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Authorizing the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless to hold hearings to determine how the City of Philadelphia should best use the one-time opportunity to create permanent solutions to homelessness arising as a result of Philadelphia’s allocation of $42,000,000 through the American Rescue Plan in support of affordable housing and homelessness assistance.
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WHEREAS, Homelessness continues to impact thousands of Philadelphians in the midst of a great need for permanent supportive housing to end chronic street homelessness. Permanent solutions to homelessness in this City must be developed and implemented as an integral part of the City’s COVID-19 recovery plans; and
WHEREAS, Congress passed and the President signed the American Rescue Plan into law on March 11, 2021; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Thursday, April 8, released details on how nearly $5 billion in funding for affordable housing and homelessness assistance programs will be divided among dozens of state and local governments around the country; and
WHEREAS, Money for the grants, which will flow to 651 grantees as supplemental funding under the Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), will be distributed based on a formula contained in the legislation; and
WHEREAS, Under the formula, Philadelphia stands to receive an allocation of $42,000,000 thanks to the American Rescue Plan; and
WHEREAS, Communities can use the funds to build affordable housing, or “supportive housing” which combines housing with services that people may need. Grants could also go toward the cost of purchasing and converting hotels and other buildings into permanent housing units, or for short-term rental assistance; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the City Council of Philadelphia hereby authorizes the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless to hold hearings to determine how the City of Philadelphia should best use the one-time opportunity to create permanent solutions to homelessness arising as a result of Philadelphia’s allocation of $42,000,000 through the American Rescue Plan in support of affordable housing and homelessness assistance.
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