►
Description
The Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and The Homeless of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 1:00 PM to hear testimony on the following items:
221031
Resolution authorizing the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless to conduct hearings regarding discrimination against households holding tenant-based vouchers, putting thousands of vulnerable Philadelphians at risk of homelessness, and the effect of this discrimination on Philadelphia’s affordable housing crisis.
A
A
As
follows:
Public
Health,
Emergency
city
council
committees
are
currently
meeting
remotely.
We
are
using
Microsoft
teams
to
make
these
remote
hearings
possible
instructions
for
how
the
public
May
View
and
offer
public
testimony
at
public
hearings
of
council
committees
are
included
in
the
public
hearing,
notices
that
are
published
in
The
Daily,
News,
Inquirer
and
legal
Intelligencer
prior
to
the
hearings
and
can
also
be
found
on
phlcounsel.com
I
now
note
that
the
hour
has
come
Sydney
Charles.
Will
you
please
call
the
roll
to
take
attendance
members
that
are
in
attendance?
A
I'm
president,
good
afternoon,
thank
you,
a
quorum
of
the
committee
has
been
established
and
this
hearing
is
now
called
to
order.
This
is
a
public
hearing
of
the
committee
on
housing,
neighborhood
development
and
the
homeless.
Regarding
resolution
number
221031,
Miss
Charles.
Will
you
please
read
the
title
of
the
bill.
A
By
continuing
in
the
meeting,
you
are
consented
consenting
to
being
recorded
additionally
prior
to
recognizing
members
for
the
questions
or
comments
they
have
for
Witnesses.
I
will
note
for
the
record
at
this
time
that
we
will
use
the
chat
feature
available
in
Microsoft
teams
to
allow
members
to
signify
that
they
wish
to
be
recognized
in
order
to
comply
with
the
sunshine
act.
The
chat
feature
must
only
be
used
for
this
purpose
before
we
begin
I'd
like
to
make
a
few
remarks
about
the
legislation
before
this
committee
today
good
afternoon.
A
I
want
to
shine
a
light
on
how
dire
a
situation
this
is
for
our
lower
income,
rental,
households
and
vulnerable
populations
who
rely
on
vouchers
for
a
safe,
healthy
and
affordable
home
direct
rental
assistance
provided
by
tenant
vouchers,
is
the
quickest
and
most
effective
way
to
get
low-income
families
into
homes.
Given
the
severe
lack
of
affordable
housing.
A
That's
why
Philadelphia
created
the
local
fair
practices,
ordinance,
which
protects
tenants
from
unfair
rental
practices
by
landlords
and
prohibits
landlords
from
refusing
to
rent
based
on
a
tenant's
source
of
income,
including
tenant-based
vouchers.
I
am
grateful
that
this
ordinance
exists.
Studies
show
that
voucher
utilization
rates
are
higher
and
racial
segregation
is
lower
in
jurisdictions
that
have
the
source
of
income,
anti-discrimination
laws
in
place,
and
so
I
shudder
to
think
about
where
we'd
be
without
them.
A
However,
we
know
in
practice
that
most
landlords
still
see
accepting
tenant
vouchers
as
a
choice
and
not
the
legal
requirement
that
it
is
local
studies
show
that
more
than
65
percent
of
Philadelphia
landlords
are
still
not
accepting
tenant-based
vouchers
Citywide,
and
that
figure
goes
up
to
83
percent
in
low
poverty
neighborhoods.
This
widespread
discrimination
disproportionately
affects
black
households
who
comprise
over
80
percent
of
pha's
voucher
population.
A
Tenant
vouchers
are
a
proxy
for
other
types
of
discrimination,
we're
all
too
familiar
with
and
are
federally
protected
against,
such
as
race,
gender,
national
origin,
family
status
and
disability.
My
office
gets
calls
weekly
from
constituents
who
cannot
find
a
place
to
use
their
vouchers
and
it
really
came
to
a
head
last
year
in
my
district,
when
almost
400
government
subsidized
housing
units
in
University
City
were
cleared.
A
This
problem
is
only
going
to
get
worse
if
we
don't
intervene,
let's
think
about
what
it
means
to
be
forced
to
give
up
your
voucher,
something
that
many
voucher
holders
have
had
no
choice
but
to
do
if
they
wanted
to
actually
find
a
place
to
live.
Giving
up
a
voucher
means
giving
up
hundreds
of
dollars
in
rental
assistance
each
month
that
you're
entitled
to
by
law,
which
is
oftentimes
up
to
half
of
your
effective
income.
That
is
absolutely
life-shattering.
This
heartbreaking,
but
increasingly
common
scenario,
really
crystallized
for
me
the
severity
of
this
issue.
A
Not
only
does
it
make
you
feel
like
an
other
or
lesser
than,
but
it
strips
you
and
your
family
of
the
many
opportunities
that
living
in
amenity-rich
neighborhoods
provide
such
as
walkable
access
to
schools,
Health
Care,
basic
goods
and
services
and
family
sustaining
jobs.
Everyone
deserves
a
high
quality,
stable
home
in
whatever
neighborhood
they
please
and
residents.
Using
housing
vouchers
deserve
the
freedom
to
look
across
Philadelphia
and
use
their
voucher
wherever
there
is
a
vacancy,
because
for
many
of
our
neighbors
their
Housing
Voucher
is
nothing
more
than
a
false
promise
of
hope
and
housing.
A
Security
I
fully
understand
that
changes
might
need
to
be
made
to
this
program
to
ensure
that
it
works
better
for
property
owners.
But
let
me
be
clear:
Philadelphia
will
no
longer
stand
for
the
rampant,
illegal
discrimination
against
working-class,
black
and
brown
families
using
housing
vouchers
to
discriminatory
landlords.
Your
time
is
up.
We
are
cracking
down
on
this
Injustice
today.
Thank
you.
So
much
and
I'd
like
to
offer
an
opportunity
for
other
members
of
the
Comm,
the
committee
to
make
opening
remarks.
H
Thank
you
so
much
I
want
to
start
by.
Thank
you.
You,
chair,
Gautier,
for
spear
hearing
spearheading,
is
hearing
and
bringing
much
needed
attention
to
this
issue
because
we're
in
the
midst
of
a
housing
crisis
in
Philadelphia
and
discrimination
against
those
who
have
vouchers.
It's
such
a
major
part
of
this
problem.
H
While
this
discrimination
discrimination
is
clearly
illegal.
Enforcement
of
these
policies
is
so
weak
that
landlords
feel
comfortable
to
even
blatantly
list
on
their
advertisement.
That
vouchers
are
not
accepted,
and
this
type
of
demonstration
discrimination
takes
a
toll
on
Philadelphia
and
our
city.
H
Those
with
vouchers
must
spend
a
huge
amount
of
time
and
energy
trying
to
find
a
landlord
who
is
willing
to
comply
with
the
law
and
accept
their
vouchers
and
vouchers.
Holders
also
must
spend
hours
waiting
through
complicated,
slow
and
dehumanizing
process
of
using
that
voucher
or
extension.
The
voucher
timeline,
which
is
something
we
hear
happens
quite
often
at
this
time
of
energy,
could
be
spent
with
folk.
H
You
know
by
folks
spending
time
with
their
families
and
their
communities
and
even
working
right,
so
voucher
discrimination,
we
know,
is
rooted
in
racism
and
classism
and
also
is
a
result
of
government
failure.
So
when
the
federal
government
stopped
building
public
housing
vouchers
were
sold
as
a
free
market
better
for
the
free
market
and
our
alternative
to
providing
housing.
H
However,
The
Bouncing
program
has
served
in
large
part
as
a
subsidy
for
big
landlords
who
make
large
profits
while
tenants
are
forced
into
undesirable
buildings
and
neighborhoods
and
compel
to
spend
under
compelled
to
spend
months
and
months
I'm
looking
for
a
landlord,
that's
willing
to
accept
it
and
also,
while
navigating
the
bureaucracy,
and
sometimes
it
requires
a
lawyer.
Our
voucher
system
simply
does
not
work
and
at
least
currently
in
its
present
form
10
tenants
with
emergency
housing
vouchers
unable
to
use
it.
H
So
we
need
to
imagine
new
tools
to
address
the
housing
crisis
in
Philadelphia
when
it
works
for
tenants,
but
in
the
meantime
we
need
to
make
sure
vouchers
work
for
philadelphians,
and
this
means
I'm
strong,
stronger
or
more
stringent
and
effective
enforcement
of
the
the
prohibition
of
voucher
discrimination.
That
means
more
accessible
and
simple
PHA
process.
That
does
not
require
a
lawyer
and
does
not
leave
tenants,
feeling
dehumanized.
H
It
means
higher
voucher
limits
from
the
federal
government
so
that
renters
could
live
in
neighborhoods
if
they
want
to,
and
a
strong
voucher
system
mean
that
families
can
stay
in
their
communities.
Children
can
stay
in
their
schools
and
all
philadelphians
have
a
right
to
a
stable
and
healthy
home,
because
that's
a
basic
right.
So
thank
you
so
much
council
member
Gautier
for
organizing
this
hearing
and
I
look
forward
to
learning
more
about
this
and
joining
you
in
this
work
towards
Solutions
moving
forward.
A
A
A
I
My
name
is
Sarah
Bernstein
and
I
am
a
staff
attorney
at
the
public
interest.
Law
Center.
Thank
you
for
allowing
me
to
testify
today
about
voucher
discrimination,
a
pervasive
issue
in
Philadelphia
that
prevents
low-income
Renters
of
color
from
obtaining
safe
quality
and
affordable
housing
in
neighborhoods
of
their
choice.
As
you
know,
Philadelphia
has
an
affordable
housing
crisis.
I
will
not
repeat
all
the
statistics
that
council
members,
Gautier
and
Brooks
just
mentioned,
but
would
refer
the
committee
to
our
written
testimony.
That's
in
the
record
in
practice.
I
As
you
know,
the
largest
rental
assistance
program
in
Philadelphia
is
the
housing
Choice
Voucher
Program,
commonly
referred
to
as
Section
8,
which
is
funded
by
the
United
States
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
and
administered
locally
by
the
Philadelphia
Housing
Authority
Philadelphia's
local,
fair
practices
ordinance
prohibits
discrimination
on
the
basis
of
source
of
income
which
is
defined
broadly.
It
includes
any
lawful
source
of
income,
including,
but
not
limited
to
housing,
assistance,
programs
and
consistent
with
the
language
of
the
ordinance.
The
Philadelphia
Commission
on
human
relations,
which
I'll
refer
to
as
the
commission.
I
Although
the
law
has
been
on
the
books
for
over
40
years,
we
know
that
it
is
flagrantly
violated,
in
addition
to
some
of
the
statistics
you've
already
heard
today.
More
recently
in
2022,
the
city's
draft
assessment
of
fair
housing
cited
that
nearly
50
percent
of
respondents
said
that
source
of
income
is
the
reason
they
were
treated
differently
when
looking
for
housing.
I
I
was
really
disappointed
to
see
that
43
percent
of
housing,
Choice
voucher
households
live
in
neighborhoods
that
are
over
80
percent
black,
whereas
only
one
percent
of
housing
Choice
voucher
households
live
in
neighborhoods
that
are
over
80
percent
White,
in
other
words,
despite
their
subsidy.
These
philadelphians
are
actually
locked
out
of
the
rental
housing
market
and
large
swaths
of
the
city
and
statistics
bear
this
out.
I
The
law
Center's
recent
experience
representing
both
individuals
and
the
housing
Equality
Center
of
Pennsylvania,
a
Fair
Housing,
Organization
and
source
of
income
discrimination.
Complaints
at
the
commission
provides
insight
into
targeted
steps.
The
city
and
in
particular
the
commission,
can
take
to
counteract
this
form
of
discrimination.
I
Our
experience
also
shows
that
enforcement
really
works.
A
recent
settlement
with
a
large
Philadelphia
landlord
resulted
in
the
landlord
agreeing
to
encourage
and
accept
voucher
applications
in
all
77
of
their
properties.
This
is
significant,
so
the
following
recommendations
come
with
an
appreciation
that
the
commission's
resources
and
budget
are
currently
too
limited
to
accomplish
its
laudable
goals.
We
therefore
call
on
the
city
council
to
increase
funding
and
other
resources
to
the
commission,
so
that
it
may
realize
its
Charter
mandated
duties.
