Calling on the Philadelphia City Council to urge the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass SB 1400 or HB 2601 and for the Governor to sign the final legislation to establish the Pennsylvania Housing and Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Program.

WHEREAS

, Safe, decent and affordable housing is the basic right of all Americans; and

WHEREAS

, Affordable housing is at the heart of strong communities and stable neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS

, The lack of affordable housing has caused homelessness, economic hardship, and other adverse effects for an untold number of men, women and children in Philadelphia and throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS

, The average price of a home in Pennsylvania increased 39% between 2003 and 2006, while at the same time median family income only increased 15% over the five years between 2000 and 2006; and

WHEREAS

, More than 15,000 Pennsylvanians are homeless; and

WHEREAS

, 17% of homeowners in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania earn less than $20,000.00 per year and 47% of families who rent pay more than 30% of their income for housing and in Philadelphia more than 50% of low income households pay more than half their income for housing; and

WHEREAS

, More than 90,000 families statewide are on housing authority waiting lists and in Philadelphia there are 6,510 waiting for Section 8 vouchers and over 14,000 on the public housing waiting list; and

WHEREAS

, The production of new housing and the preservation and rehabilitation of existing housing that is affordable for low and moderate income individuals and families must be a priority for the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS

, The establishment of the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Program will expand resources throughout the Commonwealth for the creation and preservation of affordable housing; and

WHEREAS

, Senate Bill 1400 and House Bill 2061 seek to establish an annual allocation of $10,000,000 to fund the Program; and

WHEREAS

, The Council of the City of Philadelphia is committed to addressing the affordable housing crisis; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Council calls upon the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass SB 1400 or HB 2601 and for the Governor to sign the final bill; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Honorable Edward G. Rendell, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Senate Appropriation Committee Chairs, Gib Armstrong and Gerald LaValle and House Appropriation Committee Chairs, Dwight Evans and Mario Civera and to each member of the Philadelphia House and Senate delegation.

End