Title
Authorizing the Committee on Licenses and Inspections and the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to conduct hearings concerning the impact of eviction and substandard housing on the health and wellbeing of low-income renters, and examining solutions that would improve the safety and stability of rental housing, including the right to counsel.
Body
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is facing a housing crisis due to a shortage of safe and affordable housing for low-income renters, with lack of affordable housing identified as the lead cause of homelessness among families with children and substandard housing conditions being a major source of environmental health hazards; and
WHEREAS, Women of color with children have fewer options for safe and affordable housing, face more housing discrimination, and are evicted at much higher rates than men and white women, and low-income women of all races are evicted at much higher rates than men, while Black and Hispanic women tend to be overrepresented in court ordered evictions and shelter populations; and
WHEREAS, While many responsible landlords strive to comply with the law, a large but unknown number of Philadelphia's 270,000 rental units are entirely unlicensed, and thousands of both licensed and unlicensed properties are in substandard condition and not in compliance with applicable City code requirements, some posing imminent risk to life and health; and
WHEREAS, Although a license is required to collect rent or commence eviction proceedings, and laws exist to protect
tenants living in properties with open code violations from facing eviction, these laws are not consistently followed by all landlords; and
WHEREAS, Less than 10% of landlords currently comply with requirements to provide lead-safe certification when renting to families with children aged six and under, according to public health officials; and
WHEREAS, Substandard housing conditions ranging from mold and flaking ...
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