February 18th, 2023 by WCBC Radio

The Senate Environment, Education, and Energy Committee this week heard Senator Mike McKay's testimony on Senate Bill 296: Whole Homes Repair Act of 2023. The Senator raised the issue of blight, workforce retention, seniors aging in place, and emigration away from our area.

Senate Bill 296 will begin as a pilot program but, if implemented statewide, will work to rectify those issues with grants made available to the local jurisdictions as well as non-governmental organizations from the Federal and State governments. With these grants, blight stricken homes and buildings can be fixed and renovated, which includes homes of seniors. This will lead them to remain in their own homes and for other citizens they will remain in the area. Jobs will be retained and created with this program. The population in the area will help small businesses with workers and contractors will be hired by the county governments to fix the buildings suffering from blight.

Quoted in his testimony, Senator McKay said the following: "I will leave you with this when a house is falling down, that is not good for Republicans or Democrats living in the neighborhood…this is one of those issues that trancends political boundaries. As a conservative, I see this bill as a blight fighting measure but my progressive friends, who have championed it, have said that it is only part of its purpose. They maintain the home repairs also will improve energy efficiency and resident health and help fight displacement of low-income residents…The Whole Home Repairs Act is really at the intersection of a number of different issues, different path but the same mission…the eradication of poverty."