I
First,
the
commission
must
educate
the
public,
housing
providers
and
tenants
alike
through
advertisements,
targeted
social
media
print
and
other
means
that
source
of
income
is
a
protected
class
under
the
ordinance
voucher
holders
are
turned
away
from
rental
opportunities
solely
because
of
their
voucher
status
so
often,
and
so
flagrantly
that
they're
reasonably
shocked
to
learn
that
this
behavior
is
a
violation
of
the
law.
The
education
should
be
broad,
visible
and
undertaken
in
conjunction
with
fair
housing
organizations,
community-based
organizations,
an
office
of
homeless,
Services
contract
providers
to
reach
the
most
impacted
communities.
I
I
I
The
commission
has
one
full
year
of
exclusive
jurisdiction
while
it
investigates
or
otherwise
contemplates
the
complaint.
City
councils
should
consider
amending
the
fair
practices
ordinance
to
bring
this
requirement
in
line
with
other
jurisdictions
and
areas
of
the
law.
For
example,
city
council
could
provide
that
a
person
may
file
a
complaint
with
the
commission
or
has
a
private
right
of
action
in
the
Philadelphia
court
of
common
pleas
or
city
council
could
follow.
Follow
a
model.
That's
akin
to
the
EEOC.
I
That
is,
a
person
must
first
file
a
complaint
with
the
commission,
after
which
the
commission
has
a
hundred
days
to
investigate
before
this
100
days
expires,
a
person
may
request
and
receive
what's
called
a
notice
of
right
to
sue.
If
the
commission
will
be
unable
to
complete
the
investigation
within
a
hundred
days
after
100
days,
a
person
may
request
and
must
receive
a
notice
of
righteous
sue
if
the
investigation
is
not
complete
and
finally,
transparency
is
Paramount
to
fair
housing
enforcement.
I
The
commission's
commitment
to
achieving
fair
housing
in
Philadelphia
in
Philadelphia
is
commendable,
and
it's
in
a
really
unique
position
to
put
teeth
into
this
often
ignored
provision
of
the
ordinance.
The
scope
of
the
problem
is
simply
too
large
to
go
unattended.
Philadelphia
must
ensure
that
housing
providers
abide
by
its
source
of
income
discrimination
protection.
We
are
glad
to
engage
and
work
with
and
work
through,
Solutions
with
the
commission
and
with
all
relevant
Partners.
Thank
you
for
holding
this
important
hearing.
A
A
K
K
221031
Community
Legal
Services
is
a
non-profit
organization
providing
free
civil
legal
representation
to
low-income
philadelphians,
as
well
as
systematic
advocacy
and
support
of
our
clients.
The
housing
unit
represents
over
3
000
of
tenant
households
annually,
many
of
whom
are
Section
8
Housing,
section
8
housing
Choice
voucher
holders.
K
There
are
many
barriers
facing
our
clients.
My
colleagues
and
I
have
witnessed
how
many
low-income
tenants
face:
metaphorical
brick
walls
and
slamming
doors
when
searching
for
housing,
High,
application
fees,
minimum
income
requirements,
stringent
credit
checks,
blanket
bans
on
tenants
with
eviction
records,
high
security
deposits
due
immediately
landlord
reference
bias
and
burden
some
insurance
requirements
to
name
a
few
are
some
of
the
issues
that
we
frequently
see
our
attendants
facing
on
a
daily
basis.
K
Even
more
challenging
is
finding
accessible
housing
for
people
with
disabilities
because
of
so
many
Philadelphia
row,
homes
and
apartment
buildings,
having
staircases
and
not
having
accessibility.
For
those
who
have
mobility
issues,
the
city
council
was
instrumental
in
passing
the
renders
access
act
in
2021,
which
prohibits
Philadelphia
landlords
from
blanket
bans
based
on
credit
scores
or
eviction
history
by
requiring
an
individualized
assessment
of
attendance,
credit
and
prohibiting
the
use
of
certain
eviction
records,
and
we
continue
to
work
towards
implementing
those
changes
on
the
ground.
Along
with
the
challenges
facing
all
tenants.
K
Tenants
with
vouchers
face
the
additional
barrier
of
discrimination
simply
because
they
are
a
participant
in
a
subsidized
housing
program
being
able
to
provide
proof
of
income
that
meet
these
requirements
or
have
a
lengthy
credit
checks
or
job
history.
Requirements
are
really
difficult
for
these
tenants
as
they
are
on
subsidized
income.
While
there
are
many
reasons,
a
landlord
May
refuse
to
rent
to
people
with
vouchers,
including
race
and
class-based
prejudices,
many
landlords,
voice,
frustration,
confusion
or
misconceptions
about
the
Philadelphia
Housing
Authority
and
its
administration
of
the
program.
K
K
It
was
measured
at
69
and
in
a
recent
HUD
study
of
2019
data
puts
the
rate
at
about
61
percent
nationally,
and
while
this
study
doesn't
include
PHA
HUD
data
on
phas,
emergency
housing,
voucher
utilization
indicates
that
59
of
emerging
emergency
housing
vouchers
in
Philadelphia
have
been
utilized
863
awarded
by
Hud,
and
only
512
least.
That
means
four
out
of
every
10
tenants.
Given
an
emergency
housing.
K
As
such,
P.S
said,
PHA
is
an
important
partner
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
and
we
propose
the
following
ways
in
which
we
as
tenant
Advocates,
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
landlord
associations
and
PHA,
can
partner
to
find
solutions
to
the
following
issues.
Facing
tenants
with
vouchers,
the
first
of
which
is
education
for
tenants
and
all
landlords
that
refusing
to
rent
to
attendant
with
a
voucher
is
discrimination
under
the
Philadelphia
unfair
practice.
K
Secondly,
flexibility
and
the
voucher
issuance
and
timeliness
so
that
tenants
have
the
paperwork
and
the
time
that
they
need
to
find
housing.
In
light
of
the
many
barriers
that
tenants
face
moving
with
vouchers,
it
is
important
that
tenants
are
able
to
timely
obtain
a
voucher
when
they
find
a
place
to
rent,
so
they
don't
lose
that
opportunity.
Tennis
also
often
need
extensions
on
their
voucher
when
they
can't
find
a
place
to
rent
right
away
and
need
to
be
allowed.
K
Those
extensions
both
of
these
issues
presents
to
tenants,
presents
challenges
to
tenants
currently
Additionally
the
ease
of
access
for
both
tenants
and
landlords.
The
voucher
leasing
process
is
often
challenging
and
confusing
for
both
tenants
and
landlords,
and
it
can
take
a
long
time
to
finalize.
Pha
has
already
been
taking
steps
to
improve
the
leasing
process
and
we
want
to
work
with
PHA
landlords
and
the
city
to
continue
to
identify
ways
to
make
the
process
more
accessible
for
everyone.
K
We
are
hoping
that
PHA
would
be
updating
their
their
payment
information
and
their
standards
on
an
annual
basis
and
continue
to
ask
her
for
permission
when
necessary
for
increases,
so
that
tenants
who
do
have
these
vouchers
can
afford
housing
and
safe
and
neighborhoods
that
they
so
choose.
In
addition
to
these
proposals,
we
look
forward
to
partnering
with
the
city
and
landlords
to
identify
solutions
to
other
barriers
faced
by
attendance,
renting
with
vouchers,
including
housing
counseling,
to
assist
tenants
looking
for
housing
and
rental
assistance,
to
help
cover
emergencies
and
for
security
deposits.
K
G
B
A
Thank
you
so
much
I'm,
so
sorry
about
that
I
wanted
to
ask
a
few
questions.
First
of
all,
thank
you
so
much
for
the
testimony
from
the
public
interest.
Law
Center.
Are
you
able
to
tell
us?
You
know
I
appreciated
how
you
gave
us
very
detailed
thoughts
on
how
you
know
the
fair.
The
human
relations
commission
can
have
added
capacity
to
do
this
work
in
a
better
way
that
will
help
more
attentive
and
on
how
we
can
amend
the
fair
practices.
A
Ordinance
I
was
wondering
if
you
could
share
more
just
as
you're
thinking
about
that
capacity
at
the
commission.
What
does
that
look
like
in
terms
of
an
expansion
from
where
we
are
to
where
we
really
need
to
be
to
enforce
to
negative
and
there
places
and
localities
that
are
doing
this
work
really
well
and
have
what
they?
What
is
needed,
both
at
the
local
enforcement
place,
but
also
in
terms
of
how
the
ordinance
is
actually
written.
I
So
I
I
apologize
council
member
I'm
I.
The
end
of
your
questions
got
cut
off
a
bit,
but
I'm
gonna
do
my
best
to
try
to
answer
them
and
if
I
miss
something
you
know.
Please
please
ask
again,
you
know
in
in
terms
of
what
I
heard
from
your
your
last
question
about
other
jurisdictions.
I
mean
our
experience
at
the
Law.
Center
is,
of
course,
limited
to
Philadelphia,
but
the
some
of
these
ideas
do
come
from.
I
As
to
you
know,
your
first
question,
I,
certainly
don't
want
to
speak
for
the
commission
and
I.
Don't
know
that
I
have
the
insight
to
say
exactly
what
their
resources
are
and
what
they
could
be,
but,
just
speaking
from
from
our
experience,
it's
it's
simply
that
the
the
investigations
do
take
quite
a
bit
of
time,
and
so
you
know
it's
worth
thinking
through
as
we
hear
from
from
tenants
about
about
what
what
they
are
going
through.
I
Usually,
the
Discrimination
is
occurring
right
at
a
moment
of
severe
crisis
for
these
tenants
and
for
the
family.
The
number
one
priority
as
it
should
be,
is
on
finding
a
place
to
live,
and
that's
where
the
statute
of
limitations
comes
in
and
is
so
important
that
tenants
do
have
300
days
to
file
a
complaint.
I
You
know,
I
think
we
we
picture,
and
we
know
this
from
other
jurisdictions
as
well,
where
there's
a
really
strong,
very
broad
education
Campaign,
which
does
require
resources
that
that
works
very
well
to
have
to
have
tenants
understand
what
what
they
are
supposed
to
be
experiencing
when
they
are
looking
for
an
apartment
and
then
also
on
what
landlords
are.
You
know
required
to
do
under
the
law.
I
You
know
I,
guess
I.
What
I
want
to
just
sort
of
say
is
that
the
the
issues
that
the
commission
are
dealing
with
with
source
of
income
discrimination
in
particular,
because
it's
so
blatant,
they're,
they're,
sometimes
straightforward
and
a
lot
of
times
at
least
the
folks
who
we
talk
to
they
have
written
proof
of
the
Discrimination.
I
They
get
it
in
a
text
message
or
they
get
it
in
an
email.
So
you
know
our
hope
is
that
when
the
commission
is
investigating
those
complaints
that
they
should
move
along,
they
should
move
along
quicker
so
that
the
tenant
can
see.
Resolution
of
of
those
complaints
did
I
I
hope
that
answers
your
questions.
O
A
I
Sure
so
and
I
think
this
is
you
know
something
that
the
fair
housing
organizations
will
also
have
a
lot
to
say
about,
because
this
is
really
sort
of
their
their
bread
and
butter.
But
landlords
need
to
understand
what
the
law
requires
so
that
they
can
follow
the
law
and
I
think
there's
different
ways.
You
know
one
can
think
about
going
about
that.
Working
with
community-based
organizations
working
with
the
office
of
homeless,
Services
I'm
sure
that
the
commission
would
be
able
to
understand.
Where
are
the
target
communities,
the
landlords,
the
property
management
companies?
I
You
know
the
housing
providers
that
need
this
kind
of
education
and
try
to
Target
the
education
to
those
communities.
Education
can
take
a
lot
of
different
forms.
You
know
I
think
there
can
be
meetings.
There
can
be
really
easily
accessible
information
on
websites,
particularly
on
the
commission's
website.
I
I
A
K
Oh,
thank
you
so
much
for
the
question.
Councilwoman
specifically,
are
there
any
specific
agencies
that
I
know
of
directly
that
are
cracking
down
on
this
issue
other
than
pilk,
not
necessarily
to
my
personal
knowledge,
but
that
doesn't
mean
that
the
work
is
not
being
done
and
one
of
the
major
issues
that
we
see
is
just
the
timeline.
K
Or
you
know
the
market
value
is
increase,
so
it's
no
longer
profitable
for
them
to
have
a
a
Section,
8
housing,
Choice,
voucher,
tenant
there,
the
time
period
in
which
these
tenants
are
forced
to
relocate
pack
up
and
move
is
very
short
and
there's
not
much
time
that
we
can
always
buy
them.
But
we
do
know
that
the
process
is
that
there
is
a
support
that
is
needed
directly.
