Title
Authorizing the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless to hold public hearings on the enforcement of, and the expansion of protections for renters provided by, Philadelphia's good cause residential eviction law.
Body
WHEREAS, In Philadelphia there are more than 300,000 rental units, which is greater than the number of owner-occupied homes across the City; and
WHEREAS, The majority of renters are estimated to be cost-burdened, as they spend more than thirty percent of their income on rent; and
WHEREAS, Eighty-six percent of renters with incomes under $35,000 are estimated to be experiencing this burden; and
WHEREAS, Individuals evicted from their homes experience dire consequences like homelessness, joblessness, and physical and mental health challenges; and
WHEREAS, In Philadelphia, evictions are disproportionately filed in areas with higher concentrations of African American residents and where the median household income is less than $45,000; and
WHEREAS, On October 5, 2017, Councilmember Jones introduced, and Councilmembers Gym and Parker co-sponsored, Bill No. 170854, an ordinance requiring landlords to show good cause for certain residential evictions and providing for a first option for existing tenants to renew a lease (as amended, the "Bill"); and
WHEREAS, Many Philadelphians have been subject to unnecessary, unjust and illegal evictions, as evidenced by the testimony during the hearing held by the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Law and Government on February 13, 2018; and
WHEREAS, The Mayor's Taskforce on Eviction Prevention and Response released a report in June, 2018, calling for, among other things, the enactment of good cause residential eviction legislation; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia City Council enacted the Bill on December 6, 2018 and the Mayor signed the Bill on January 22, 2019; and
WHEREAS, The Fair Housing Commission began enforcing the good cause residential evic...
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