Title
Authorizing the Committee on Neighborhood Services to hold hearings regarding the use of ZIP Codes as a proxy for discriminatory actions by businesses and other service providers.
Body
WHEREAS, The history of redlining in the United States has created a legacy of racially segregated housing across the country; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia metropolitan area is one of the most segregated in the country, ranked eleventh according to 2020 Census data; and
WHEREAS, There is ample evidence that exclusionary zoning and lending policies like those in Philadelphia's history lead to a marked decrease in wealth and human capital over time for many neighborhoods as a result of poorly-funded schooling, lack of public resources, and the health and safety risks associated with low-income areas. The discriminatory effects of this zoning compound from one generation to the next, further widening the wealth and resource gap between neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, Those Philadelphians who reside in low-income ZIP Codes are disproportionately likely to be members of a protected class under the Fair Practices Ordinance of the City Code; and
WHEREAS, The Fair Practices Ordinance declares it unlawful for anyone to deny, either directly or indirectly, any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities or privileges of public accommodations to a person based on their status as a member of a protected class; and
WHEREAS, Despite this Ordinance and other applicable laws, Philadelphians and their businesses in these ZIP Codes are often denied services from vendors, contractors, insurers and other service providers; and
WHEREAS, Denying these services adversely affects these neighborhoods, and creates intractable problems that decrease the quality of life and viability of these neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, Many neighborhoods in the city are underserved as a result of these practices, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, that it hereby aut...
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