What
that
support
is
I'm
not
sure
about
this
current
time,
but
there
is
the
biggest
issue
is
the
time
in
which
these
tenants
are
forced
to
move.
K
C
Yes,
ma'am,
my
name
is
Dolores
Bell
and
I'm,
a
Section
8
tenant,
currently
living
in
Frankfurt
I'm.
Here
today,
as
a
member
of
Runners
United
Philadelphia,
and
as
someone
who
believes
that
all
tenants
deserve
to
be
treated
fairly.
Thank
you
for
inviting
me
to
share
my
story
about
how
difficult
it
is
as
a
voucher
holder
to
find
housing
in
Philadelphia.
C
I
have
lived
in
my
current
apartment
for
nearly
almost
four
years,
but
I
want
to
move
for
two
reasons.
First,
my
parents
are
getting
older
and
they
need
someone
to
look
after
them.
They
live
in
Germantown
and
I
would
like
to
move
to
an
apartment
closer
to
them,
so
that
I
can
help
them
out
when
they're
needed.
Second,
is
my
dream
to
be
a
foster
parent,
I
have
10
grandchildren
already
and
two
great-grands
and
I
believe
that
children
need
guidance
and
all
the
love
they
deserve.
C
I
want
you
to
provide
these
guidance
and
love
as
a
foster
parent,
but
my
apartment
is
currently
too
small
to
host
a
foster
child.
Long
term
I
need
a
two-bedroom
apartment,
but
finding
an
apartment
where
I
can
use
a
voucher
is
very
hard.
In
Philadelphia,
I've
searched
online
for
a
two-bedroom
apartment
in
Germantown
and
I
see.
There
are
plenty
of
options,
but
many
of
the
apartments
are
too
expensive
and
won't
cover.
C
My
voucher
I
wish
the
voucher
would
cover
High
rents,
because
that
would
make
it
easier
to
find
housing,
and
once
you
look
at
the
apartments
that
are
in
the
voucher
price
range,
most
of
them
won't
accept
doctors,
I've
called
10
to
20
places
and
they've
all
told
me.
They
don't
accept
the
vouchers
I'm.
A
good
Senate
I
have
reference
and
photos
to
prove
that
it's
just
that
they
throw
you
anywhere.
They
want
to
throw
you
and
neighborhoods.
C
That's
like
really
terrible-
and
you
know-
that's
not
livable
in
the
apartment
that
I
live
in
is
not
bad,
but
it's
not
good
at
the
end
of
the
day,
but
find
an
apartment
where
a
voucher
is
used
is
very
hard
in
Philadelphia
once
again,
I've
searched
for
apartment
in
Germantown
and
I
see
that
there
are
plenty,
but
many
of
them
are
not
accepting
I've
called
I've
called
and
I'm
called
I'm
a
good
Senate.
Also,
once
again,
I
have
referencing
photos
to
prove
that
my
apartment
is
in
good
condition.
I've
always
paid
my
rent,
but
I.
C
Don't
even
have
the
chance
to
prove
that
I'm,
a
good
tenant
when
landlord
is
flat
out
refused
to
accept
voucher
holders
I.
It's
hurtful
at
times
to
be
stereotyped
like
this
I.
It
doesn't
have
to
be
this
hard
I've
lived
in
North
Carolina
prior
to
that
where
I
lived
before
it
was
much
easier
to
find
a
good
apartment
with
a
voucher
and
the
housing
authorities
there.
They
assist
the
voucher
holders
through
the
process.
They
even
provided
a
list
of
places
that
accepted
Section,
8
and
the
homes
available
in
North.
C
C
The
city
needs
to
really
take
action
and
to
listen
to
the
tenants
who
testify
here
today
we're
not
being
treated
fairly
by
the
landlords
and
refuse
to
even
consider
our
application,
just
because
we
have
vouchers
I
want
to
find
a
place
where
I
can
care
for
my
parents
and
a
foster
child,
but
I
need
to
find
a
landlord
who
accept
my
voucher
first,
it
shouldn't
be
this
hard,
but
I.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
Respectfully,
Dolores
Bell.
C
L
A
Thank
you
so
much
Miss
Bell
for
being
here
with
us,
I'm,
so
sorry
to
hear
how
hard
it
has
been
for
you
to
find
safe
housing
and
a
good
situation
for
you
and
your
family,
and
thank
you
for
also
sharing
how
differently
this
worked
in
North
Carolina.
That's
something
that
we
should
be
emulating.
So
I
appreciate
you.
A
P
My
name
is
Tamika
Anglin
and
I
am
the
mother
of
three
adult
children
in
1987
after
the
birth
of
my
first
child
I
applied
for
Section
8,
now
known
as
housing,
Choice
voucher
I
lived
at
the
mercy
of
others
for
many
years.
At
one
point,
I
had
to
send
my
two-year-old
daughter
out
of
state
to
live
with
family
because
it
was
easier
to
find
housing
for
one
than
for
two
I
was
living
in
transitional
housing
in
1995.
P
When
my
number
came
up,
I
found
a
property
that
will
work
for
my
family
and
a
landlord
willing
to
accept
the
voucher.
The
benefits
of
that
stability
can't
be
overstated.
Whether
I
had
no
job
a
piece
of
job
or
was
fully
employed.
I
was
always
certain
that
we
had
a
safe,
warm
and
affordable
place
to
lay
our
heads
every
night.
Housing
security
allowed
me
to
obtain
a
bachelor's
degree
in
a
livable
income.
P
However,
in
February
of
2019
that
stability
was
threatened,
because
my
landlord
did
not
want
to
renew
my
lease
I
needed
to
find
new
housing
in
60
days.
The
search
was
anxiety,
producing
I
couldn't
even
find
property
owners.
Who
would
respond
to
my
inquiry
because
of
the
voucher
in
these
gentrifying
years?
Being
unhoused
has
become
yet
another
crisis.
There
are
many
employed,
typically
functioning
people
who
are
unhoused
or
living
precariously,
simply
because
they
can't
afford
rent
I
thought
me
and
my
team
daughter
were
going
to
be
homeless.
P
The
search
for
housing
is
fraught
with
bias
and
con
discrimination,
black
young
number
of
children
unmarried
and
then
you
add
a
Section
8
voucher
and
we
all
know
your
perception
as
a
quality
tenant
drops
into
the
toilet
so
much
so
that
we
also
know
you
better
ask
first,
so
I
call
I
email
at
do
you
accept
Section,
8,
no,
sorry
nope,
and
these
were
only
the
ones
who
responded.
Typically,
landlords
don't
respond.
Little
did
I
know
it's
illegal
to
refuse
a
prospective
tenant
based
on
holding
a
voucher
which
is
source
of
income
discrimination.
P
Thankfully,
at
the
same
time,
Charlene
Samuels,
constituent,
Services,
director
extraordinaire,
worked
with
PHA
to
address
my
landlord's
financial
needs,
which
allowed
me
to
stay.
In
my
home,
though
my
own
situation
had
stabilized
I
understood
that
many
people
struggled
to
find
safe,
affordable
housing,
even
with
a
voucher.
I
was
connected
to
public
interest,
Law
Center
to
file
a
complaint
with
the
Philadelphia
Commission
on
human
relations,
because
I
have
written
evidence
of
two
refusals
based
on
holding
a
voucher.
Unfortunately,
that
process
was
also
less
than
ideal.
P
If
I
filed
two
complaints
in
August
of
2019.,
the
first
complaint
was
dismissed,
even
though
the
landlord
texted
that
they
didn't
accept
vouchers.
Why
wasn't
that
evidence
enough?
The
second
complaint
languished
until
the
commission
eventually
found
probable
cause
to
proceed
two
years
after
the
filing,
but
then
it
took
another
year
to
go
through
the
conciliation
process.
With
the
commission,
the
complaint
was
finally
settled
in
June
of
2022.
P
three
years
is
too
long,
especially
when
the
evidence
is
in
writing
and
the
landlord
admits
to
discrimination.
My
situation
was
resolved,
but
what
happened
to
me
happens
to
people
every
day
without
much
in
the
way
of
Justice.
Most
people
are
living
so
insecurely
that
it
only
takes
a
momentary
glitch
in
The
Matrix
to
end
up
on
the
street.
The
rights
of
those
who
need
housing
assistance
should
be
enforced
as
vigorously
as
laws
against
racial,
gender
identity,
sexual
orientation
and
religious
discrimination.
P
A
Thank
you
so
much
Tamika.
Thank
you
for
sharing
your
experience,
trying
to
find
and
secure,
affordable
housing
and
your
experience
in
trying
to
report.
You
know
one
of
these
claims
and
move
it
forward
and
things
also
for
your
critical
work.
I
know
you
were
a
part
of
council
member
Brooks's
office
when
she
did.
You
know
really
really
critical
work
on
this,
like
the
renters
access
bill,
and
we
appreciate
you,
thank
you
Diana
Rountree.
Are
you
there
I
see
you?
E
G
E
And
some
of
the
landlords
wouldn't
even
rent
to
me
because
I
had
a
voucher
and
they
they
just
refused
to
give
me
a
call
back
and
a
few
that
did
call
back,
asked
questions
like
well.
How
much
is
your
voucher
worth
and
well,
you
know
why
do
you
want
to
live
in
this
area
and
things
of
that
nature
right
there?
E
E
When
I
did
have
my
my
voucher,
I
spoke
with
people
in
the
hot
Mobility
Program,
because
I
wanted
to
Port
out
I
was
told
that
I
had
to
reapply
to
the
county,
get
on
the
waiting
list
and
and
I
found
out.
That
was
not
true.
It
was
all
a
lie
when
I
tried
to
get
help,
there
was
really
no
one
to
help
you.
They
basically
said
you're
on
your
own.
Those
were
the
exact
words
you
are
on
your
own,
there's,
not
enough
property
for
the
amount
of
voucher
holders
that
are
out
there.
E
What
are
we
supposed
to
do
and
that
there
has
to
be
something
that
can
be
done?
You
know
everybody
deserves
a
safe,
clean
place
to
live.
You
know
that
everybody
they're
talking
about
low
income,
oh
they're,
making
low-income
housing
to
make
they're
bringing
low-income
housing,
and
you
know
they're,
making
all
these
places
for
people
to
live
in
in
west
and
southwest
Philadelphia,
but
it's
not
low
income
for
people
in
my
income
bracket,
low
income
for
100
to
100
and
100
000,
plus,
that's
not
helping
people
like
myself,
hello,.
E
E
E
E
E
E
I,
have
a
voucher.
I
need
a
place
to
live
a
two-bedroom
apartment,
I
mean
a
two-bedroom
voucher.
I
have
a
voucher,
they
didn't
even
put
the
amount
of
the
of
the
voucher.
On
my
my
voucher,
like
how
much
my
voucher
is
supposed
to
be
it's
not
on
there,
it's
illegible,
the
name
of
the
person
who
signed
it.
They
usually
the
the
the
the
representative.
You
can't
even
tell
who
the
person
is
and
I
know:
Brett
Holton
is
there
I'm,
quite
sure
he
can
find
out?
E
Who
did
this
I'm
quite
sure,
Mr
Kelvin
Jeremiah
is
there
he
can
find
out?
Who
did
this
I'm
quite
sure,
Mr
Kyle
flood
someone
is
there.
They
can
tell
me
who
signed
on
my
voucher
and
did
not
put
the
price
of
the
the
the
amount
that
my
voucher
should
the
amount
about
the
the
value
of
my
voucher.
It
should
State
some
of
that.
The
amount
it's
not
on
there.
It's
there
should
be
a
name
of
a
representative,
a
Mr
or
Mrs.
E
A
A
M
M
My
name
is
Rachel
Wentworth
and
I'm.
The
executive
director
for
the
housing
Equality
Center
hccp
has
worked
since
1956
to
advocate
for
the
rights
of
individuals
and
families
to
have
non-discriminatory
access
to
the
housing
of
their
choice
in
the
Greater
Philadelphia
region.
To
this
end,
one
of
the
main
activities
conducted
by
hccp
is
its
fair
housing
testing
program.
M
Fair
housing
testing
is
essentially
mystery
shopping
in
order
to
observe
the
business
practices
of
a
housing
provider
such
as
a
landlord
or
a
property
manager.
Testing
is
typically
conducted
to
document
with
our
home,
Seekers
are
being
treated
equally
or
whether
the
housing
provider
is
complying
with
fair
housing
laws,
as
well
as
providing
qualitative
data.
Regarding
the
experiences
faced
by
consumers
over
the
past
two
years,
hecp
has
begun
to
test
for
compliance
with
the
source
of
income
Protections
in
rental
housing
under
the
Philadelphia
Fair
practices
ordinance.
