More protections for city renters
Last April, Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke introduced the Safe Healthy Homes Act.
The legislative package is guided by three rights the lawmaker says must be preserved for tenants — the right to safety, the right to repairs and the right to relocation — especially at a time when historically high rents continue to put pressure on cost-burdened renters.
Roughly two months later, Council passed a measure authorizing the city to create an antidisplacement fund for tenants forced to move because their property has become uninhabitable. Dollars for the fund, which will provide one-time payments to tenants, were later added to the first H.O.M.E. budget, a move widely celebrated by housing advocates.
O’Rourke agreed to hold the rest of the package to allow more time for negotiation. But he plans to reintroduce the legislation during the upcoming session.
One of the bills authorizes the city to create a program to conduct proactive inspections of rental properties on a “regular cycle,” a longtime wishlist item for advocates who have been pushing for protections for tenants at risk of displacement.
As it stands, properties are only inspected if a complaint is filed with the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections. Philadelphia is one of the only big cities in the country that does not proactively inspect rental units.
Housing advocates say tenants, even those living in units that would be considered uninhabitable under city law, are often reluctant to file a complaint, because they fear their landlord will retaliate against them — particularly if they are withholding rent with hopes of getting them to respond.
Department officials have said the city is in the process of crafting a pilot program for proactive inspections. Advocates have called for $10 million for the effort.
A second measure seeks to curtail instances of retaliation by expressly barring landlords from ending or modifying a tenant’s lease simply because that tenant is cooperating with a city investigation, has discussed their living condition with a council member or reporter, or joined a tenant organization.
The city’s rental code currently bars landlords from terminating a lease in retaliation for “the joining of any lawful organization, or any other exercise of a legal right.”
Housing advocates say a case currently before the city’s Fair Housing Commission highlights the need to update the legislation, which they hope will empower tenants to speak out about unsafe living conditions.
Kadi Ashby, president of the tenants association at Alden Park Luxury Apartments, maintains that management refused to renew her lease in retaliation for helping to create the group, which formed with hopes of improving living conditions at the complex.
Management argues its decision came after Ashby shared the addresses of the building’s owners in a group chat for the tenants association — addresses that are publicly available online.
During a hearing last week, the complex’s management said the post violated the terms of Ashby’s lease because it “jeopardized the safety and well-being of these individuals and their families,” according to a letter sent to Ashby by one of their attorneys.
The commission must hear more testimony before it makes a ruling.