PA Senator Greg Rothman’s “Free Market” Housing Stance Raises Conflict Questions

As Pennsylvania’s housing shortage deepens, state leaders are debating how to address a growing crisis that has left hundreds of thousands priced out of homeownership. Among them is State Senator and Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Greg Rothman, who recently weighed in with an op-ed in PennLive arguing that the free market—not government intervention—should guide the state’s housing policy.

But Rothman’s critics point out a potential conflict of interest: the senator is also a longtime real estate broker and developer whose family business profits from the very market forces he champions.

In his column, Rothman dismissed proposals like House Bill 570, which would require developers to include below-market “affordable” units in new residential projects. He warned that such policies would discourage development and drive up prices. “If Pennsylvania and the rest of the country are serious about solving the housing crisis,” Rothman wrote, “the choice is clear. We can go down the failed path of government seizures, ‘rent caps,’ and socialist experiments. Or we can trust the free market, the only proven engine for growth, innovation, and affordability.”

What the senator did not disclose in the op-ed is his own significant financial stake in that “free market.” Rothman and his family own RSR Realty, a firm that currently lists more than 50 homes for sale in Cumberland County priced above $800,000. That’s nearly ten times the median household income in the county, which stands at roughly $85,000.

Rothman’s annual Statement of Financial Interests, filed with the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, lists multiple sources of real estate-related income tied to his business activities. Those include his ownership interest in RSR and several affiliated entities in the property and development sectors.

Pennsylvania faces an estimated shortage of 100,000 housing units, according to the governor’s office, with the number of renting households up by nearly 200,000 over the last 15 years. While families struggle to find affordable options, Rothman’s firm continues to market luxury homes well out of reach for most Pennsylvanians.

Critics argue that the senator’s dual role—as a policymaker shaping housing laws and a businessman profiting from real estate—undermines his credibility on the issue. “When Rothman says the market will solve the housing crisis,” one advocate noted, “he’s really talking about a market that benefits people like him.”