M
During
this
period,
hccp
has
sent
testers
to
inquire
about
the
willingness
of
housing
providers.
Advertising,
affordable
housing
units
falling
within
the
fair
market
rent
standard
to
accept
housing,
Choice
vouchers
as
a
form
of
payment
in
62,
tester
contacts,
42
of
those
or
71
of
the
testers,
were
told
that
vouchers
were
not
accepted.
M
Only
10,
testers
or
16
percent
were
told
that
factors,
voucher
holders
were
permitted
to
apply
and
the
remaining
tests
were
inconclusive
with
housing
providers,
either
declining
to
provide
a
definitive
answer
telling
testers
that
the
unit
was
already
rented
or
testers
being
unable
to
have
a
conversation
in
which
substantive
information
was
exchanged
and
in
all
of
the
contacts
where
testers
were
told,
that
vouchers
were
not
accepted.
The
providers
were
all
very
straightforward
and
stating
this
policy
saying
things
like
no,
we
don't
participate
in
the
section
8
program.
No,
we
do
not
accept
housing
vouchers.
M
Some
providers
stated
some
variation
on
no
we're
not
required
to,
and
in
many
cases
housing
providers.
Volunteered
broader
policies
such
as
none
of
our
properties,
are
registered
with
the
Section
8
program.
None
of
our
owners
accept
vouchers
or
owners,
decide
individually,
whether
or
not
they
want
to
participate
in
the
section
8
program
and
then,
in
addition,
in
a
small
number
of
tests,
housing
providers
also
indicated
additionally
that
other
types
of
non-employment
income,
such
as
child
support
or
SSDI,
would
not
count
towards
income
qualifications.
M
And
although
this
is
a
preliminary,
this
preliminary
series
of
tests
represents
a
small
and
non-representative
sample
of
rental
transactions
occurring
in
Philadelphia.
They
do
tell
us
that
source
of
income
protections
are
routinely
and
blatantly
disregarded
by
landlords,
property
managers
and
rental
agents
throughout
the
city.
It's
apparent
that
voucher
holders
regularly
face
unlawful
discrimination
as
an
additional
barrier
in
their
source
for
all
the
search
for
a
limited
supply
of
affordable
rental
housing
in
Philadelphia
and,
additionally,
the
recurrent
and
unconcealed
denials
faced
by
our
testers
leads
us
to
presume
that.
There's
also
a
wide
spread.
J
J
My
name
is
David
Smith
I
live
in
Northeast,
Philadelphia
I've
been
there
all
my
life
I
finally
got
a
place
after
it
was
six
months
I'm
an
autistic
man
and
I.
Honestly.
What
I
went
through
I
ended
up
almost
committing
suicide
over
it.
I
with
a
lot
of
places
would
not
take
me.
We
went
through
place
after
place
after
place.
J
I
thought
that
I
was
going
to
end
up
in
a
very
bad
neighborhood
or
living
in
a
group
home,
because
that's
another
thing
we
got
to
address
with
people
with
disabilities
with
autism
meant
High
function.
Mental
illness
doesn't
mean
I'm.
The
good
doctor
and
I
can
work
40
hours
a
week.
That's
because
we
got
these
mag
of
Republicans
in
office
that
don't
give
a
damn
about
people
like
me:
I'm
sorry,
I'm,
getting
emotional
but
and
I
I
and
it's.
J
J
J
and
I
honestly
think
that
what
they
need
to
do
is
start
I'm
going
to
say
something
that
no
one's
ever
thought
about
and
I
know
that
you're
only
city
council,
but
it
should
be
noted,
I
think
the
United
Nations
not
needs
to
get
involved
and
hold
sanctions
against
the
country
and
say
you
do
not
surprise
how
we
do
it
in
other
countries.
Why
not
us?
You
need
to
say
you
know
what
you
don't:
Supply
housing
to
the
most
needy
I'm,
not
talking
Able,
Body,
I'm,
talking
disabled
senior
citizens,
then
we're
going
to
hold
sanctions.
J
I
bet
you're,
not
within
house
right
within
the
housing
crisis
like
if
they
did
that
I
I
do
I
think
it
needs
to
be
an
arrestable
offense
if
they
don't
I'm,
sorry
I
know
it
sounds
a
little
harsh,
but
we
need
to
come
down
like
an
iron
fist
on
some
of
these
people.
The
next
thing
we
need
to
do.
Here's
how
you
do
help
landlords.
J
You
tell
them
okay,
if
their
rejections
happen
to
be
okay,
but
we
have
to
fix
up
this
stuff
and
all
that
perhaps
give
them
a
loan,
perhaps
give
them
tax
abatement
or
something
like
that.
So
maybe
they
can
say:
oh
okay,
consider
it,
but
something
needs
to
be
done
for
people
like
me.
People
like
me,
I
almost
ended
up
I,
you
don't
know
what
I
went
through
my
mom
and
I
ended
up
with
arguments
and
everything
I
finally
found
this
person
here.
J
If
I
did
not
find
her,
I
would
not
have
a
place
to
live
and
I
would
be
in
a
group
home,
I'm.
Sorry
I'm,
tired
of
this.
It's
got
to
be
done
and
it's
got
to
be
done
now
and
it
has
to
be
done
and
to
the
activists.
We
need
protests,
but
not
a
thousand
people
here
and
there
we
need
millions
of
people
protesting
for
housing.
I
mean
we're
not
leaving
until
you
do
it,
and
if
you
don't
do
it,
then
you
might
as
well
resign.
That's
what
we
need.
A
Don't
be
sorry,
Mr
Gray,
you
know,
I
think
this
conversation
has
to
be
real.
It
has
to
show
the
real
impacts
that
you
know
a
struggle
to
find
housing
or
inability
to
to
fairly
Access
housing
has
on
people's
lives
right.
Many
people
are
landing
in
hospitals
or
in
jails
when
at
root
is
an
affordable,
housing
issue
or
dying
like
you
laid
out,
and
so
when
we
say.
A
A
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
A
R
I'm
Shari
Thomas
I
am
the
director
of
housing
at
the
legal
clinic
for
the
disabled.
The
legal
clinic
for
the
disabled,
otherwise
known
as
LCD,
is
a
direct
Legal
Services
Agency.
We
serve
low-income
individuals
living
with
physical
and
mental
health
disabilities
and
we
are
a
partner
in
the
Philadelphia
eviction
prevention
project.
R
A
A
R
Okay,
thank
you
so
much
as
I
was
saying.
Many
of
lcd's
clients
are
voucher
holders
and
many
of
them,
due
to
their
disability,
are
on
fixed
incomes.
So
the
voucher
is
really
one
of
the
very
few
ways
that
folks,
with
physical
and
mental
health
disabilities
are
able
to
access
safe
and
suitable
housing.
However,
what
we
found
in
our
work
is
that,
at
every
stage,
there's
opportunity
for
source
of
income
discrimination,
whether
that's
explicit
or
implicit,
so
finalizing
a
lease,
as
we
heard
today,
using
a
voucher
can
take
several
months.
R
Finding
a
landlord
who
accepts
the
housing
voucher
can
feel
like
finding
a
needle
in
a
haystack
renters
use
websites
such
as
affordablehousing.com,
which
is
what
is
linked
through
PHA.
But
what
we
have
heard
from
multiple
renters
is
that
that
website
is
not
accurate.
Often
they
find
that
properties
that
are
listed
as
available
are
actually
unavailable
once
they
find
out
if
they
even
get
a
call
back,
and
this
is
especially
frustrating
for
people
living
with
physical
and
mental
disabilities
living
with
a
disability.
R
It
often
means
less
time
and
oftentimes
less
ability
to
conduct
a
Housing
search
without
assistance.
People
with
people
living
with
disabilities
often
spend
considerable
time
performing
day-to-day
activities
and
accessing
health
care,
and
so
this
stretches
out
the
time
it
takes
to
find
housing,
and
we
heard
in
Mr
Gray's
testimony
that
the
time
limits
on
being
able
to
use
a
voucher
is
really
detrimental
for
people
living
with
disabilities.
R
Once
someone
actually
locates
a
property,
they
must
still
apply,
and
at
this
stage
there
is
they're
subject
to
just
discretion.
Recently
we
had
a
LCD
client
who
applied
for
housing,
but
once
the
landlord
found
out
that
they
were
using
a
voucher,
they
were
told
they
were
no
longer
looking
at
applications,
although
he
was
able
to
submit
one
finally
or
actually
next,
the
property
must
undergo
an
inspection,
and
this
can
take
several
weeks
to
complete.
We
do
appreciate
that
the
program
doesn't
want
to
fund
properties
that
have
habitability
issues.
R
R
Lastly,
after
a
property
once
passes
inspection,
the
landlord
must
then
accept
the
rent
limits
that
are
actually
placed
by
the
subsidy
and
we've
seen
at
that
stage
too,
where
landlords
have
backed
out
at
the
final
stage-
and
this
is
largely
due
to
you-
know-
rents
increasing
exponentially
due
to
the
absence
of
rent
control,
as
well
as
the
limitations
that
PHA
has
on
subsidizing
higher
rents.
Voucher
holders
are
once
again
treated
differently
than
those
who
are
non-voucher
holders
simply
because
of
the
way
their
rent
is
being
paid.
R
So
this
is
just
a
small
sample
of
the
challenges
that
we
see
as
practitioners
with
our
clients
at
every
stage.
All
four
of
these
stages
There's
an
opportunity
for
explicit
and
implicit
discrimination
and
a
distinction
between
a
voucher
holder
and
a
non-voucher
holder.
So
LCD
truly
appreciates
this
committee's
recognition
of
these
issues
and
we're
looking
forward
to
working
on
Equitable
Solutions
together.
Thank
you.
A
N
Yes
well,
thank
you,
Jamie
and
the
rest
of
the
team
for
hosting
this
testimony.
I
find
it
to
be
such
a
vital
conversation,
especially
as
a
person
who's,
a
young
adult
who
currently
holds
a
voucher
and
have
peers,
who
also
have
helped
vouchers
and
the
conversations
that
we
have
right
in
regards
to
like
the
process
for
us.
N
So
I
wanted
to
speak
on
the
like
us,
having
like
a
streamlined
system
or
and
software
platform
for
voucher
support.
I'm.
Thinking
of
you
know
those
who
have
vouchers
those
who
obtain
vouchers
that
may
not
be
connected
to
an
organization
and
need
support
along
the
way
in
regards
to
questions
that
come
up
from
landlords
questions
that
they
come
up
with
themselves,
that
they're
unable
to
that
they're
unable
to
be
able.
You
know
to
vocalize
when
going
a
part
of
the
process
that
process.
N
So
it
seems
that
the
process
of
vouchers
is
very
confusing
for
both
recipients
and
landlords.
Recipients
are
unsure
of
how
to
navigate
the
conversations
with
landlords
who
claim
that
they
don't
accept
vouchers
and
are
not
participating
in
the
quote:
unquote,
Voucher
Program,
and
so
this
was
something
that
has
come
up
a
lot
in
conversations
with
landlords
where
it's
like.
N
How
much
is
your
voucher
for,
and
no
one
has
a
clear
answer
for
that,
and
then
also
in
regards
to
you
know
this,
this
concept
of
a
voucher
program
and
what
I've
come
to
realize
that
there
is
no
voucher
program.
It's
just
folks
have
a
voucher
and
it
is
considered
a
source
of
income
right
and
so,
even
as
even
literally
just
today,
I
reached
out
to
someone
they
reach
back
out
and
and
I
mentioned
the
voucher.
Oh
we're
not
part
of
the
voucher
program.
I'm
just
like
there
is
no
program.
N
It's
just
are
you?
Are
you
happy
to
accept
this
voucher
or
not
so
there's
no
Clarity
on
the
timeline
of
voucher
assistance,
so,
on
one
hand,
vouchers
are
said
to
be
considered
income
if
I
just
mention
it.
Yet
how
are
we
able
to
submit
these
on
applications
as
as
a
source
of
income?
So
that
way,
there
is
that
accountability
if,
if
an
applicant
is
denied
for
income
and
then
it's
like
okay
well
now,
I
clearly
have
a
case
that
this
is
income.
N
Discrimination
vouchers
currently
do
not
meet
the
current
market
value,
so
in
areas
that
are
up
and
coming
and
decent
for
a
decent
inhabitable
spaces,
we
have
Kensington.
We
have
fish
town
right
where
they
have
new.
