Mark Pinsley, the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania Senate District 16, says housing should cost no more than 30% of a household’s income, the federal standard. A family that can’t make rent, can’t save a down payment, or can’t keep up with property taxes needs a different fix. He has one for each.
The first problem: most “affordable” housing isn’t affordable
Subsidized housing is usually priced off Area Median Income (AMI), the middle income for the whole region. In the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area, a family of four counts as “low income” at up to $83,500 a year. Much new affordable housing is built for households at 60% of AMI, up to $62,640 for a family of four. (HUD 2026 income limits, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area)
Under the federal formula, rent on a two-bedroom unit built for that 60% tier can run about $1,400 a month. That’s affordable to a family earning in the mid-$50,000s. It isn’t affordable to a family at the bottom of the scale: a household of four earning $31,300, the “extremely low income” line, can afford about $780. A full-time minimum-wage job pays $15,080 a year.
So the housing gets built, and the families who need it most still can’t get in. Pinsley would make sure low-income Pennsylvanians get access to the housing that’s meant for them.
He has seen a model that works, because he audits it. Lehigh County’s own Cedar View Apartments don’t price rent off the regional median. Rent is set by each household’s income, starting at $300 a month, and the rents alone still cover the full cost of running it, with no outside subsidy. That’s the model he wants the state to fund.
1. Build affordable housing through county housing authorities
Pinsley’s model is one he audits himself. Lehigh County owns two affordable housing properties:
- Cedar View Apartments — 199 income-based apartments for people 62 and older and adults with disabilities, run by the county for more than 47 years.
- Brookview — 42 small apartments created from former nursing home beds at Cedarbrook.
Rents at Cedar View start at $300 a month. That’s the minimum set by management, recorded in Pinsley’s own 2021 audit. Rent is based on each household’s income and is reviewed every year. (Report 22-21)
And Cedar View pays its own way. In 2024, tenant rents, its only operating revenue, brought in about $1.47 million against about $1.31 million in costs, and those costs include depreciation and the county’s overhead. It also finished paying off its share of county debt that year. It has run positive every audited year since 2018. (Report 26-03)
He hasn’t gone easy on them because the county owns them. His audit of Brookview found payroll charged at double the hours reported — a $115,688 overstatement — and residents billed twice for two months. (Report 23-09)
His proposal: have the state fund county housing authorities to buy or build housing on this model: rent tied to what each family actually earns, run well enough to cover its own costs.
2. Build more homes, not just more warehouses
The Lehigh Valley has built warehouse after warehouse. Pinsley says it needs to get just as serious about building homes. (The Morning Call, October 5, 2026)
He would make it easier to build starter homes, smaller homes and duplexes, the kinds of homes first-time buyers and downsizing seniors can afford. He would also speed up approvals and give towns incentives to approve housing people can afford.
3. Have the state guarantee down payments
A down payment protects the bank, not the buyer. Buyers who put down less than 20% pay private mortgage insurance (PMI) every month, which also protects the bank.
Pinsley proposes that the state guarantee that 20% if a buyer defaults. The bank is protected, and the buyer skips both the down payment and PMI. That opens the door for families who could handle the monthly payment but have no way to save a lump sum while paying rent.
4. Cut closing costs
Many closing costs are government fees. State government can help lower them.
The biggest is the realty transfer tax. Pennsylvania charges 1%, and local governments and school districts usually charge another 1%. On a $300,000 home, that’s $6,000 due in cash at closing.
Jarrett Coleman has twice introduced a bill to repeal the state’s 1% share — SB 1268 in 2024 and SB 238 in 2025. It would save about $3,000 on a $300,000 home. The local 1% would stay. Neither bill got a committee vote. (SB 1268 · SB 238)
Pinsley wants to look at all state and county closing fees, not just this one. But on whether the transfer tax makes homes harder to buy, the two candidates largely agree.
5. Help people move without losing a low mortgage rate
Homeowners with a 3% mortgage have little reason to sell, because buying again means today’s higher rates. So they stay — including empty nesters in big houses that young families need.
Pinsley proposes ways to let homeowners carry their low rate to a new home:
- A state-backed bridge loan program
- Help buying down interest rates
- A program for seniors who want to downsize
- Pilot programs with lenders
6. Limit private equity in housing
Investors buying homes and manufactured home communities compete with families and often raise rents fast. Pinsley would require public review before large housing purchases. At Red Maple Acres in Lower Macungie, one resident’s lot rent rose from $440 to $819 in two years. Pinsley backs HB 1250, which ties lot rent increases to inflation. It has stalled in a Senate committee Jarrett Coleman sits on. More: What is Mark Pinsley’s position on private equity buying up hospitals, nursing homes, and housing?
7. Keep middle-income families in their homes
For families who already own, the threat is the tax bill. Pinsley would reduce Pennsylvania’s reliance on property and school taxes, mainly by shifting most school funding to the state, so homeowners aren’t taxed out of houses they’ve already paid for. He would also cap property taxes based on income, so a rising tax bill can’t outrun a family’s paycheck. (The Morning Call, October 5, 2026) More: Why are property taxes so high in Lehigh County?
District 16 covers parts of Lehigh and Bucks counties. The general election is November 3, 2026.
