Council approves financing framework for $800M housing 'HOME' plan and passes anti-displacement ordinance

Philadelphia City Council on June 12 approved an ordinance authorizing a service agreement and related financing to support the mayor’s housing initiative — described repeatedly in testimony as the HOME (Housing Opportunities Made Easy) plan — and separately passed an ordinance creating an anti‑displacement fund and right‑to‑relocation protections for renters.

Council voted to approve an ordinance authorizing a service agreement between the city and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to support financing for the HOME plan (council bill recorded at s:10765 on the transcript). That measure passed on final reading with a recorded roll call (ayes 16, nays 0). The session also approved bond and revenue measures tied to capital financing for water, wastewater and other city infrastructure that are part of the broader capital and financing package.

Separately, council passed bill 250331, amending landlord‑tenant code to authorize an anti‑displacement fund and create a statutory right to relocation for renters in certain displacement‑trigger events. The anti‑displacement ordinance passed unanimously on final reading (ayes 16, nays 0) after advocates and residents urged full funding from the administration’s HOME proposal. Speakers representing tenant groups, community development corporations and renters told council they need both prevention (home repair/preservation) and relocation resources when housing is condemned or unsafe. One public commenter, Melissa Montz, described longtime health impacts from substandard housing and urged passage of the right‑to‑relocation measure.

Councilmember Mike Driscoll noted during floor remarks that he had introduced statutory oversight provisions for aspects of the HOME plan to increase accountability; he described his effort as enabling independent fiscal monitoring. Council adopted related financing measures (authorizing issuance of notes or bonds by the Redevelopment Authority and establishing a service agreement obligating the city to pay service fees) to allow the HOME initiative’s programs — described in the ordinance as housing production, preservation, homeowner and renter assistance, contractor training, blight reduction and neighborhood infrastructure — to proceed with city‑backed financing.

Why it matters: The ordinances create a financing structure intended to underwrite a mayoral housing program that advocates and council members described as a once‑in‑a‑generation investment. The anti‑displacement law creates a legal mechanism to move tenants out of unsafe buildings with city assistance; advocates said funding commitments will determine whether the new right is meaningful.

What’s next: The administration and the Redevelopment Authority will begin formal steps to issue bonds or other obligations under the council‑approved framework and to develop the programmatic budgets and annual program statements that council required. Council and advocacy groups said they will press the administration for line‑item funding and quarterly oversight reports.