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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Gov. Tom Wolf was joined by Attorney General Josh Shapiro this week to announce that he signed an executive order that protects Pennsylvanians from foreclosures or evictions through July 10.
				The action builds on a Pennsylvania Supreme Court order which closed court eviction proceedings until May 11 and ensures no renter or homeowner will be removed from their home for 60 more days.
				&ldquo;At a time when people need to stay home to protect their heath, they should not have to worry about losing their homes,&rdquo; said Gov. Wolf. &ldquo;Ensuring that people can remain in their homes will help them to better protect their loved ones. It gives families the comfort of knowing they will have a place to live while all of us work together to fight COVID-19 and prepare to move Pennsylvania forward.&rdquo;
				AG Shapiro added: &ldquo;I commend the governor for his decision to delay eviction and foreclosure proceedings. We know it&rsquo;s critical for public health, and for our economic recovery, that people stay in their homes during this emergency. This order gives people struggling with lost income something they can count on &mdash; a roof over their heads.&rdquo;
				In almost all circumstances, renters and homeowners are required to continue making monthly payments. If you are a Pennsylvanian struggling to make your monthly payments, you should contact your landlord or mortgage servicer immediately.
				The Wolf Administration provided recommendations last week to stem foreclosures, evictions and help people experiencing homelessness.
				The Department of Human Services activated the commonwealth&rsquo;s Sheltering Taskforce and is working with local and state partners to coordinate resources for people without housing.
				The Department of Community and Economic Development is also accepting applications for Emergency Solutions Grants to assist with the rapid rehousing of people experiencing homelessness, street outreach, homelessness prevention, and emergency shelter activities.
				PHFA is also taking action to help homeowners and renters. The agency has stopped foreclosures and evictions and is offering forbearances with late fee waivers to homeowners with a PHFA mortgage who are experiencing a financial hardship because of COVID-19.
				PHFA also developed a list of renters&rsquo; rights and responsibilities to clarify the situation for apartment residents and is working with landlords and property managers to distribute it to renters.
				PHFA is also encouraging Low-Income Housing Tax Credit building managers to be flexible on rent payments and to waive late fees for tenants whose employment has been affected by the crisis.
				&ldquo;During the past few weeks, we&rsquo;ve had great cooperation from Pennsylvanians who understand that staying home is not just about protecting themselves, it&rsquo;s about protecting everyone in the community,&rdquo; said Gov. Wolf. &ldquo;This executive order takes one more burden off people who are struggling and gives them more time to get back on their feet.&rdquo;
				Rep. Keller seeks USPS
				financial stability plan
				U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, R-Middleburg, this week released information from the Republicans on the House Oversight and Reform Committee highlighting Keller&rsquo;s views on postal reform.
				Keller has been a leader on the committee in calling for reforming the USPS and the GAO report released today this week shows significant reform is needed.
				&ldquo;It is clear from the GAO report that the systemic problems with the USPS far pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic and, as such, an unrestricted bailout of the Postal Service in COVID-19 legislation is an irresponsible use of taxpayer funds,&rdquo; Keller said.
				Keller released the report of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) illustrating that the United States Postal Service&rsquo;s financial problems were a problem well before the current COVID-19 and that it is &ldquo;essential&rdquo; for Congress to step in and reform the agency&rsquo;s failing business model.
				Here are highlights of the report:
				GAO put USPS on its high-risk list in 2009 and reports that its finances have since progressively worsened.
				GAO reports that USPS&rsquo;s net losses totaled approximately $78 billion from FY 2007-2019 and its productivity has plummeted in recent years.
				At the end of FY 2019, USPS&rsquo;s unfunded liabilities and debt totaled $161 billion-an amount more than double its annual revenues.
				GAO recommends that Congress consider reassessing the level of postal services the nation requires, changing the law to make USPS financial self-sustaining, and determining the most appropriate structure for USPS.
				Last month, Rep.Keller asked about a financial stability plan during a briefing with Postmaster General Megan Brennan, but one has still yet to be produced.
				Keller said the Oversight Committee has a responsibility to review and require reforms before engaging in earnest policy reform discussions.
				Rep. Cartwright calls for
				COVID-19 safety guidelines
				U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, this week wrote to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) calling on the agency to enforce its guidelines for employers in essential industries to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in their facilities.
				In the letter, Cartwright expresses concern that many of OSHA&rsquo;s COVID-19 workplace safety guidelines are voluntary and largely are not enforced through inspections or other mechanisms.
				Although the agency released new guidance for meat and poultry processing workers and employers in late April, Cartwright said those too are merely recommendations.
				According to the most recent enforcement memo on this matter from the U.S. Department of Labor &mdash; of which OSHA is a part &mdash; Cartwright said the agency&rsquo;s current policy is to inspect few workplaces beyond those involved in health care or emergency response. Employers are instead asked to implement safety measures and investigate complaints on their own.
				&ldquo;Nationwide, COVID-19 outbreaks in factories, warehouses, meatpacking plants, and other facilities have claimed the lives of workers, closed facilities, and devastated the communities that rely on these jobs.,&rdquo; Cartwright wrote. &ldquo;These closures have also impacted the nation&rsquo;s supply of meat, agricultural products, and other essential goods and services.&rdquo;
				Cartwright went on to say, &ldquo;In order to protect workers and ensure Americans have access to critical supplies, OSHA must issue enforceable national protective standards to ensure protections are provided. Robust enforcement of these standards is critical to mitigating the risk of transmission while ensuring vital supply chains remain operational.&rdquo;
				State reminds farmers Markets
				of grant opportunity to expand
				The Wolf Administration this week reminded farmers markets and farmers of a grant opportunity providing free wireless point-of-sale equipment for farmers markets and direct-marketing farmers who would like to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits but do not have the technology to do so.
				Devices are available at no cost from a grant awarded to the Department of Human Services from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support access to fresh, healthy foods for SNAP recipients while supporting Pennsylvania&rsquo;s agricultural economy.
				&ldquo;Expanding opportunities for farmers and farmers market vendors to offer fresh, healthy food to SNAP recipients is necessary to ensure that all Pennsylvanians are able to maintain a healthy, nutritious diet while supporting Pennsylvania&rsquo;s rich agriculture community,&rdquo; said Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller. &ldquo;As Pennsylvania navigates the public health crisis, this grant allows farmers markets and farmers who sell their products directly to expand their customer base and provide more options for SNAP recipients across the commonwealth.&rdquo;
				Pennsylvania received a grant in 2019 from the USDA&rsquo;s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to expand use of SNAP at farmers markets around the commonwealth. To receive the equipment, interested farmers market vendors must apply to be an authorized SNAP retailer through FNS. Once authorized to accept SNAP, vendors can contact Pennsylvania&rsquo;s electronic benefit transfer (EBT) provider Conduent at 1-888-736-6328 to request free wireless EBT processing equipment. These grants also cover set-up costs and one year of SNAP transaction fees.
				SNAP helps more than 1.8 million Pennsylvanians, including about 700,000 children, about 690,000 people with disabilities, and about 300,000 older adults, expand purchasing power to ensure their household has enough food to avoid going hungry.
				&ldquo;This is an opportunity for farmers to reach a new market, during a time when preexisting markets have been so volatile, and put nutritious foods into the hands of Pennsylvania&rsquo;s most vulnerable,&rdquo; said Department of Agriculture Secretary Redding. &ldquo;I encourage all farmers market operators and farmers selling direct to consumers to apply to be a SNAP retailer to create a new revenue stream and give Pennsylvanians in need more options to find fresh, local food.&rdquo;

Gov. Wolf, AG Shapiro announce protections from foreclosures, evictions