings can automatically remove potential tenants from a pool of applicants, tenants with a record are forced to seek housing of last resort that is managed by less reputable landlords, in disrepair, unhealthy, less affordable, and increases the risk of future eviction and housing instability.  Learn more and contact your senator to support this bipartisan legislation. 

The State of Fair Housing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania report examines current housing conditions, patterns of discrimination, and structural challenges impacting access and affordability. It also advances key policy and enforcement recommendations, including strengthening protections against source-of-income discrimination, addressing disparate impact and segregation, improving code enforcement and habitability standards, and increasing accountability for affirmatively furthering fair housing.

“These housing barriers have real impacts on Pennsylvanians who need stable, healthy housing in order to raise their families, to hold down jobs with livable wages, access the care and services they need, and to build the vibrant, resilient communities that we all seek and deserve,” said Brittany Mellinger, PHRC Director for Fair Housing & Commercial Property.

LAMPa is committed to working toward bipartisan efforts to address Pennsylvania’s housing crisis. This commitment is rooted in the ELCA’s social statements, which remind us that housing is a fundamental human right and that we are called to advocate for policies that make safe, affordable housing accessible to all.

The ELCA Social Message on Homelessness reads, “The Gospel does not provide ready-made solutions to homelessness. God’s love in Jesus Christ does, however, move us to care for homeless people as God cares for all. Christians who have shelter are called to care, called to walk with homeless people in their struggle for a more fulfilling life and for adequate, affordable, and sustainable housing.”