Philly's Council Calls for Mayor Parker's H.O.M.E. Plan to Prioritize Poor Residents Over Middle Class
A hearing on Mayor Cherelle Parker's $2 billion Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) initiative saw council members express concerns that the program, aimed at supporting affordable housing, may not be doing enough to prioritize Philly's poorest residents.
The four-year plan includes $195 million for 27 initiatives in its first year. The plan would allow residents with up to 100% of the area median income (AMI) - $119,400 annually for a family of four - to apply, but council members questioned whether this would benefit those who truly need it most.
The administration claims that using AMI as a determining factor does not tell the full story and wants some flexibility in eligibility. However, council members argued that expanding eligibility could lead to middle-class families benefiting from the program without giving priority to those struggling the most.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier expressed her frustration with the current system, stating, "It's not fiscally responsible to open up programs to the middle class without prioritizing people who are going to be on the streets." She called for clearing out existing affordable housing applications and implementing a tiered approach that would require more infrastructure.
The city's chief housing and urban development officer, Angela Brooks, acknowledged that 41% of projects will go to households with incomes below 31% AMI. However, she argued that building priorities into the application process requires more time and infrastructure than what is currently available.
In response to council concerns, Mayor Parker's administration claimed that their intent is not to pitting those who have less against those who have a little more, but rather to help every Philadelphian. The city council must approve the budget plan before accessing the $800 million in funding paid for by the sale of city bonds.
With the deadline looming next week, council members are pushing for more input on the spending plan, and if approved, officials will have access to the funds as early as December.
A hearing on Mayor Cherelle Parker's $2 billion Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) initiative saw council members express concerns that the program, aimed at supporting affordable housing, may not be doing enough to prioritize Philly's poorest residents.
The four-year plan includes $195 million for 27 initiatives in its first year. The plan would allow residents with up to 100% of the area median income (AMI) - $119,400 annually for a family of four - to apply, but council members questioned whether this would benefit those who truly need it most.
The administration claims that using AMI as a determining factor does not tell the full story and wants some flexibility in eligibility. However, council members argued that expanding eligibility could lead to middle-class families benefiting from the program without giving priority to those struggling the most.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier expressed her frustration with the current system, stating, "It's not fiscally responsible to open up programs to the middle class without prioritizing people who are going to be on the streets." She called for clearing out existing affordable housing applications and implementing a tiered approach that would require more infrastructure.
The city's chief housing and urban development officer, Angela Brooks, acknowledged that 41% of projects will go to households with incomes below 31% AMI. However, she argued that building priorities into the application process requires more time and infrastructure than what is currently available.
In response to council concerns, Mayor Parker's administration claimed that their intent is not to pitting those who have less against those who have a little more, but rather to help every Philadelphian. The city council must approve the budget plan before accessing the $800 million in funding paid for by the sale of city bonds.
With the deadline looming next week, council members are pushing for more input on the spending plan, and if approved, officials will have access to the funds as early as December.
. It just makes sense that those who are struggling the most need help first. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier is right, it's not fair to make sure everyone has a roof over their heads without prioritizing those who really need it 
. I mean, $119,400 is still a pretty high income for some families 
. Maybe they should consider lowering the income limit or implementing a more tiered system like Angela Brooks suggested 
.
, I'm like totally concerned about this H.O.M.E. plan in Philly! They wanna give millions of dollars to middle-class fams who might not be struggling as hard as those on the streets? It just doesn't seem fair to me 
. I get that there's a budget and all, but c'mon, can't they find ways to make it work for everyone? 
The numbers do show that like 41% of projects will go to low-income households tho 
. It's not like they're asking to give away free money or something 
. It's all about prioritization, but also let's not forget there are people waiting in line for actual apartments 
. Just give 'em a break 
.
. The fact that middle-class families are even getting consideration is just, like, not ideal for people who are literally struggling to make ends meet 
. I'm all for a tiered approach, tbh 
.
. i feel for councilmember Jamie Gauthier, she makes some legit points about fiscal responsibility... but at the same time, i get why mayor parker wants to make it accessible to everyone 
, why would you want middle-class families getting a free pass to affordable housing? It's like they're trying to create a whole new class of "poor-ish" people who are still living comfortably. We need to be real about it, if someone can afford to live in Philly, they should foot the bill for their own housing. The $2 billion plan is already a stretch and now they want to make it more inclusive? No way 
. It's just going to dilute the program's effectiveness and waste even more resources.
. I think the city needs to do more to prioritize those who are struggling the most and make sure they're getting the help they need.
. Is there something we don't know? Why not just be upfront and say how this plan will actually benefit Philly's residents? Transparency would go a long way in building trust