Call to Action: Rep. Nelson's CHAMP Act

By Jackson DeGuzman

As fellow residents of Montgomery County, we are reaching out to request your support in passing the Combating Homelessness Across Municipalities in PA (CHAMP) Act. Introduced by State Rep. Napoleon J. Nelson (D-154th), the CHAMP act is designed to bridge the crucial gap between State and municipal governments. Nelson’s memorandum to the House describes how Pennsylvanian counties need to build affordable housing but cannot do so because of municipal zoning. CHAMP, House Bill 2098, would institute requirements for “housing obligation plans” that must be met by each municipality to ensure that zoning laws support housing opportunities for every Pennsylvanian that needs them. 

The Pennsylvania House's final session day for 2024 is Nov. 13. Any bills that don't pass must be reintroduced in the 2025-26 session. HB 2098 currently sits in the Housing & Community Development Committee.

We thank Montco legislators Ben Sanchez, Nancy Guenst, and Melissa Cerrato for signing on as co-sponsors. Please contact your state rep this week and ask them to support this bill.

At the time of Nelson’s memorandum, there were roughly 12,700 individuals experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania, 12.7 percent of which were unsheltered. The number of individuals in Montgomery County actively experiencing homelessness on a given day, estimated by the Point in Time (PIT) Count, was 357 in 2023. In 2024, the PIT Count recorded 435 individuals. In addition to the crisis for the unhoused, the lack of affordable housing is a serious problem for middle to low income Pennsylvanians as American life continues to become more and more expensive. 

CHAMP offers a tremendous step towards fixing these problems since it tackles one of the root causes of housing unaffordability: zoning. By enforcing fair-share standards in Pennsylvania, which has been the groundwork of effective strategies in other states, Nelson’s plan can allow greater development and lower costs.

If you can lend your time to supporting this legislation, please call or write to the PA Senators and Representatives to let them know how much this Act means to Montco. You can do so easily by pasting the following message (or advocating however you see fit!) into the message boxes linked to each legislator’s website.

“Dear (Legislator’s name), Please consider supporting the Combating Homelessness Across Municipalities in PA (CHAMP) Act in the Pennsylvanian  through sponsorship and/or public endorsement. Our fellow Pennsylvanians and I stand to gain tremendous benefits from the CHAMP, especially those of us who are lower/middle income and need it the most. Thank you for your time!”

Please use this website to identify your legislators so you can reach out and make an impact.

Thank you for engaging in our democracy.