You
know
new
housing
in
the
city,
for
that
specific
zip
code
is
only
willing
to
pay
no
more
than
950.
Yet
the
market
rent
in
this
area
is
1200
plus
and
I've
even
had
a
conversation
with
Property
Management
from
that
area
that
they
mentioned.
N
That
PHA
has
directly
denied
a
rent
offer
from
the
landlord
that
that
didn't
you
know,
align
with
you
know
theirs
or
even
in
negotiating
a
price.
You
know,
PHA
was
not
willing
to
budge
because
of
the
the
their
what
they
consider
to
be
Market.
Rent
young
people
are
facing
discrimination
now
more
than
ever
before,
who
lack
previous
rental
history,
who
may
or
may
not
have
co-signer
support,
and
so,
even
in
those
cases
where
you
have
property
management
and
landlords
who
say
they
did
that
they,
you
know
outright,
do
accept
vouchers.
N
The
screening
criteria,
the
screening
criteria,
is
not
realistic
and
it's
not
reflective
of
the
demographic
of
people
who
are
holding
these
vultures
right.
So
understanding
that
the
demographic
of
those
who
have
these
vouchers
are
most
likely
not
coming
from
a
financially
outstanding
background,
and
so
what
can
that
screening
criteria
look
like
that
is,
you
know
different,
but
still
you
know
adhering
to
the
Comfort
level
of
landlords.
N
I
myself
and
young
people
have
had
Direct
interactions
with
property
management
who
outright
ignore
our
inquiries.
Once
we
receive
once
we
mention
a
voucher
and
young
people
and
other
voucher
holders
are
being
faced
with
limited
options
and
forced
to
live
in
areas
that
are
unsafe,
so
I
I
personally
have
reached
out
to
I
personally
reached
out
to
and
I'm
gonna
name
drop,
because
I,
don't
I,
don't
mind,
it
is
what
it
is
I've
reached
out
to
an
agency
called
rentals
215
that
explicitly
accepts
vouchers.
N
They
are,
they
are
actually
in
the
Pod
Mission
software
and
I
was
ignored.
I
had
a
friend
who
reached
out
separately,
I
had
them
reach
out
as
a
test
right
and
that
my
friend
was
responding
to
immediately
yet
I've
also
did
a
follow-up
with
them
and
their
assistant
and
still
have
to
continue
to
be
ignored.
N
Just
to
kind
of
you
know
confirm
my
suspicions
right
and
then
recently
I
know.
Ohs
has
praised
Odin
property
management
for
receiving
and
accepting
vouchers
and
having
a
partnership.
However,
it
seems
to
be
that
they're
only
accepting
vouchers
for
a
specific
locations
which
is
just
confusing
to
me.
It's
either
USF
the
vouchers
or
not,
and
it
shouldn't
be.
N
We
ask
for
the
city
council
to
increase
funding
that
is
allocated
for
homeless,
Youth
and
Young
adults
to
curate
a
system
of
accountability
towards
PHA,
OHS
and
landlords
in
order
to
protect
voucher
holders,
potential
tenants
and
even
landlords
as
well.
So
we
need
support
in
upholding
the
renters
access
act
in
ways
in
which
the
screening
requirements
for
voucher
holders
are
different.
N
N
Currently
being
told
that,
like
my
extension,
is
not
an
option,
even
though
my
case
manager
explicitly
you
know,
let
them
know
like
hey,
I'm
I
gave
her
notice
of
the
voucher
late,
because
I
I
seen
it
late,
and
so
can
we
extend
it
and
it
was
just
met
with
like
oh
well,
you
know,
there's
a
grace
period
and
like
that's,
not
that's,
not
cool
at
all
and
so
I'm
still
trying
to
fit.
My
voucher
actually
extends
this
week
and
so
I'm
trying
to
figure
out
if
there's
an
option
expires
this
week.
N
N
And,
lastly,
if
we
could
come
up
with
some
working
group
Solutions
that
include
a
re-evaluation
of
landlord
requirements
when
it
comes
to
some
of
the
unrealistic
inspections
that
is
held
by
PHA
when,
let's
be
real,
we
do
have
some
HUD
specific
properties
that
they
themselves
kind
of
don't
meet
their
own
inspection
expectations.
So
thank
you
so
much
for
letting
me
speak
on
behalf
of
myself
and
other
young
people
like
myself,
who
are
being
met
with
housing
discrimination
and
facing
homelessness.
A
A
N
So
it's
it's
not!
This
is
Jessie,
kill
it's
not
printed
on
the
voucher
at
all,
as
well
as
their.
If
you
don't
have
a
case
manager,
you
I.
Typically,
you
should
receive
a
document
that
has
a
zoning
of
how
much
they're
willing
to
pay,
depending
on
which
zip
code,
but
as
I've
mentioned
before,
if
it's
being
submitted
as
a
source
of
income
and
there's
no
number
on
it,
then
it
can
be
denied
and
as
a
source
of
income
and
not
be
accountable
to
income
discrimination,
because
there's
no
there's
no
number
on
it.
So.
H
You
talked
about
the
systems
that
are
in
place
to
assist
in
the
search,
I.
Think
you
and
someone
else
spoke
about
this
earlier,
so
just
for
clarity.
There
is
a
website
or
database
that
they
send
you
to,
but
the
information
is
not
accurate
or
usable.
In
order
for
you
to
find
appropriate,
housing
am
I,
correct.
N
Yes,
typically,
however,
in
in
most
cases
these
these
resources
aren't
sent
immediately,
but
and
and
if
they
are
like
it's
something
that,
like
you,
have
to
like
kind
of
continue
to
pull,
teeth
and
request,
and
you
get
and
I
I
know.
I
personally
have
received
different
resources
from
different
people,
so
it's
not
streamlined.
It's
not
centralized
and
then,
as
well
as
when
it
is
received.
These
things
are
not
updated
and
accurate.
N
R
Yes,
Sherry
Thomas
from
Legal
Clinic
for
the
disabled.
I
also
mentioned
that
in
my
testimony,
so
there
is
a
website
called
affordablehousing.com
that
we
have
heard
tenants
say
that
it's
not
up
to
date
and
going
to
the
the
amount
of
rent
that
would
be
listed
on
the
voucher.
So
that
final
stage.
My
understanding
is
that
there's
a
negotiation
that
happens
between
PHA
and
the
landlord,
so
the
landlord
would
need
to
accept
whatever
that
negotiated
amount
is
before
they
lease
up.
R
A
Q
Hi,
my
name
is
Aaron
Blair
I
am
the
director
of
nurse
advocacy
and
resources
for
the
national
nurse-led
care
Consortium
in
this
role.
I
support
support,
Maternal
Child,
Health,
home
visitors,
serving
families
in
multiple
programs
across
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
with
children
up
from
pregnancy
until
their
children
reach
school
age.
Q
Thank
you.
So
much
for
hosting
today's
hearing
I
really
appreciate
the
attention
to
this
devastating
and
often
overlooked
issue
that
blatantly
flies
in
the
face
of
legal
precedent.
That's
been
set
many
many
years
ago,
we've
heard
a
lot
of
stats
and
stuff
like
that.
I'm
going
to
change
up
my
testimony
a
little
bit
to
more
directly
speak
to
the
health
implications
of
extended
housing
insecurity
when
folks
are
on
vouchers,
but
I
I
think
that
you
know
pregnant
and
parenting.
Q
How
do
you
bond
with
a
baby
when
you
are
couch
surfing
and
trying
to
figure
out
a
safe
place
to
sleep
sleep
each
night?
How
do
you
get
your
child
to
daycare
each
day
when
you've
been
forced
into
a
voucher
that
is
or
a
shelter
that
is
an
hour
and
15
minutes
via
public
transportation,
away
from
your
child's
regular
child
care
or
Early
Childhood
Center
there's
a
lot
of
things
that
we
don't
necessarily
think
about
as
the
costs
of
Housing
and
security.
Q
Our
shelter
system
homelessness
that
one
of
the
best
indicators
for
heart
disease
in
adults
is
Early,
Childhood,
homelessness
and
and
Trauma
as
children.
So
we're
talking
about
intergenerational
long-term
needs,
but
in
my
role,
working
I
also
direct
a
small
direct
Grant
Family
Support
fund
and
I
regularly
engage
with
landlords
around
the
challenges
that
they
experience
and
also
just
trying
to
get
them
to.
Q
That
never
came
through
like
some
of
the
things
that
we
issued
in
the
sort
of
four-part
Housing
Voucher
acceptance
thing
some
of
the
landlords,
the
rare
unicorn
landlords
that
I
meet
that
are
willing
to
work
with
vouchers,
still
Express
a
lot
of
frustration
around
waiting,
sometimes
weeks
to
months,
to
finally
get
a
payment
when
they're
working
with
a
person
to
get
them
into
housing,
and
it's
nothing
to
do
with
them.
They're,
waiting
on
an
inspection
for
almost
a
month
when
they
a
second
inspection
or
a
follow-up,
or
things
like
that
that
just
prevent
everyone.
Q
But
the
other
issue
is
when
you
consider
that
the
families
that
oftentimes
are
receiving
these
vouchers
and
waiting
on
these
units,
they
are
taking
up
spaces
in
emergency
housing
that
need
to
be
available
for
people
that
are
newly
becoming
homeless.
There
are
families
that
are
being
separated
because
there's
not
adequate
space
and
shelters
for
them.
There
are
a
lot
of
young
people
that
are
choosing
dangerous
housing
situations
because
there's
not
adequate
space
in
shelters
survival.
Sex
is
a
real
thing.
Q
It's
a
thing
that
a
lot
of
people
end
up,
choosing
to
be
able
to
have
a
roof
over
their
head
and
an
address
to
receive
mail
at
so
they
can
continue
their
benefits
and
get
the
supports
that
they
need
I.
Want
that
to
really
sink
in
it's
something.
I
see
regularly.
It's
something
I
see
regularly
with
people
who
are
supporting
young
children
and
I
think
that
it's
fair
for
property
owners
to
be
concerned
about
never
receiving
a
payment
in
the
first
place.
Q
You
know
I
I,
think
that
oftentimes
we
hear
about
landlords
that
are
as
Bad
actors
because
they're
not
following
through,
but
this
is
a
scenario
in
a
situation
where
we
really
need
to
examine
accountability
on
PHA
and
accountability
on
the
city
services
that
are
tasked
with
making
sure
that
funds
are
accessible,
rapid
and
meet
the
needs
of
people.
If
I
had
a
job
and
I
only
got
my
job
accomplished,
six
out
of
the
ten
times
I
tried
to
I,
probably
wouldn't
have
a
job
very
long.
Q
Why
are
we
allowing
city
services
to
function
in
a
way
where
it
only
functions?
Sixty
percent
of
the
time
and,
frankly,
I
feel
that
sixty
percent
is
a
very
generous
number,
because
if
you
think
about
the
number
of
families
that
are
informally
refused
housing
with
voucher
systems,
that's
that's
the
ones
that
make
an
application
right.
We're
talking
about
a
lot
that
aren't
so
I
just
want
people
to
think
that
we
are
working
really
hard
to
improve.
Q
Maternal
Child
Health
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
black
women
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
die
at
exorbitant
rates
and
they
also
experience
homelessness
at
far
higher
rates
than
their
peers
and
I
work
with
the
Philadelphia
homes
for
youth.
Coalition
I
recommend
anyone
who's
interested
in
you
learning
more
about
youth
housing
issues
to
join
that
Coalition
follow
up
with
Jesse
follow
up
with
me.
Q
Please
please,
please
come
hear
from
young
people
directly
about
what
Solutions
will
work
for
them
and
what
issues
a
lot
of
young
people
I
know
with
vouchers
would
not
like
to
live
alone,
but
they
are
not
able
to
use
their
voucher
if
somebody
else
is
not
on.
If
everyone
that's
going
to
live
in
a
household
isn't
on
the
voucher,
then
landlords
don't
know
how
to
navigate
that.
But
traditionally
young
people
have
had
a
much
easier
time
like
when
you
think
about
college
housing.
Q
It's
for
people
living
in
one
house
together
that
doesn't
really
exist
for
young
people,
aging
out
of
foster
care
for
young
people
with
vouchers
and,
frankly,
it's
just
100
unacceptable
that
young
people
are
allowed
to
age
out
of
our
foster
care
system
directly
into
homelessness.
They
are
required
by
law
to
have
transitional
plan
in
place
for
transitioning
to
adulthood,
and
21
is
not
high
enough.
Young
people
today
live
with
their
families
for
longer,
and
that
means
that
we
should
have
systems
in
place
that
support
people
for
longer
I'm
trying
to
stay
within
my
time.
