Jamie R. Gauthier represents West and Southwest Philadelphia as the 3rd District City Councilmember. Since assuming office in January 2020, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier has fought for her constituents’ right to live with dignity and remain in the neighborhoods they’ve called home for decades. She is the only elected official in the City of Philadelphia with a planning degree, offering her a unique perspective on a range of social and economic issues.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s agenda prioritizes creating and preserving affordable housing, combating gun violence, empowering young people, connecting residents to family-sustaining jobs, advancing small businesses, and investing in community-based assets like our Recreation Centers.
In her role as Chair of the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier champions policies that encourage the construction of new affordable housing, and the preservation of the city’s existing stock. For example, Councilmember Gauthier, alongside former Councilmember Quiñones-Sánchez, created the Mixed Income Neighborhoods Overlay District (MIN), requiring large new developments within the overlay keep 20% of their units affordable.
Alongside Councilmember Brooks and former Councilmember Gym, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier also created the Emergency Housing Protection Act (EHPA), which provided extensive relief to tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic. The EHPA included the Eviction Diversion Program, which enables landlords and tenants to arrive at an agreement without having to go to Court. The EHPA and Eviction Diversion Program are considered national models and resulted in a 75% decrease in evictions citywide two years in a row.
Additionally, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier has been leading the charge to enact a stronger local response to the gun violence epidemic. In 2020, the Councilmember authored a resolution, unanimously supported by her fellow Councilmembers, that called on Mayor Kenney to declare gun violence an emergency. The resolution also called for the administration to respond to gun violence with the same urgency and level of resources with which it responded to COVID-19. When the Mayor refused to sign the emergency declaration, Councilmember Gauthier joined with former City Controller Rhynhart to demand a targeted investment in the 14 zipcodes with the highest level of gun violence, and an overall heightened budget for violence prevention and disruption initiatives. These efforts resulted in a record $70 million investment in funding for gun violence prevention and programs in FY 22. The Councilmember continues to push the City to enact trauma-informed initiatives that target communities disproportionately harmed by gun violence.
In 2022, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier created the #JustServicesPHL campaign, which called for impactful major investments to address quality-of-life concerns, and unfairly distributed city services, in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia. Through #JustServicesPHL, Councilmember Gauthier championed an immediate $30 million investment in basic services improvements in FY 23.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier also partners with the community on a variety of other issues. For example, she committed millions to improve neglected parks and recreation centers, like the Sayre Pool, as well as $470,000 in grants to community programs.
Prior to her City Council candidacy, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier served as Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy, where she led the Conservancy in carrying out vital improvements in West Fairmount Park and organized stewardship and care for parks across the city. Councilmember Gauthier is also a former Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia.
After graduating from Central High School, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier received her undergraduate degree from Temple University and her Master’s in Urban Planning from the University of Pennsylvania.