May. 11, 2026
HARRISBURG – With Pennsylvania’s housing market projected to fall short of housing needs by approximately 185,000 homes by 2035, Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford) has introduced legislation to remove a costly obstacle to home construction.
“The cost of housing for both renters and homeowners has nearly doubled over the last decade, and the situation is only getting worse with costs rising for virtually everything else we need to live,” Owlett said. “We need to find a way to increase the supply of housing to help alleviate this burden for people and their families.”
Owlett has introduced
House Bill 2504, which would remove burdensome government red tape that serves as an obstacle development. Removing that obstacle would, in turn, lower the cost of construction and boost the state’s housing supply.
Specifically, the bill would require the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to follow federal government guidelines and offer a waiver on the requirement to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for any construction site that impacts more than one acre of land. Specifically, DEP would be required to offer a waiver for any projects that impact up to three acres of land.
Owlett noted the current process to obtain a permit can take several months, and most of the time it costs more than $35,000 to obtain.
“Money and timelines are tight for prospective homeowners,” Owlett said. “This simple change would not cost us anything in terms of protecting the environment, but it would absolutely have an impact on the opportunity to build a home.”
Representative Clint Owlett
68th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Patricia Hippler
717.772.9846
phippler@pahousegop.com
www.RepOwlett.com / www.Facebook.com/RepOwlett