Q
A
D
S
As
you
may
be
aware,
PHA
is,
of
course,
the
largest
landlord
in
Pennsylvania.
We
provide
housing
to
over
19
500,
low-income
families
through
the
housing
Choice
Voucher
Program,
where
we
refer
to
as
hcv
a
program
that
is
formerly
known,
as
quote
unquote.
The
Section
8
program
PHA
is
incredibly
pleased
to
see
council's
interest
in
protecting
voucher
holders
from
unfair
rental
practices
and
housing
discrimination,
as
I'm
sure
Council
knows.
A
2021
decision
by
the
Pennsylvania
Supreme
Court
struck
down
the
city
of
Pittsburgh
source
of
income
ordinance
in
an
unanimous
decision.
S
According
to
the
decision
and
I
quote,
nothing
in
State
Statute
permits
the
city
to
enact
legislation
requiring
residential
landlords
to
participate
in
an
otherwise
voluntary
Federal
housing
subsidy.
While
PHA
agrees
that
the
hcv
program
was
intended
to
be
voluntary,
we
strongly
believe
and
PHA
Hawley
supports
all
City
efforts,
as
well
as
the
state
to
qualify
protection
for
renters
to
ensure
landlords
cannot
refuse
to
rent
based
on
one's
source
of
income.
S
As
I
mentioned
earlier,
PHS
supports
19
500
families.
In
the
hcv
program,
the
average
household
size
is
three
and
the
average
annual
household
income
is
approximately
sixteen
thousand
dollars,
while
within
the
poverty
guidelines,
this
is
itself
a
contributing
factor.
We
believe
in
families
ability
to
quickly
find
and
rent
safe
quality,
affordable
housing
in
our
city.
S
S
The
resolution
mentioned
that
the
rate
of
rejections
of
tenant-based
vouchers
is
high
in
neighborhoods,
with
lower
poverty
rates.
Pha
cannot
I
think
it
mentioned
that
it's
about
83
percent
of
landlords,
refusing
to
accept
vouchers.
Pha,
unfortunately,
can
incorporate
that
figure
as
we
do
not
keep
data
on
rejections
or
refusal
by
landlords
to
accept
a
vulture
and
participate
or
participate
in
the
program.
However,
PH
does
advise
and
ask
clients
to
contact
the
hcv
team
If
a
landlord
or
owner
declines
to
rent
or
rejects
them
as
a
voucher
holder.
S
Unfortunately,
PHA
receives
very
little
feedback
on
these
occurrences
from
our
clients.
Nonetheless,
when
PHA
clients
do
report
to
PHA,
our
team
will
engage
with
proposed
landlords,
conducting
Outreach
to
educate
them
and
the
on
the
program
and
its
benefits.
To
this
end,
PHA
has
implemented
a
number,
a
number
of
incentives
and
an
assurance
program
to
entice
private
landlords
to
participate
in
the
hcv
program
into
in
2021
PHA,
introduced
new
monetary
incentives
for
Philadelphia
landlords,
either
newly
joined
in
the
program
or
who
are
adding
units
to
the
hcv
program.
S
Oh,
let
me
just
take
a
couple
of
minutes
to
talk
about
the
owner,
Insurance
Fund,
because
I
think
it's
probative
to
the
discussion
that
we're
having
Madam
chair
the
owner,
Insurance
Fund,
which
is
currently
offered
to
approve
landlords,
is
designed
to
protect
Property
Owners
from
unexpected
damages.
Beyond
the
normal
wear
and
tear
through
Outreach
and
engagement.
Pha
found
that
many
private
landlords
were
hesitant
to
participate
in
the
program
due
to
the
belief
that
renters,
with
vouchers
might
cause
damage
to
units
beyond
beyond
the
average
rental
market.
S
Client
PHA,
for
its
part,
recognize
this
that
its
population,
that
the
population
that
we
serve
is
vulnerable
and
often
comes
with
a
host
of
other
needs
that
non-market
rate
that
market
rate
tenants
typically
may
not
wear
and
tear,
is
sometimes
not
the
same
as
private
Market
in
the
private
Market
as
landlords.
We
saw
that
implementing
the
owner
Insurance
Fund
was
a
critical
component
to
responding
to
the
owners,
requests
and
concerns
regarding
their
participation
in
programs
under
the
terms
of
the
program.
S
Pha
reimburses
property
owners
who
participate
in
the
hcv
program
up
to
twenty
five
hundred
dollars
to
help
cover
repair
expenses
net
of
any
security
deposits
withheld
for
damages
through
the
end
of
2022.
Over
2500
new
units
were
added
to
the
hcv
program
and
PHA
paid
out
over
a
million
dollars
in
incentives
to
hcv
landlords.
Pha,
it's
important
to
note
does
not
receive
any
any
specific
Federal
state
or
city
funding
for
this
initiative,
but
instead
PHA
appropriated
this
funds.
S
ph.a
now
has
over
5200
participating
landlords
renting
to
voucher
holders
in
the
city.
Up
from
about
four
thousand
or
forty
five
hundred
in
2017.,
another
area
of
focus
for
PHA
to
increase
HIV
participation
over
the
past
decade
has
been
our
Housing
Opportunity
program.
What
we
call
harp,
which
was
an
L
which
was
an
early
iteration
of
what
has
now
been
promoted
nationally
by
Hud
as
its
Mobility
Program
harp,
is
a
housing
Mobility
initiative
aimed
at
assisting
families
participating
in
hcv
program
to
explore
housing
choices
and
to
move
to
opportunity
areas
within
Philadelphia
and
surrounding
communities.
S
Opportunity
areas
offer,
as
you
all
know,
more
desirable
life
opportunities
for
ATV
families,
including
a
better
quality
of
life
and
housing,
diverse
neighborhoods
and
across
an
access
to
better
schools,
nearby
shopping
and,
of
course,
increased
employment
opportunity
in
2022,
PHA
assistant
in
2022
alone,
PHA
assisted
over
50
families
to
use
their
voucher
to
find
and
move
to
Quality
housing,
Incorporated
neighborhoods
in
another
initiative
to
encourage
moves
to
higher
opportunity
areas.
Phn
now
use
PHA,
PHA
now
bases
our
voucher
payment
standard
on
hard
small
area.
S
Fair
market
rents,
essay
fmrs,
as
it's
referred
to,
in
contrast
to
the
previously
used
city-wide
fair
market
rents
at
the
safmrs,
are
zip
code
based
which
enables
PhD
to
offer
higher
subsidy
levels
in
higher
opportunity
areas
that
is
areas
with
lower
poverty
rates
and
better
access
to
job
opportunities
and
neighborhood
amenities.
Pha
organizes
its
safmrs
based
payment
standards
into
five
groupings
with
group,
five
representing
the
highest
opportunity
area,
as
you
can,
as
can
be
seen
from
the
attachment
provided
in
my
testimony.
S
S
Even
with
these
higher
payment
standards,
voucher
holders
struggle
to
find
decent
housing
in
all
areas
of
the
city.
High
opportunity
areas
present
unique
challenges,
including
landlords
all
willingness
to
participate
in
the
program,
voucher
holders,
lack
of
familiarity
with,
and
access
to
these
areas
and
other
factors.
S
However,
progress
is
being
made
Madam
chair,
The,
increased
payment
standards
that
PHA
implemented
in
October
2022
have
already
resulted
in
95
new
owners,
leasing
units
to
voucher
holders
in
groups,
five
in
groups
four
and
five
in
recent
months
months,
in
total,
over
1800
over
1800
PhD
holders
now
leave
in
group
four
and
five
areas.
Much
more
work
needs
to
be
done
in
that
regard.
S
Well,
PHA
does
acknowledge
the
potential
discrimination
on
the
basis
of
source
of
income.
I
would
like
to
close
with
comments
on
the
importance
of
credit
worthiness,
something
that
is
often
used
by
landlords
as
the
basis
for
not
renting
to
Section
8
or
housing
Choice
voucher
recipients.
It
is
critical,
I
think,
to
differentiate
between
denials
due
to
source
of
income
and
those
as
a
result
of
credit.
Credit
is
credit.
S
E
is
an
important
component
of
the
private
markets
decision
to
rent,
as
you
know,
phe
does
not
conduct
credit
checks
and
credit
for
PHA
would
never
prevent
a
household
from
receiving
a
voucher.
Yet
it
does
as
I'm
sure
you
know,
impacted
households,
ability
to
secure
rental
units
in
the
private
in
the
private
Market
PHA
has
played
a
major
role
in
the
relocation,
for
example,
of
University
Townhomes
resident
in
administ
during
our
tenant
protection
vouchers
and
assisting
residents
with
securing
units
and
landlords
approval
through
hcv
program.
S
Even
with
pha's
assistance,
many
residents
have
had
a
difficult
time
securing
unit
due
to
their
credit
rating
and
or
rental
payment.
History,
for
example,
PhD
located
an
owner
in
Winfield,
section
of
West
Philadelphia
willing
to
rent
to
voucher
holders
from
University
City
Townhomes.
Five
residents
were
referred
by
PHA
and
and
of
those
five
only
two
were
accepted
as
owners
management
company
had
to
reject
the
other
three.
Due
to
the
low
credit
scores
we
have
to
address.
We
have
to
address
that
issue,
and
so
it
often
is
frankly
a
guise
to
reject
HIV
participants.
S
Lastly,
working
in
parallel
to
codify
source
of
income
rules
at
the
state
level,
PhD
asks
city
council
to
also
consider
the
Impact,
Credit,
Counseling
and
other
credit
repair
might
have
in
improving
low-income
families,
ability
to
find
and
secure
safe,
decent
and
affordable
quality
housing
in
our
city.
Thank
you
for
your
time
and
I.
Welcome
any
questions
that
the
committee
may
have.
A
O
It's
we
were
very,
very
excited
when
the
American
Rescue
plan
passed
and
the
city
got
863
vouchers
to
add
on
to
the
19
000
and
some
that
pH
has,
but
that
were
dedicated
to
people
experiencing
homelessness
and
I.
Think
our
our
people
have
I
mean
68
are
leased
up,
but
it's
been
tremendously
challenging
and
the
source
of
income
discrimination,
racial
discrimination
and
also
discrimination
against
people
who
are
Megan's.
O
Law
offenders
continue
to
be
huge
barriers
for
people,
so
I'm
very
appreciative
that
you're
recognizing
this
issue
and
focusing
on
understanding
it
better
and
what
might
be
done.
I
also
really
appreciated
some
of
the
early
testimony
about
Solutions
and
I
thought.
Some
very
innovative
solutions
were
raised.
O
Some
of
the
rapid
rehousing
is
entirely
tenant
based
and
what
the
we
contracted
out
to
a
series
of
providers
and
those
providers
do
pro
do
give
the
applicants
the
names
of
three
units
where
they
might
be
able
to
live.
How
do
they
do
this?
It's
really
relationship
building,
it's
very,
very
Hands-On,
and
we
find
that
when
all
that
the
most
important
thing
well,
there's
a
number
of
really
important
things.
One
is,
as
somebody
mentioned,
getting
paid
on
time
and
another
is
having
somebody
to
at
the
other
end
of
the
phone.
O
So
if
and
when
there's
a
problem,
there's
somebody
to
call
who's
going
to
step
in
and
resolve
it,
and
so
in
our
programs
there
are
service
providers
who
do
try,
who
work
with
the
landlord
and
work
with
the
residents
to
the
extent
possible
I'm
not
going
to
tell
you
that
it's
a
perfect
system
people
do.
Our
tenants
do
have
choices
about
what
services
they
accept.
O
77
said
they
did
not
rent
to
housing,
Choice
voucher
holders.
82
said
they
didn't
even
know
about
the
program
and
62
percent.
Just
on
its
space
said,
they
weren't
interested
in
learning,
so
I
think
that
was
really
really
brought
home
to
us
in
concrete
terms.
Kind
of
the
uphill
battle
that
we
were
fighting
in
order
to
make
sure
that
on
people
who
are
exiting
homelessness,
who
have
this
very
precious
resource
of
a
subsidy,
had
a
way
of
being
successful
in
their
in
their
Housing
search.
O
So
thanks
in
part
to
PHA,
we
do
have
housing
Navigators.
Those
have
a
housing,
Navigators,
actually
work
with
the
housing
case.
Managers
who
are
responsible
for
helping
people
find
the
units
we
did,
as
somebody
mentioned,
also
established
pad
Mission,
and
it's
open
to
any
landlord
who
wants
to
work
in
partnership
with
the
city.
