Testimony from proponents and opponents
Rochelle Lashley, a member of the social justice group One Pennsylvania, urged lawmakers to include more funding for low-income renters and homeowners “who need it most.”
“It’s a simple principle. We should start at the bottom before we go to the top. The struggle is real,” said Lashley, who has lived in Southwest Philadelphia for more than 50 years.
“It’s not only morally right, it’s structurally sound policy,” added Melissa Monts, another member of the group.
Other speakers applauded the Parker administration for crafting a housing plan for all Philadelphians — not just those living at the bottom of the city’s socioeconomic ladder.
Since the start, the mayor has been adamant about the H.O.M.E. initiative serving everyone who needs help with housing — from low-income renters to moderate-income homeowners. And she vowed to never engage in policymaking that pits “have-nots against those who have just a little.”
Ryan Boyer, business manager for the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, said Tuesday that the city cannot afford to potentially alienate working-class and middle-income residents by implementing a housing plan that doesn’t also seek to help that population.
“This is a very, very important and serious issue,” said Boyer, one of Parker’s strongest political allies.
“If we don’t keep some of the middle class and working-class people in the city of Philadelphia, that creates craters in our tax base. So we have to, very carefully and delicately, make incentives for those people to stay that can leave, as well as take care of our most vulnerable.”
For now, it’s unclear when the city will borrow the first chunk of funding for the initiative — or how much will be borrowed. But it is unlikely it will happen before the holidays.
Finance Director Rob Dubow has said the plan would start with $400 million in funding, but budgeting for the initiative is now based on the calendar year instead of the fiscal year. That could potentially change the math.