Governor Shapiro Visits the Greater Johnstown Community YMCA, Highlights Bipartisan Efforts to Cut Costs for Pennsylvanians with Local and Legislative Leaders

Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has been focused on cutting costs for Pennsylvania families – signing major legislation to expand the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program and the Childcare Tax Credit.

The bipartisan expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program and the Childcare Tax Credit is putting more money back into the pockets of hundreds of thousands of working Pennsylvania families and seniors.

Johnstown, PA — Today, Governor Josh Shapiro traveled to the Greater Johnstown Community YMCA to highlight his Administration’s continued commitment to cutting costs for Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth. Through the expanded Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program and the Childcare Tax Credit, Governor Shapiro is delivering on his promises to cut costs and deliver real results for Pennsylvanians.

“We have a GSD attitude in my Administration: we get stuff done. We’re bringing people together to deliver real, tangible results for Pennsylvanians. We’re cutting costs, putting money back in people’s pockets, helping families and seniors get by – and we got this done by working together with Democrats and Republicans,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “We started by expanding the Property Tax Rent Rebate program, giving seniors the largest targeted tax cut in nearly two decades. And we didn’t stop there – we expanded the childcare tax credit because we know that along with seniors, our families are feeling the strain of rising costs too, especially for childcare. You can go to pa.gov/childcaretaxcredit and we’ll walk you through exactly how to get your tax credit. And if you’re a senior or a person with disabilities in Pennsylvania, you can apply for a PTRR rebate right now if you go online at www.pa.gov/PTRR.”

This year’s expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate delivered the largest targeted tax cut for seniors in nearly two decades, expanding access to nearly 175,000 more Pennsylvanians and increasing the maximum rebate from $650 to $1000. Last week, the Governor announced that hundreds of thousands of older adults and Pennsylvanians with disabilities are now eligible to apply for a PTRR rebate up to $1,000 via myPATH, the Department of Revenue’s online filing system, to apply for rebates on property taxes and rent paid during 2023 as the PTRR filing period is now open.  

The expanded Childcare Tax Credit will benefit nearly 210,000 families, helping to ease child and dependent care costs for working Pennsylvanians. Under the legislation signed by Governor Shapiro last month, the state credit is now equal to 100 percent of the federal credit, increasing the maximum state credit from $630 to $2,100 for Pennsylvania families.  

“Too many seniors were faced with losing their homes because of property tax increases,” said Rep. Frank Burns, one of the sponsors of the legislation which expanded the PTRR. “It was critical to pass this legislation, which represents the largest tax break for seniors in nearly two decades. By expanding the program, more seniors in our community will be able stay in the comfort of their homes. My office is available to assist in applying for the program.”

In Cambria County, more than 3,000 Pennsylvanians are now eligible for PTRR rebates as a result of the expansion of the PTRR program. More than 1,000 Pennsylvania families in Cambria County are now eligible for the expanded Childcare Tax Credit as a result of the expansion signed into law by the Governor in December 2023.

“I’d like to thank Governor Shapiro and all of the distinguished guests for visiting the Greater Johnstown YMCA,” said Jim Griffith, Interim CEO of the Greater Johnstown Community YMCA. “As an organization, we have a long history of offering programs to youth and seniors here at the YMCA and we have been an integral part of the community for 150 years, with nearly 3500 members – including almost 850 youth and 800 seniors – who will greatly benefit from the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and also the Property Tax Rent Rebate.”

“Within the last two years, the YMCA has brought family back into our community. I wouldn’t be able to take advantage of some of the programs at the YMCA if not for some of the other programs that they offer – the number one for me and my family being the childcare program,” said Amber Murray, Greater Johnstown Community YMCA parent. “I love everything that the YMCA does for our community, and that’s where our Governor comes into play – cutting costs to put money back into family’s pockets. In December, our Governor signed into law an expansion of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for nearly 210,000 families. The previous laws would only match 30 percent of the federal credit, but now the state credit will match 100 percent of that, helping families offset the burden of rising childcare costs in the Commonwealth.”  

For more information on the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program, visit pa.gov/ptrr. For more information about the Childcare Tax Credit, visit pa.gov/childcaretaxcredit.

MEDIA CONTACT: Governor’s Press Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov

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