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Description
From the Stated Meeting of Philadelphia City Council held Thursday, January 26, 2023:
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District)'s floor speech on affordable housing policies.
A
Last
week,
Majority
Leader,
Jones
and
I
introduced
a
bill
proposing
an
extension
of
the
mixed
income,
neighborhoods
overlay
and
TOD
overlay
across
a
stretch
of
West
Market
Street
that
he
and
I
share.
We
are
taking
this
step
to
be
proactive
about
ensuring
that
affordable
housing
will
continue
to
exist
along
this
vital
transit-oriented
Corridor
for
decades
to
come.
I
am
also
pleased
to
report
that,
within
the
existing
mixed
income,
neighborhoods
overlay,
there
are
currently
permits
in
process
that
will
create
325
new
housing
units.
A
These
permits
range
from
projects
as
small
as
10
units
men's
floor
and
as
high
as
150
units
and
because
of
men.
These
permits
will
generate
65
new,
affordable
units
42
in
the
Third
District
and
23
in
the
7th
District.
That
means
that,
within
the
first
few
months
of
its
existence,
the
mixed
income,
neighborhoods
overlay,
will
generate
more
genuinely
affordable
units
than
in
the
first
three
years
of
the
optional
mixed
Income
Housing
section
of
the
code.
A
Citywide
I
hope
that
this
shows
that
this
overlay
does
not
halt
development,
because
some
have
challenged
the
legitimacy
of
men
by
demanding
that
it
generate
new
homes
within
an
unrealistically
short
time
frame.
I
urge
these
Skeptics
to
also
measure
the
impact
of
traditional
market
rate,
real
estate
development
on
our
neighborhoods.
So
let's
pause
and
do
that
for
a
moment
before
men,
rents
in
West,
Philadelphia
surge
by
200
to
300
percent,
even
as
hundreds
of
units
came
online
inside
the
overlays
boundaries
every
year,
almost
none
of
them
affordable.
A
Ultimately,
we
must
give
the
mixed
income
neighborhoods
overlay
time
to
work,
but
signs
point
in
the
right
direction
and
I
could
not
be
more
excited
even
though
65,
affordable
homes
and
260
market
rate
ones
barely
scratched
the
surface
of
the
city's
need.
It's
a
welcome
sign
that
the
overlay
will
generate
deeply
affordable
homes
in
some
of
west
and
southwest
most
high
amenity,
neighborhoods
and
debunks.
A
The
claim
that
no
development
is
happening
inside
the
overlay,
engaging
in
unfair,
biased
scrutiny
of
a
policy
that
has
been
in
effect
for
six
months
will
do
nothing
to
end
our
housing
affordability
crisis.
What
will
is
bold
action?
What
will
is
partnership?
What
will
is
a
commitment
that
all
philadelphiaans
deserve
a
high
quality
place
to
live
in
a
neighborhood
of
opportunity?
I
look
forward
to
working
with
my
colleagues,
the
community
and
all
willing
stakeholders
to
do
just
that.
Thank
you.