PHILADELPHIA – Last week, City Council’s Committee of the Whole unanimously approved an amended $277 million Year 1 budget for the City of Philadelphia’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy (HOME) Initiative. This investment fulfills Mayor Parker’s goal of opening City housing programs to higher-income residents for the first time, while ensuring that the more than 200,000 households on the brink of homelessness don’t end up on the street, especially as Trump cuts $30 million in homelessness funding for Philadelphia.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), Chair of the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless, said, “Last week, City Council voted 15 to 0 to advance a balanced and fiscally responsible amended Year 1 Budget for the City of Philadelphia’s HOME Plan. Under Council President Kenyatta Johnson’s leadership, we made targeted, high-impact investments that will strengthen housing stability and economic mobility for every Philadelphian. Most importantly, seniors, public school teachers, sanitation workers, and other working and low-income families will have the help they need to stay in their homes and off the street.”
Councilmember Rue Landau (At-Large), Vice Chair of the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless, said, “The HOME plan is an opportunity to create a more equitable, more affordable city. Housing is at the core of the affordability crisis. Too many families are one setback away from housing insecurity. As a former housing lawyer, I have seen this crisis from every angle, and I know the consequences the City will face if we don’t take advantage of the solutions that are right in front of us. The H.O.M.E. plan will be a transformational investment, a once in a lifetime opportunity to preserve and produce affordable housing at a significant rate in Philly. With this first investment, we need to prioritize our most in-need residents with our most proven programs — that can be the difference between stability and crisis for more than 200,000 Philadelphia families. This budget is a reflection of our values and responsibilities as councilmembers. Let’s show up for Philadelphia by making the investments that matter most.”
Organizations that provide and advocate for affordable housing applaud the balanced and fiscally responsible amended Year 1 HOME Initiative Budget approved by the Committee of the Whole:
Garrett O’Dwyer, Policy Director for the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, said, “The H.O.M.E. Initiative is a bold step in transforming Philadelphia’s fight to ensure affordable housing is a reality, not a dream. Getting this first budget right ensures that we can have the biggest impact on the residents and communities who need it most, and that’s what the amended H.O.M.E. Budget resolution does: it clears existing waiting lists and prioritizes the most vulnerable, while expanding access to programs.”
Steve Paul, Executive Director of One Pennsylvania, said, “Last week, the City Council made a strong and necessary choice. They passed an amendment that clearly puts stability first for those who have waited the longest and suffered the most. To be clear, working families were not excluded… access was expanded, and the most vulnerable were protected. That is what moral clarity looks like.”
Prioritizing Philadelphians earning 60% Area Median Income or less means we are helping public school teachers, sanitation workers, City clerks, 3-1-1 operators, and other full-time union employees – as well as seniors on a fixed income and folks with disabilities.
Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia said, “From Habitat for Humanity’s work in the community, we know how precarious housing is for many Philadelphia families. The most vulnerable of our neighbors cannot wait — for critical repairs, homelessness prevention, and other vital support systems that maintain the stability and dignity of home. We applaud the tireless advocacy and coalition-building that has ensured the historic HOME Plan can advance in a way that truly centers those with the greatest need. This is an important step forward toward real, equitable access to safe, stable housing for all.”
“City wide almost one-fifth of the population, or 280,000 residents, is a person with a disability. We need to make sure our housing funding priorities– including in the HOME Initiative– reflect the needs of our residents—especially those who are most at risk of institutionalization or homelessness simply because they can’t find an affordable, accessible place to live,” said Rodney Whitmore, Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities.
Despite claims to the contrary, City Council doubled the number of households eligible for the City’s two most in-demand housing repair programs, Basic Systems Repair and Adaptive Modifications, as requested by Mayor Parker.
Data provided to Council by the Parker Administration shows that 92% of Basic Systems Repair (BSRP) recipients and 96% of Adaptive Modification recipients earn less than 50% Area Median Income (AMI). The Administration also testified at a previous hearing that they only expect 10% of BSRP and Adaptive Modification applicants to come from higher-income households. Reserving 90% of BSRP and Adaptive Modification funding for working and low-income applicants leaves more than enough to cover demand from higher-income applicants.
Dina Schlossberg, Executive Director of Regional Housing Legal Services, said, “We applaud Mayor Parker for her leadership in creating the H.O.M.E. Initiative – an historic opportunity to advance housing affordability for all Philadelphians. We urge the Mayor to work closely with City Council to adopt its plan to prioritize resources for the city’s most vulnerable residents. With more than 200,000 families in critical need of housing support, it is essential that we focus on neighbors most at risk of housing instability, including households that are eligible for assistance and have waited years on long-standing lists. This approach is both humane and fiscally prudent, helping the city avert a deeper housing and homelessness crisis.”
Low- and middle-income enrollees in the Basic Systems Repair Program and Adaptive Modification come from every Council District. In fact, some of the highest enrollment numbers are in “middle neighborhoods” in the 4th, 8th, and 9th Council Districts. In all but two Council Districts, a majority of residents earn under 60% AMI. Council added additional funding to BSRP and Adaptive Modification to make sure there’s enough for everyone.
