HARRISBURG (PRNewswire) – It will now be easier for senior citizens and those who live with disabilities and other health problems to stay in their homes under the provisions of legislation signed into law Saturday by Gov. Edward G. Rendell.
Senate Bill 1158 creates the Residential Visitability Design Tax Credit and gives municipalities, school districts and counties the ability to
offer tax credits of up to $2,500 to people who make their homes more accessible for themselves or loved ones.
“Too many Pennsylvanians are forced into nursing homes because they can no longer get around in the homes they’ve lived in most of their lives,” Rendell said. “The steps are too steep, doorways are too narrow and there’s nothing to help them prevent falls or to help them get back up if they have fallen.
“By signing this bill into law, local governments will be able to provide some tax relief to people who need to renovate their homes to make
them more accessible — or build new homes with handicapped-accessible features.
“This means seniors, people who are in wheelchairs and people who are not able to get around the way most people are used to getting around will be able to enjoy a better quality of life because obstacles in their own homes will be removed.”
Since taking office nearly four years ago, Rendell has worked to keep more seniors and people with disabilities in their homes. During
this time, the number of people receiving home and community-based services has more than doubled from 15,600 to 32,100.
The Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Authority committed $325,000 to a pilot program to encourage builders statewide to incorporate so-called
“visitability” features in new homes. The pilot also studied the techniques and costs of providing “visitable” features and found that only modest
costs are involved to convert homes or to build the features into new homes. The first of the “visitable” homes built under this initiative
opened on Oct. 14, 2004.
Some of the features that help makes homes more accessible include wider entrances and doorways for wheelchairs, first-floor powder rooms with room to maneuver wheelchairs, lever handles on fixtures and doors, and reinforced walls for the installation of grab bars.
Sens. James Ferlo (D-Allegheny) and James Rhoades (R-Schuylkill) sponsored SB 1158.