It
is
updated
daily.
O
So
if
there's
you
know,
sometimes
units
go
really
fast.
We
do
our
best
to
keep
it
updated,
but
we
want
to
know
if
there's
problems
with
it
or
inconsistencies
and
information.
So
we
can
fix
that.
Currently,
we
have
150
landlords
with
over
200
units,
ranging
from
efficiencies
to
five
bedrooms
in
pad
mission,
and
then
those
again
are
for
the
providers
to
help
their
participants
find
units
we
most
recently.
O
A
A
T
So
I
just
want
to
say
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
testify
today
at
this
hearing
initiated
by
resolution,
2210
31.
and
thank
you
to
the
panel
who
have
testified
so
far.
Their
testimony
has
been
very
informative
and
we
take
the
feedback
constructively
as
the
city's
official
civil
rights
agency
enforcement
agency.
We
are
tasked
with
investigating
complaints
of
discrimination,
whether
that
be
in
employment,
public
accommodation,
housing
or
real
property.
T
Since
1980,
the
fair
practices
ordinance
has
prohibited
discrimination
based
on
source
of
income,
including
public
assistance
and
housing
assistance
programs
such
as
housing,
Choice
vouchers,
so
that
families
can
in
fact
choose
to
live
where
they
desire
in
neighborhoods
that
they
desire.
In
addition,
since
2002
it
has
been
unlawful
to
give
false
or
misleading
information
with
regard
to
properties
such
as
representing
that
a
property
is
not
available
for
inspection,
sale
or
rental,
when
in
fact
it
is.
T
When
Property
Owners
refuse
to
rent,
sell
or
lease
to
families
who
utilize
housing
vouchers,
they
are
engaging
in
unlawful
conduct.
That
is
a
direct
violation
of
the
fair
practices.
Ordinance
I
am
here
today,
because,
despite
the
undeniable
benefit
of
the
program,
there
are
still
families
who
are
unlawfully
denied
the
opportunity
to
rent
in
neighborhoods
of
their
choosing.
T
T
These
types
of
discriminatory
practices,
disproportionately
impact
minority
families
which
lead
to
displacement
and
lower
quality
of
life.
Our
mission
is
to
end
this,
this
discriminatory
practice
as
well
as
all
forms
of
discrimination,
and
we
stand
committed
to
partnering
with
city
council
to
enhance
the
protections
for
Philadelphia's
vulnerable
populations
with
that
said,
thank
you
for
your
time
and
I'm
available
to
answer
any
questions
that
you
may
have.
A
You
so
much
Miss
gee
for
your
testimony,
but
also
for
the
work
that
you
do
on
a
daily
basis
to
protect
people's
housing
and
to
enforce
on
Bad
actors,
and
you
know
we
on
city
council-
want
to
make
sure
that
the
fair
housing
commission
has
the
support
and
the
resources
necessary
to
to
protect
people.
Even
more,
and
thank
you.
A
Are
you
still
there
I'm
here?
Okay,
can
you
describe
how
proactive
and
Hands-On
PHA
staff
are
with
voucher
households
during
their
apartment
searches?
We
heard
from
several
people
that
they
felt
that
they
needed
that
they
kind
of
were
out
there
on
their
own
and
they
felt
that
they
needed
more
assistance
in
terms
of
finding
a
suitable
place
to
use
their
their
voucher.
S
So
absolutely
Madam
chair
what
underlies
the
housing
Choice
voucher
program
is
choice,
and
so
we
have
to
be
as
PHA
the
administrator
of
the
housing
Choice
voluntary
program.
We
have
to
be
particularly
careful
not
to
steer
residents
or
participants
into
any
particular
geographic
location
that
would
be
illegal.
Having
said
that,
we
painstakingly
work
with
our
participants
as
well
as
landlords,
so
there
are
a
number
of
resources
that
we
provide.
Remember
that
it's
voluntary
that
we
provide
to
recipients.
S
For
example,
we
have
vacancy
lists
that
we
receive
from
various
landlords
who
we
know
are
participating
in
the
program.
We
have
goal:
Section
8
as
a
as
another
electronic
resource.
We
frequently
reach
out
to
landlords
in
higher
opportunity
areas
to
help
navigate
help
attendant
navigate
rental
in
those
in
those
areas,
and
so
it
it
is
very
handsome.
S
Every
every
participant
is
assigned
to
a
case
manager
and
that
case
manager
is
not
only
responsible
for
helping
the
the
participant
with
the
issuance
of
the
of
the
voucher,
but
to
help
them
find
fine
units
to
the
extent
that
units
are
available.
What
we're
finding,
though,
is
all
too
often
units
are
more
readily
available
in
certain
Geographic
locations
of
the
city.
S
Often
those
locations
are
not
the
most
desirable
in
part,
because
the
rents
there
are
are
the
lowest
tends
to
be
at
the
lowest
levels,
and
so
there's
a
lot
of
effort
that
is
put
in
The
Upfront.
So
when
a
tenant
comes
to
PHA
and
issue
a
voucher,
the
voucher
outlines
the
dates
that
the
voucher
is
will
be
good
for
up
to
120
days.
The
extensions
are
permitted
and
we
do
that
very
liberally.
S
It
does
not
contain
the
the
voucher
quote-unquote
amount
because,
as
you
well
know,
that
changes
virtually
by
ZIP
code,
a
location
by
neighborhoods
Etc.
It
looks
something
like
this,
but
in
addition,
so
that's
the
vouchers
about
a
full
page
document
that
that
they
get
signed
by
PHA
in
the
name
of
the
voucher.
What
is
there
is
the
unit
size,
so
it
could
be
anywhere
from
zero
to
a
one
bedroom
to
six
bedrooms,
as
as
an
example
every
voucher
recipient.
S
It's
important
to
note
receives
this,
which
is
a
PHA
guide,
a
Housing
search
and
moving
guide,
most
recently
updated
November
2022,
and
it
outlines
all
of
the
steps
that
are
required.
Everything
you
need
to
know
from
the
minute
that
you
have
the
issue,
the
voucher,
the
introduction,
how
to
search
for
a
unit
when
your
voucher
expires,
how
your
the
rents
are
determined,
what
is
required
for
for
inspection
and
so
all
of
those
things.
S
S
There
are
four
volumes
right
that
we
have
to
adhere
to,
and
so
yes
is
it?
Is
it
bureaucratic?
Absolutely
it's
not
the
same
when
a
private
tenant
or
market
rate
tenant
goes
out
and
look
for
a
unit.
The
landlord
isn't
subject
to
any
hqs
inspections.
We
are
required
to
do
an
hqx
inspection.
The
landlord
isn't
PHA,
as
the
administrator
is
required,
to
engage
with
the
landlord
to
make
sure
that
the
rents
are
quote
unquote
reasonable,
which
requires
a
rent
reasonableness
test.
S
We
have
to
make
sure
that
the
the
family,
the
household,
can
afford
to
pay
that
rent
their
portion
of
the
rent
not
exceeding
in
the
case
of
pH,
actually
28
without
exceeding
the
30
threshold,
and
so
the
incentive
programs
that
we
have
is
aimed
at
addressing
some
of
those
barriers.
The
signing
bonus,
for
example,
is
to
bridge
the
gap.
S
S
You
know
you
just
you
just
name
it.
If
the
unit
fails
inspection,
it
requires
re-inspection,
and
so
a
lot
out
of
that
that
is
involved
before
we
can
actually
sign
somebody
up
and
approve
the
lease.
We
have
to
ensure
that
the
unit
meets
habit
of
the
the
hard
required
habitability
test,
which
is
the
hqs
standard
foreign.
A
S
Know
absolutely
I
think
there
are
a
number
of
solution.
It's
it's
quite
you
know
disheartening,
to
hear
some
of
the
stories
from
the
the
participants
who
are
at
Bartram
Village
and
looking
to
to
get
Section
8
housing,
a
housing
Choice
voucher,
the
the
stories
that
we
heard
from
the
gentleman
who
has
some
disabilities.
S
It's
really
disheartening,
because
I
know
from
pha's
perspective.
We
spend
a
lot
of
time
helping
best
we
best
we
can
in
terms
of
the
the
need
for
for
resources.
I
will
Echo
some
of
the
con.
Some
of
the
suggestions
that
we've
already
heard
I
think
we
have
to
be
bold
and
intentional
in
how
we
use
the
resources
that
that
we
have,
as
I
said,
we've
already
spent
the
over
a
million
dollars
and
we're
continuing
in
terms
of
the
landlord
incentive
programs.
S
I
would
love
to
expand
that
opportunity,
but
these
are
monies
that
PHA
is
taking
out
of
its
operating
funds
that
could
go
directly
to
providing
housing
towards
combating
housing
issues.
Right,
you
know
I
would
love
to
to
to
work
more
closely
with
the
the
commission
to
to
broaden
it's
it's
reach
so
that
we're
speaking
in
in
tandem.
You
know
in
my
in
my
early
Public
Service
life
I
was
a
housing
discrimination,
compliance
officer
and
I
investigated
a
lot
of
complaints
in
in
that
area.
S
I
would
love
to
see
the
council
providing
more
resources
to
the
commission
so
that
they
or
a
our
advocacy
group
to
do
the
kind
of
testing
one
of
the
ways
that
we
combat
housing
discrimination
is
actually
to
do
the
testing
you're
not
going
to
hear
landlords,
often
when
they
decline.
Somebody
they're
not
telling
us
it's
because
you're
black
or
you're
a
woman
or
you're
single
Etc.
S
They
will
tell
you
that
it's
because
of
your
criminal
record.
It's
because
of
is
because
of
your
your
credit
Etc
one
of
the
the
biggest
areas
to
to
help
navigate
and
provide
that
kind
of
information
that
allows
us
to
to
combat
housing.
Discrimination
is
to
do
that
testing
and
to
bring
those
cases
against
those
landlords
and
have
you
know
more
tougher
penalties
for
those
violations.
S
I
typically
didn't
didn't
settle
those
cases
unless
there
were,
they
were
incredibly
punitive
on
the
time
on
the
landlords
and
I
did
a
lot
of
that
and
I
think
we
can
I
I
would
I
would
also
say
that
you
know
part
of
why
this
was
so.
Disheartening
is
because
of
our
own
landlord,
Outreach
and
tenant
outreach
program.
So
every
tenant
goes
to
goes
through
a
a
voucher
briefing,
and
this
is
part
of
the
voucher
private.
Every
landlord
that
participates
in
the
program
goes
through.
S
That
I
am
far
more
concerned
about
those
landlords
that
do
not
you
know
and
I
would
I
would
respectfully
suggest
to
the
council
that
perhaps,
as
part
of
the
issuance
of
the
rental
license
that
maybe
that
be
a
condition,
a
fair
housing
training
would
be
a
condition
of
the
issuance
of
that
of
that
license.
I
don't
want
to
make
it
more
bureaucratic,
but
I
think
we
want
to
make
sure
that
people
are
in
the
know,
and
too
often,
as
Lee
suggested
a
moment
ago,
they
tend
to
say
no,
we
don't.
S
A
Mm-Hmm
yeah,
thank
you
for
that.
I
would
also
ask:
is
there
anything
stopping
the
city
from
requiring
I'm
sure
there
are
lots
of
things
that
would
want
to
stop
the
city
from
this,
but
is
there
anything
stopping
the
city
from
requiring
enrollment
in
these
programs?
If
you
were
to
receive
a
rental
license.
A
I
Sure
yeah,
thank
you
for
the
question
I.
Just
with
regards
to
the
to
the
Pittsburgh
case
that
came
out
of
the
Pennsylvania
Supreme
Court
that
the
Pittsburgh's
ordinance
was
similar
to
Philadelphia's,
but
Pittsburgh's
home
Rule
Charter
has
limitations
as
a
second-class
city,
including
a
business
exclusion,
and
that's
what
the
Pennsylvania
Supreme
Court
struck
down
their
ordinance
on
there.
That
statute
is
53,
PA,
CSA
2962,
but
Philadelphia's
home
rule.
Chart.
Excuse
me
home
rule
is
a
first-class
City
and
does
not
have
that
limitation.
I
A
I
And
I
think
it's
an
interesting
idea.
It's
not
one
that
I
have.
You
know
completely
thought
through,
but
I
think
it's
one
that
we
should
talk
about
and
be
happy
to.
You
know
work
with
the
members
of
the
committee
and
anyone
else,
of
course
to
to
talk
about
that
and
what
that
might
look
like
to
make
sure
that
it's
it
makes
sense
under
the
law
of
the
state
laws
and
the
city
laws
and
the
federal
laws.
