Pennsylvania House Bill HB2160

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/28/26
• Refer: 1/28/26

Caption

Renaming the Department of Community and Economic Development to the Department of Housing and Community Development; and making a repeal and editorial changes.

Summary

HB2160 would rename Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development as the Department of Housing and Community Development throughout the Community and Economic Development Enhancement Act and related statutes. The bill also revises the act’s title, short title, and purpose statement to emphasize housing and community development as the core policy focus, rather than the broader community-and-economic-development framing used in current law. In addition to the name change, the bill updates statutory references and administrative language so that existing duties, memberships, and cross-references continue to operate under the new department name. It preserves the department’s role in housing and local government services, including the Secretary’s membership on the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, the Board of Property, and the Community Service Advisory Board, while also updating the title of the deputy secretary position to Deputy Secretary for Housing and Community Development.

Impact

The bill would amend the Community and Economic Development Enhancement Act and related provisions to replace references to the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Community Affairs with the Department of Housing and Community Development where applicable. It would also shift the statutory framing of the department’s mission toward housing and community revitalization, while leaving the underlying transferred functions, boards, and local government service structures in place. The bill includes conforming reference changes, a repeal of an obsolete implementation section, and a 60-day effective date.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears largely administrative and noncontroversial, with no recorded committee transcript or vote history indicating opposition or debate. The stated purpose suggests support for a clearer housing-focused identity and continued coordination of local government services. Overall, the bill’s tone is technical and organizational rather than policy-driven, and the available record does not show divided sentiment.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. The main substantive issue implied by the bill is whether renaming the department and reframing its purpose toward housing and community development is the best way to organize state functions that currently include broader economic development responsibilities. Any concern would likely center on whether the new name could narrow perceptions of the department’s mission or require additional conforming changes across state law, but no opposition or stakeholder objections are recorded here.