Council and Mayor Not in Agreement on HOME Parameters; Subsequent Hearing Cancelled

Philadelphia City Council’s Committee of the Whole questioned Administration officials on Mayor Cherelle Parker’s signature HOME (Housing Opportunities Made Easy) proposal, in a marathon hearing last Wednesday.

The object of the hearing was to discuss the first $200 million bond issuance of the $800 million package, and finalize the allocations from the initial expenditure. The various investments offered by the Administration in the first resolution presented to council had been adjusted, as Hall Monitor detailed in last week’s newsletter. 

Prior to the hearing, Councilmembers Jamie Gauthier and Rue Landau, chair and vice-chair of the Housing Committee, respectively, and Councilmember Nicholas O’Rourke held a press conference praising the bold investment of the plan, but questioned the initial allocations. Saying the plan needed to do more for “every Philadelphian, not just those with means,” the Councilmembers called for the following amendments:

1. Clear the lines first. Tens of thousands of residents have waited months or years for housing help they qualify for, help that can mean the difference between staying housed or losing their homes. These families deserve their due before we open the floodgates to new types of applicants.
2. Make the right and fiscally responsible choice by prioritizing families with the greatest need. City housing programs should prioritize households earning around Philadelphia’s median income (60% AMI) or as low as 30% AMI where possible. This isn’t about locking anyone out of resources or pitting low-income households against moderate-income households. It’s about recognizing that if we do not help families who are one rent increase or unexpected maintenance cost away from homelessness stay in their homes today, taxpayers will foot an even higher bill when they end up living on the street tomorrow.
3. Stop the bleeding: don’t let affordable housing disappear! We will never be able to fully build ourselves out of Philadelphia’s affordable housing crisis. Over 12,000 government-financed affordable housing units have expiring contracts in the next decade alone. When their mandated affordability requirements end, these units are at risk of being turned into unaffordable market-rate properties, displacing long-term residents. Without significantly expanding affordable housing preservation funding, new affordable homes brought online will be offset by the units we lose.
4. Half of Philadelphians rent, and they need our help. Almost 50% of Philadelphia households rent, and half of them are rent-burdened, meaning they must spend more than they can afford on rent. 27% spend more than half their paycheck on rent, and it is only getting worse in almost all Council Districts. This money does not come out of thin air; it means hundreds of millions of dollars that families spend on rent instead of other essentials like healthcare and groceries. That’s why we need to significantly increase funding for rental assistance programs like Homelessness Prevention, Tenant Based Shallow Rent, the Anti-Displacement Fund, and FreshStartPHL. 
5. Build housing that’s affordable in reality, not just in name. The harsh reality is that much so-called affordable housing is still too expensive for hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians. The City needs to fund the type of deeply affordable housing that the private market has proven it will not generate on its own. Otherwise, taxpayers will be footing an even higher bill to house the lowest-income Philadelphians in homeless shelters. 

In response, Parker sent a letter to Council pushing back on the notion that the plan did not do enough for the most cost-burdened Philadelphians, citing key metrics for the program:

68% of beneficiaries will earn between 0-50% of Area Median Income (AMI)

93% of beneficiaries will earn under 80% of AMI

40% of beneficiaries will be in the deeply affordable category (0-30% AMI)

Once the hearing began, Council President Kenyatta Johnson asked Administration Tiffany Thurman, the Mayor’s Chief-of-Staff, Angela Brooks, the city’s Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer, and Jessie Lawrence, the Director of Planning and Development, how many new units would be created in the first year of the program. 

Administration officials said 2408 units would be built in the first year, with 656 coming from the Turn the Key program. 

The Administration is hoping to conclude the hearings and pass the resolution soon, so that the city can offer the bonds before the end of the year. A subsequent hearing had been scheduled for Monday, November 17th, but has since been cancelled. Council President Kenyatta Johnson issued the following statement on the cancellation:

“As Chair of Philadelphia City Council’s Committee of the Whole, and after consulting with Council leadership, a decision was made this afternoon to cancel the scheduled Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) hearing on Monday, November 17.

“Conversations continue between Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s Administration and Councilmembers on final details of the initiative.

H.O.M.E. plans to spend a total of $800 million to create and preserve 30,000 affordable housing units over the next few years. It is critically important to get the first-year spending plan right because what is agreed upon in the first year will influence all future spending for the H.O.M.E. program. It is also essential that the final legislation include spending priorities important to City Councilmembers. 

“Both branches of government remain committed to ensuring the H.O.M.E. program is implemented transparently, equitably, and in a way that maximizes benefits to Philadelphia residents.

“I value the ongoing collaboration with the Administration, and taking extra time to finalize these critical elements will result in a stronger, more effective program. A new hearing date will be announced as soon as possible.”

O’Rourke Looks to Divest From Nuclear Weapons

Councilmember Nicholas O’Rourke introduced a resolution “urging the City of Philadelphia to make moral investments and weigh the threat that nuclear weapons pose to all of humanity and our environment in light of the Trump administration’s decision to restart testing of nuclear weapons and proposal to build a nuclear submarine right here in Philadelphia.”

The resolution comes after President Donald Trump announced the United States would resume the testing of nuclear weapons, a practice that ended nearly 30 years ago. Trump has also said a new nuclear powered submarine, which will carry nuclear weapons, will possibly be built at the Philadelphia Naval Yard.

The clear concerns regarding resumed nuclear testing are the inevitable global arms that will occur after testing, the environmental impact, and the increased likely of the weapons being used in the event of a conflict. All this comes while global tensions are already at a fever pitch in various parts of the world. 

Phillips Introduces New Landlord Bill

Councilmember Anthony Phillips introduced a bill that would require more accountability from non-resident landlords. The legislation will ensure that landlords are available to tenants and city officials.

According to information provided by Phillips’ office, more than 55% of residential properties in Philadelphia are rented, which is amongst the highest rate in the United States. 20,000 of the city’s rental licenses are registered to owners who do not live on-site at the rental property, and the department of Licenses and Inspections has recorded over 62,000 housing code violations from unreachable, non-resident landlords.

Phillip’s legislation would do the following:

1. 1. Definition of Non-Resident Landlord: Any person or entity who owns or controls property

requiring a license but does not reside at the property address.

2. Verifiable Contact Information: All license applicants must provide a physical address (no P.O.

boxes or mail drops) capable of receiving service and verified by L&I.

3. Local Agent Requirement: Non-resident landlords must designate a local agent or property

manager residing or operating within Philadelphia to receive notices and act on the landlord’s

behalf.

4. Unified Penalty Structure:

• First offense: $100 fine • Subsequent offenses: $500 per violation.

• Each day of non-compliance constitutes a separate offense, enforceable by L&I.

• Repeated violations can result in license suspension, denial, or revocation.

Tenant Defense Provision: Tenants may raise a landlord’s non-compliance as a defense in

eviction or rent collection cases:

• Landlords cannot collect rent or late fees during non-compliance.

• Compliance restores rights prospectively.

• This ensures accountability without requiring tenants to initiate costly litigation.