Title
Authorizing the City Council Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless to hold public hearings to the examine the effects of tangled titles and gentrification on Philadelphia neighborhoods.
Body
WHEREAS, A tangled title occurs when the name of the individual living in a residence does not match the name on the property's deed. This typically occurs when a home is passed between relatives without the presence of a will. Tangled titles can become a monumental problem for Philadelphia residents in the event they need to sell their property, and it can also be the reason families lose their only residence or are unable to keep up with maintenance; and
WHEREAS, Gentrification is a process in urban planning that changes the look and character of a neighborhood. Gentrification typically takes places in communities of color and impacts seniors, minority communities and low-income individuals; and
WHEREAS, In Philadelphia, historically black and brown communities have been disproportionately impacted by both tangled titles and gentrification. Many of these communities began as working-class neighborhoods with residents working in local factories or in manufacturing type employment. These neighborhoods have suffered from a lack of investment in their infrastructure and rapid loss of blue-collar jobs in their neighborhoods. Over 100 years have passed since these neighborhoods were founded and much of the same crumbling infrastructure is still present. This is not only a local issue. It represents just a small part of a national trend seen in major cities all around the country; and
WHEREAS, As evidenced by Exhibits A and B, many of these historically black and brown neighborhoods that face disinvestment are plagued by issues with tangled titles and gentrification. Many communities that are experiencing rapid gentrification are neighborhoods that are impacted by tangled titles; and
WHEREAS, The 2022 property tax reassessment hit neighb...
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