A
A
You
know
a
better
way
for
landlords
to,
and
Property
Owners,
to
really
connect
to
information
about
Section,
8
and
other
programs.
Are
you
doing
anything
sort
of?
What
do
you
think
needs
to
happen
on
the
tenant
side,
we
heard
a
lot
of
testimony
around
from
people
who
said
it
was
really
hard
for
them
to
use
vouchers
and
they
kind
of
felt
like
they
didn't
have
enough
support
is
OHS
thinking
through
this
aspect
of
the
voucher
program
and
what
ideas
do
you
have
based
on
the
testimony
that
you
heard
yeah.
O
That's
a
great
question:
yeah
I
I
share
kelvin's
expression
of
how
disheartening
it's
it's
heartbreaking,
really
and
I.
Think
with
our
and
also
with
the
young
adults.
The
the
issues
that
they're
encountering
are
definitely
more
severe
than
adults
because
they
have
the
I
mean
you
know
the
bias
that
people
have
against
young
people
partying
and
all
of
that
sort
of
thing
that
they
have
to
overcome
and
I
think
through
the
process
we're
going
through
with
the
with
the
youth
homelessness
demonstration
project
planning.
O
But
what
they
have
expressed
to
us
is
that
they
would
really
like
somebody
to
walk
beside
them.
To
explain
how
do
you
find
a
unit
help
me
negotiate
with
the
landlord
help
me
understand
the
application
and,
what's
legal
and
what's
not
so
I,
think
that
you
know
in
some
people
they,
you
know
they
have
the
wherewithal
to
do
all
this
on
their
own
and
they
figure
it
out.
I
think
but
I
think
for
others,
more
education,
more
walking
side
by
side
with
them
more
information.
O
I
think
all
of
those
things
would
be
hugely
helpful,
I!
Think
for
us.
We
we
have
the
limitations
that
we
have
our
resource
limitations.
We
have
one
case
manager
to
about
every
20
residents
and
they're
working
with
people
at
all
different
stages
in
their
Housing
search,
and
so
there
are
just
limits,
which
is
why
we
focus
restaurant,
giving
them
resources
like
pad
Mission
like
the
housing
Navigators,
because
it's
been
a
way
of
helping
more
of
our
participants
by
helping
by
giving
the
the
housing
case,
managers
more
resources.
O
You
know,
rental
properties
are
a
business
and
money
talks
and
so
the
incentives
that
PHA
put
on
the
ground
for
with
the
emergency
housing
vouchers,
we
saw
those
be
very
successful.
We've
actually
expanded
our
incentives
related
to
our
rapid
rehousing
program,
so
we
now
give
more
upfront
money
and
the
that
loss
contingency
fund.
Those
things
I
think
also
really
really
make
a
difference.
O
A
You
I'm
gonna
I,
have
two
more
questions
for
Kia
and
then
I'm
going
to
open
up
the
committee,
because
we
are
going
rather
long,
but
this,
even
though
this
is
something
we
could
probably
talk
about
all
day,
Miss
gee.
What
resources
does
you
know?
The
fair
housing
commission
need
to
expedite
its
investigations
and
determinations
after
a
complaint
is
filed
and
and
I
mean
in
terms
of
Staffing.
In
terms
of
you
know,
resources
from
the
budget.
What
what
do
you
all
need
to
be
able
to
do
more
of
what
you
do.
T
So
I
would
I
would
tend
to
agree
with
some
of
the
testimony.
That's
already
been
said
in
terms
of
resources
needed
for
testing,
for
proactive
enforcement,
which
is
one
of
the
biggest
problems,
is
that
right
now
we
have
with
our
existing
infrastructure.
We
have
it's
more
more
of
a
reactive
enforcement
scope,
and
so
we
rely
on
the
complaints
that
come
in.
But
frankly,
the
number
of
complaints
that
we
receive
are
not
matching
the
magnitude
of
of
the
the
crisis
that's
being
described
here
today.
T
So
having
testers
to
be
able
to
go
out
into
the
field
and
see
what's
going
on
firsthand,
and
so
we
can
initiate
those
complaints
on
our
own.
Also
in
terms
of
Investigations.
We
have,
over
the
last
18
months
since
I've
been
here,
been
focusing
on
efficiency
and
comprehensiveness
in
terms
of
Investigation
investigation,
clearing
our
our
caseloads
of
old
cases
that
we
have
sufficient
information
to
make
be
able
to
make
a
determination.
T
So
I
would
say
in
terms
of
increasing
the
speed
of
the
investigation,
I'm
I'm,
confident
right
now
that
when
cases
come
through
they're
given
adequate
attention
and
we're
handling
them
as
quickly
as
possible
to
get
to
a
resolution,
that's
Equitable
for
the
complainant,
we
need
more
resources,
we
need
funding
for
investigators.
We
have
a
very,
very,
very
small
team.
T
I
think
if
we
were
to
be
able
to
have
enough
staff
to
have
a
task
force
that
looks
specifically
at
source
of
income,
that
would
at
least
be
you
know
more
than
we
have
now
I'm
going
to
say
at
least
three
three
I
don't
want
to
be
greedy
I
come
from.
You
know
a
humble
beginnings
and
I'm
just
honored
to
actually
be
here.
Testifying
I,
never
thought
my
wildest
dreams.
I
would
be
testifying
for
city
council,
so
I
I
would
say
that
we're
happy
we'll
make
it
work
with
what
we
have.
A
Can
be
greedy
when
it
comes
to
housing,
Justice
and
if
you're,
you
know,
I
know
you
have
limitations,
but
me
and
Kendra
will
be
greedy
for
you,
as
well
as
the
rest,
the
rest
of
the
housing
committee
I'll.
Actually,
in
my
questions
right
there,
because
I
know
we
are
taking
a
really
long
time.
Are
there
other
members
of
the
committee
that
have
questions
or
comments
for
the
panel
I
just
have.
H
T
Not
explicitly
or
expressly
written
in
the
fair
practices
ordinance
in
that
way,
I
think
it
would
be
helpful
for
landlords
to
see
that
so
that
they
know
it's
expressly
prohibited,
but
right
now
it
the
act
itself
is
unlawful
because
you're
doing
they're
doing
it
to
dissuade
renters
from
renting.
So
that's
disparate
treatment
for
them,
but
I
do
think
when
it's
clear
in
written
language,
that's
easier
for
a
provider
to
understand.
T
H
H
T
There
is
so
there
is
a
private
right
of
action
that
exists
once
we've
completed
our
investigation,
but
they
have
to
go
through
our
process,
but
if
there
was
something
in
the
legislation
that
clearly
identifies
that
that
alone,
using
this
particular
type
of
language,
would
be
sufficient
to
trigger
a
filing
of
a
complaint
against
them.
In
a
court
of
you
know,
a
competent
jurisdiction,
I
think
that
would
stop
a
lot
of
it.
H
Okay,
all
right,
thank
you,
so
much
I
think
one
other
question:
I
have
I
think
with
Brent.
Well,
maybe
Calvin!
This
might
be
for
you
like
what
is
the
process
for
granting
their
extensions
on
the
vouchers?
So
if
people
are
unable
to
find
an
apartment,
what
is
the
process
for
the
extension
if
they
aren't
able
to
find
it
within
the
30
days
time.
S
F
O
So
77
percent
said
they
did
not
currently
rent
to
housing,
Choice
vouchers
holders,
82
percent
said
they
didn't
know
about
the
emergency
housing
voucher
program.
That
was
when
it
was
brand
new.
We
had
just
gotten
it
from
the
federal
government
and
62
percent
said
they
were
not
interested
in
learning
about
the
emergency
housing
voucher
program.
F
But
my
question
is
beyond
requirement:
is
there
do
we
do
anything
to
incentivize,
or
can
we
think
of
something
to
do
to
incentivize
landlords
to
at
least
be
aware,
and
hopefully
that
would
open
up
some
opportunities
and
Kelvin?
My
good
friend,
Calvin
I,
don't
know
if
you
want
to
weigh
in
on
that
as
well.
S
Sure
so
I
think
this
is
an
excellent,
excellent
question.
I
think
we
we
sought
to
address
the
barriers
to
accessing
market
rate
units
through
our
incentive
programs
and
when
we
did
that
we
saw
as
I
as
I
shared
in
my
in
my
testimony,
a
a
market
increase
a
marked
increase
in
participation
among
private
landlords,
especially
landlords
in
the
higher
opportunity.
S
The
negative
feedback
that
we've
gotten
we've
done.
This
we've
brought
in
property
owners
and
we
talked
to
them.
What
do
we
need
from
you?
What
do
you
need
from
us
to
to
encourage
to
nudge
participation?
Part
of
the
issue
was
the
bureaucratic
nature
of
the
process.
They
can
go
out
and
they
can
rent
to
somebody
without
having
an
inspection.
We
require
an
inspection,
and
so
we
try
to
streamline
that
that
process
considerably
so
that
they're
not
losing
money.
Every
time
a
unit
goes
unfilled
in
the
private
Market.
S
It
means
that
the
landlord
is
on
collecting
rent.
They
want
to
collect
rent,
and
so
the
the
signing
bonuses
is
intended
to
to
bridge
some
of
that
that
Gap.
Secondly,
one
of
the
one
of
the
biggest
issue
that
we
heard
from
Lords
is:
you
know
when
we
run
to
a
person,
a
private
marketweight
tenant,
the
damage
to
those
units
are
nearly
comparable
to
to
the
hcv
participants,
and
so
you
know
they
have
to
know
and
we're.
S
S
We
certainly
don't
have
endless
resources
to
to
be
able
to
do
this.
We're
doing
it
as
I
mentioned
because
of
the
state
of
the
housing
crisis
in
in
in
Philadelphia,
and
so
we've
ex
we've
extended
it
to
June
30th
of
this
year.
Because
of
the
response
that
we've
been
we've
been
we've
been
getting,
but
it's
something
that
I
think
is
is
very
worthwhile
and
we've
been
in
concert.
F
Then
that
says
to
me
that
the
quality
of
the
housing
that's
being
provided
by
that
particular
landlord
is
suspect,
and
so
I
don't
know,
has
there
been
any
and
he
thought
about
some
sort
of
a
partnership
with
Ellen
I,
maybe
to
do
inspections,
more
inspections
of
all
properties,
I
guess,
but
particularly
of
those
that
are
you
know,
I
I
would
say
where
a
landlord
is
specifically
declining
because
of
the
the
reason
that
they
don't
want
to
do
an
inspection.
Is
that
a
possibility?
S
S
F
Yeah,
because
I'm,
assuming
that
you
know
you
know
a
lot
of
inspection
for
a
reason
right,
there's
a
reason
that
you
don't
want
anybody
coming
in
and
poking
around
and
taking
a
look
around.
So
okay,
all
right,
thank
you,
and,
and
and
and
thank
you
all
for
the
work
that
you
do
and
Kia
thank
you
for
being
here
and
testifying
today
and
for
your
hard
work
around
this
very,
very
important
issue.
F
A
You
thank
you
councilmember
Bass.
Thank
you.
Thank
you
for
that
really
important
and
interesting
discussion.
I
agree
with
everybody
here
that
we
have
to
make
this
program
more
financially
valuable
for
landlords
easier.
We
have
to
do
education,
but
I
do
also
want
to
challenge
this
sort
of
comment
that
I've
heard
several
times
that
being
a
landlord
is
a
business.
I
completely
agree
with
that,
but
in
no
other
business
is
it
acceptable
to
have
blatant
discrimination
so
much
so
that
you're
going
to
put
it
on
your
your
website
or
put
it
on.
S
A
A
A
A
We
will
now
take
a
brief
break
to
oops
nope
nope,
sorry,
they're
being
no
further
questions
from
members
of
the
committee
and
no
other
witnesses
to
testify.
I
will
ask
if
there
is
anyone
else
present
in
this
hearing
whose
name
we
have
failed
to
call,
and
that
wishes
to
offer
testimony
on
the
resolution
being
considered
today.
A
A
I
want
everyone
watching
and
everybody
in
the
hearing
today
to
know
that
we're
not
just
going
to
drop
this
issue.
This
is
not
just
about
a
hearing.
This
was
to
uncover
solutions
to
move
forward
so
that
we
can
help
people
get
housing,
and
so
thank
you
to
everyone
who
has
participated
today.
Thank
you.
So
much
to
all
the
members
of
the
committee
and
thanks
to
everyone
watching
I
hope
you
all
have
a
great
day.