PCHJ Response to Recent Legislation

I thought people might want to see how the Philadelphia Campaign for Housing Justice is talking about the recent legislation. More interesting then this press release is the talking points they sent out which I attached to this post

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 4, 2006

HOUSING JUSTICE CAMPAIGN SAYS CITY COUNCIL' INCLUSIONARY HOUSING PROPOSAL IS JUST A FIRST STEP

PHILADELPHIA, PA—Last Thursday, 7 members of City Council introduced legislation that would amend Philadelphia' zoning code to mandate Inclusionary Affordable Housing.Bill No. 060732, co-sponsored by Council members Clarke, Goode, DiCicco, Ramos, Reynolds Brown, Blackwell, and Miller, came exactly two weeks after several hundred citizens rallied with the Philadelphia Campaign for Housing Justice (PCHJ), calling attention to the problem of affordable, quality housing for low- and moderate-income Philadelphians. http://www.allforthetaking.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/talking-pts-on... Formed last spring as a coalition of housing advocates, labor unions, congregations, and social-justice organizations, the PCHJ has been calling for the City to enact an Inclusionary Housing ordinance.

We are very pleased that there' broad support in City Council for Inclusionary Housing,said Wayne MacManiman, Jr. of SEIU Local 32BJ, a member of PCHJ. However, like any first draft, there is much that needs to be modified and changed. The biggest weakness is that the proposal will only serve households earning between $55,000 and $103,000 per year – this leaves out too many working families, including members of our local. It leaves out too many senior citizens and people with disabilities who are most in need of quality affordable housing.”

Nancy Salandra of Disabled In Action, a member of PCHJ, emphasized, Over one-third of Philadelphians make less than $20,000 a year and are completely excluded by this bill. This legislation excludes firefighters, housekeepers, elementary school teachers, editors, security guards, child care workers, janitors, police officers, and others. The bill as written is more exclusive than inclusive.

The most recent major study of Philadelphia' housing affordability gap found a shortage of 60,000 units for households with income below $20,000 (available at http://cml.upenn.edu/presentations/CLOSINGtheGAP3.pdf). Based on the housing study, the Philadelphia Campaign for Housing Justice has maintained that any inclusionary housing legislation needs to provide housing for people who earn far less than $55,000. Programs in other cities have required building at different income tiers, for instance units targeted to 80% AMI ($55,000), 50% AMI ($34,000), and under 30% AMI ($21,000).

Strengths of the draft bill include: • mandatory for virtually all housing development over 20 units; • offers developer flexibility with both an option for the housing to be built on-site (10% built affordable) or off-site (15% built affordable); • affordable housing units will not be inferior in quality of construction, bedroom mix, or size, whether off-site or on-site.

Weaknesses include: • income targets too high • an extremely short duration of affordability (only 10 years); • no option for payments to an affordable housing fund in lieu of including affordable units; and • no incentives for the developer to offset the costs of building low-income and moderate-income housing.

Without reasonable developer incentives, we fear this bill might discourage rather than encourage new development in our City,added Nora Lichtash of Women' Community Revitalization Project (WCRP), a member of PCHJ. We look forward to working with City Council to draft legislation that is meaningful to the majority of working families, people with disabilities, and seniors. To be truly inclusive, we need to include those people who are most suffering from Philadelphia' affordable housing crisis.”

The Philadelphia Campaign for Housing Justice' membership includes the following groups: ACORN, Action Alliance of Senior Citizens, Circle of Hope Church, Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Disabilities Law Project, Disabled In Action, AFSCME District 1199C, AFSCME DC 47, Jewish Labor Committee, Jobs with Justice, Kensington Welfare Rights Union, Liberty Resources, Neighborhood Networks, New Jerusalem Laura, Northwest Interfaith Advocates, One Philadelphia, Penn PIRG, Philadelphia Affordable Housing Coalition, Philadelphia Senior Center, Philadelphia Unemployment Project, Prevention Point of Philadelphia, Project H.O.M.E., Raise of Hope, SEIU 1199P, SEIU 32BJ, Tenant Union Representative Network, United Communities Southeast Philadelphia, and Women' Community Revitalization Project. ###