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Tenants press council to fund $10M for proactive L&I inspections and back Safe and Healthy Homes Act
Summary
Tenant groups and renters asked council members to add $10 million for proactive inspections to the FY26 budget and urged support for the Safe and Healthy Homes Act; council members said they are listening and described possible funding and enforcement avenues.
Tenant advocates and individual renters used the Kensington town hall to press City Council for stronger enforcement of housing standards and more funding for programs that preserve or repair affordable housing.
"We hope you'll push for and vote for a budget that includes increased funding for programs that create and preserve affordable homes for those who need them most," said Stacy Moore, a volunteer with the Women's Community Revitalization Project, as she listed specific funding requests from the Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities.
Why it matters: Residents and housing advocates said city spending must prioritize housing production, basic systems repair and tenant protections to prevent displacement and unsafe living conditions.
Advocates' requests and figures presented at the meeting included increasing annual rental housing production funding from $78 million to $100 million; raising the Basic Systems Repair Program from $32 million to $40 million; increasing adaptive modification funding (to aid accessibility) from $6.6 million to $8 million; and boosting the shallow rent program from $2.6 million to $4 million. Several speakers also asked council to add $10 million to License & Inspection (L&I) for proactive inspections and enforcement; advocates cited 14,784 violations across council districts in the last year as evidence of enforcement needs.
Tenant-group speakers included representatives from 1 PA Renters United and other coalition groups. "That will give us a better picture of who was doing what in one's apartment," said Tyrese Rogers of 1 PA Renters United describing the purpose of proactive inspections for documenting unit conditions at move-in and move-out.
Council members' responses at the meeting were mixed but engaged. Council President Kenyatta Johnson and others said they support holding landlords accountable while also supporting legitimate small landlords who maintain affordable units. Councilman Jeffrey J. Young said his office is seeking ways to help landlords who want to renovate properties to bring them up to code, while still holding bad actors accountable. Councilwoman rue Landau (referred to during the meeting) reminded the audience that state and city rules require landlords to provide heat from mid-October through mid-April and that remedies exist for tenants when landlords fail to meet that obligation.
No formal council vote occurred at the town hall. Council members repeatedly invited tenant groups to continue submitting detailed proposals and documentation so council staff can identify line items and possible offsets during budget negotiations.
Ending: Tenant groups said they will continue to press council to include the $10 million inspection request and increases to housing preservation funds during the formal budget process and public hearings.
