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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 17, 2024 01:40 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Emily Kinkead and Rep. Thomas H. Kutz |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Expanding the Address Confidentiality Program to Protect Crime Victims’ Deeds |
| Buying a home is the gateway to the American Dream. It provides stability, helps grow generational wealth and creates a sense of pride in ownership. It’s a place to build a family and memories – a place for your kids to look back on as they have kids of their own. Imagine, now, that buying that home puts your life in danger. That your safe haven turns into a house of horror. That after years of hiding from a dangerous stalker, they easily find your address through a simple web search, merely because you wanted a place to call home. A place for your family to put down roots. A place to finally rest after running for years. Right now, victims of stalking, domestic violence and human trafficking don’t have the option to purchase a house without putting their lives in immediate danger despite a state program initially intended to protect their addresses. This legislature created the Address Confidentiality Program to provide an extra layer of protection to victims of crime so that their voting record, apartment address, etc. did not fall into the hands of someone with nefarious intent. Unfortunately, our predecessors left a glaring hole in this program by failing to include deeds. As such, victims of crime must choose between their safety and a home to rebuild their lives and heal. Currently, the only recourse for these survivors is to 1) establish an LLC (though under Pennsylvania law the owner of such an entity is public record as well), 2) go through the arduous and expensive process of legally changing their name (thereby allowing the perpetrator to strip them not only of their safety, but also of their very identity), or 3) rent forever (an option that is getting increasingly more expensive and unpredictable). Representative Kutz and I will be introducing legislation to address this glaring oversight. It is critical that we support these individuals as they work to rebuild their lives. This is a simple addition to an existing program that could make a world of difference. Please join us in support of this legislation. |