Reverend Gregory Holston, Executive Director of Just Nation, said, “As Psalm 82:3 says, ‘Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed,’ City Council’s amendment requiring that 90% of the first $200 million go to households under 60% AMI is essential. Without this safeguard, the H.O.M.E. plan would continue to prioritize developers while leaving the poorest families unprotected. This amendment ensures that public dollars follow the moral mandate to put the most vulnerable first, not last.”
The HOME Plan Year 1 budget that received preliminary approval from City Council includes every appropriation and eligibility increase Mayor Parker asked for. Appropriations for Council priorities were added on top of the Administration’s requests. Council shared its priorities with the public and private Administration over several months.
“For too long, renters have faced an impossible choice: report unsafe conditions and risk homelessness, or stay silent,” said Madison Gray, staff attorney at the Public Interest Law Center. “This spring, Council promised these renters a solution — a Displacement Fund that would provide one-time moving assistance for tenants displaced by L&I Cease Operations Orders — but, without funding, the Displacement Fund was just words on paper. Now, the solution is here: $1 million invested in the Displacement Fund to ensure no tenant is forced to choose between safety and homelessness.”
“A true solution to our housing crisis must start by investing most where the pain has been greatest, with the low-income home owners and renters like us who have been waiting. As a Black single mother who has had to live in unsafe housing because of absentee landlords and a lack of affordable rentals, I know this personally. We commend City Council for hearing us and taking this important step of amending the HOME plan to protect our families,” said Theresa Howell, a Frankford resident and member of One PA Renters United.
Dianna Coleman, a Southwest resident and member of One PA West Southwest Rising, said, “Prioritizing housing for the poor is not just a moral imperative, it is sound public policy. By passing the amendments to the H.O.M.E. Plan and directing resources to those who are most in need, our healthcare system, our schools, and even our justice system shoulder fewer avoidable burdens. Whole communities, wealthy, middle class, and low-income alike, become safer, healthier, and more prosperous. When Philadelphia begins to care for its most vulnerable, only then, will we truly be One Philadelphia.”
“Philadelphia’s in a housing emergency. The city’s housing plan must put people first and direct funds to where the need is greatest. That’s why we’re supporting City Council’s amendments – because they will guarantee renters and homeowners living at or below 30% of AMI get the resources first, protecting those clinging to life rafts, not just padding developer profits. We’re working toward housing that lifts all boats, but it must start with those who need it most,” said Seth Anderson‑Oberman, Executive Director of Reclaim Philadelphia.
“Our neighbors in poverty are particularly vulnerable to the cascade of troubles that begin with mold, a gas leak, or a leaky roof and can easily end in severe illness and homelessness. They need stable housing and they need their homes repaired. We applaud the effort by City Council members to champion our community’s health in the amended HOME budget by balancing funding for Philadelphians across the spectrum of need while prioritizing neighbors who experience the greatest financial vulnerability,” said Dr. Joniqua Caesar, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania.
“One out of every 3 households in our city earns $35,000/year or less; too many of our siblings are housing cost burdened. This is not what love thy neighbor means. Loving our neighbor means affordable, accessible housing,” Jonny Rashid, pastor for West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship.
Emily Abendroth, HERE for Climate Justice Coalition Member, said, “Philadelphia is burdened by some of the oldest housing and the highest energy bills in the country. That burden weighs most heavily on our lowest-income neighbors. HERE for Climate Justice applauds City Council for affirming that the work to make our city’s housing safer, more sustainable, and more affordable must start with those most in need: households making at or below 60% of the Area Median Income – which means $71,640 a year for a family of four. Without targeted investments, those families would have to continue to wait years to replace a broken heater, repair a busted pipe, or patch a hole in their roof. City Council’s measured and pragmatic amendments reflect the will of our communities: we cannot afford to wait.”
Kathryn Wylde, member of Brewerytown Sharswood Neighborhood Coalition, said, “I have lived in Philly for almost ten years now and I have never (yet) made $20k in a year. I spent the first several years struggling to maintain stable housing and coming very close to street homelessness. It was terrifying. The lack of affordable options and the insanity of the waitlist for section 8 housing are enormous issue that the city has ignored for too long. I am blessed and grateful to have found a home that I can afford (thanks to two long-term roommates, a great landlady, and controlled rent). As I watch gentrification sweep through my neighborhood and see new units going for hundreds more per month than we are currently paying, I worry about economic sustainability for myself, my community, and others who are ‘low-income.’ In my work as a Victim Advocate, I frequently encounter people who are trapped in unsafe situations because it is not economically feasible for them to move. I am thrilled that Councilperson Gauthier and Landau’s amendment to the HOME Initiative passed (and with so much support). It is past time for city council to make decisions that support The Least of These. We need an economic floor to stand. We need policies that acknowledge that many of us are below the median. We don’t want to rely on vouchers and welfare to be able to afford the basics of life. An abundance of deeply affordable housing (that won’t disappear when tax abatements end) is critical for Philadelphians like me, my neighbors, and my clients. Thank you for listening to us, for seeing us.”
