‘Ville Hosts Policy Forum on Housing

Millersville University recently hosted a policy forum on the Commonwealth's housing shortage. The event was part of a state-wide listening tour featuring Cabinet-level officials from the Shapiro Administration.

Leading the forum were:
Secretary Rick Siger from the Department of Community and Economic Development
Secretary Valerie Arkoosh from the Department of Human Services
Secretary Akbar Hossain from the Office of Policy and Planning

DCED is tasked with presenting a draft of the Housing Action Plan to the Governor by September 12, 2025. The draft will outline strategic planning initiatives and policies to be executed over the next five years to effectively tackle the Commonwealth's housing shortage.

The Forum included over 35 participants representing the home building industry, county and municipal leaders, affordable housing advocates, planning experts, and more.

Millersville's president, Dr. Daniel Wubah, welcomed the assembly to the University and highlighted Lancaster County's high quality of life, economic vibrancy, and growth. His remarks also emphasized the importance of keeping Millersville graduates and younger alumni in our region and the role that affordable housing can play.

Among the topics addressed by participants were the lack of housing inventory, the age of the current housing stock, the rising costs of housing, regulatory, zoning, and other policy barriers, and the need for more public awareness.

The Governor's team seeks additional input from the public to identify barriers and craft solutions to the housing shortage. A website for providing feedback is available at: https://dced.pa.gov/housing-and-development/pennsylvania-housing-action-plan/.