Drafted from January through July 2026, Philadelphia’s Cost of Living Task Force Report centers five areas where Philadelphia families have seen and felt the rise of prices: Housing, Transit, Utilities, Food Access, and The Care Economy.
Task force members met, discussed, and shared research, insight, and feedback throughout the report’s creation. Councilmember O’Rourke’s colleagues on the Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy, and their staff, received early outlines and offered ideas and feedback on the report’s content. Council President Kenyatta Johnson and Minority Leader Kendra Brooks penned introductory letters for the report.
Thank you to Allegra Dingle, Lane Kantor, Melissa Monts, Sonia Eldridge, and Sonya Sanders for sharing your experience as Philadelphians. Many thanks are due to Chris Mansfield and Khara Garcia on City Council’s Creative Services team for photography and design support.
The drafting of the Philadelphia Cost of Living Task Force report was led by Cade Underwood and Ella Israeli, respectively, the Director of Legislation and Legislative Aide for Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke. Sarah Rivera formatted, designed, and illustrated the report, and the office thanks her immensely. Jordan Levy copy-edited the report and led the design process from start to finish. The office’s entire staff contributed to the report’s creation and is excited to share it with you — thank you for reading.
Along with Councilmember O’Rourke, the Cost of Living Task Force is composed of:
Sister Mary Scullion, R.S.M. (Focus Area: Housing) — Co-Founder and former Executive Director of Project HOME, Sister Mary Scullion is a globally recognized leader in the fight against chronic homelessness.
Arthur Steinberg (Focus Area: Labor & Education) — President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Arthur Steinberg has long served Philadelphia with the PFT and as a special education teacher in the School District of Philadelphia.
Professor Leslie Richards (Focus Area: Transit) — Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design, Professor Leslie Richards has been a diligent public servant, helping Pennsylvanians move as the former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the former CEO and General Manager of SEPTA.
Eva Gladstein (Focus Area: Housing & Anti-Poverty) — Now retired, Eva Gladstein is a deeply committed public servant who spent over 20 years working for the City of Philadelphia, in roles spanning the inaugural Executive Director of the Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity to Executive Director of the Zoning Commission Chair to First Deputy Managing Director. Among her many accomplishments, she has led the implementation of the Eviction Diversion Program, co-chaired the City Council’s Special Committee on Poverty Reduction, and co-founded the Tenants Union Representative Network (fka Tenant Action Group).
Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD (Focus Area: Healthcare/Childcare) — Associate Professor of General Pediatrics at Perelman School of Medicine, Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens is a pediatrician nationally recognized for her work on asthma disparities, including as founder of the Community Asthma Prevention Program at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Marianne Fray, MBA (Focus Area: Healthcare/Childcare) — President and CEO of the Maternity Care Coalition, Marianne Fray is a longtime expert in organizational management and the world of health equity, preceding her nearly ten years at the MCC with another stint in leadership at the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.
Dr. Najja Orr (Focus Area: Senior Care) — President and CEO of the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, Dr. Najja Orr also has served as PCA’s Chief Strategy Officer and director of the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging.
Vikram Patel, Esq. (Focus Area: Public Utilities) — Managing Attorney of the Community Legal Services Energy Unit, Vikram Patel also served as the Chair of the Public Interest Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association and serves on the association’s Board of Governors.
George Matysik (Focus Area: Groceries/Food Access) — Executive Director of the Share Food Program, George Matysik has been a mainstay in local and regional food access work as former Director of Public Policy at Philabundance, former President of the National CSFP Association, and founding Executive Director of Feeding Pennsylvania.