Mayor Cherelle. L. Parker Delivers Historic Address to City Council to Announce Unprecedented New Housing Plan
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Mayor Cherelle L. Parker today addressed a special session of the Philadelphia City Council to announce the release of her proposed Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) Housing Plan—a set of values-based and data-driven strategies for transforming the housing landscape in our city. The H.O.M.E. Plan invests $2 billion, including $800 million in bonds, in programs and initiatives to produce and preserve 30,000 housing units for Philadelphians across levels of affordability.
“Beyond public safety, there is no more pressing issue for Philadelphia than access to housing,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said. “This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for Philadelphia, and we are ready to act with urgency and transparency to deliver real results for our communities.”
During her address, the Mayor shared several key aspects of the H.O.M.E. Housing Plan for the first time.
- Unprecedented $2 Billion Public Investment: Includes nearly $1 billion in public sector funding, comprised of $800 million in bonds plus local, state, and federal funding streams, in addition to $1 billion in publicly owned land. In light of the urgent need for more housing, the first $400 million in bonds will be issued in FY26.
- Production & Preservation Goals: 30,000 homes goal includes 13,500 new housing units and 16,500 preserved homes, for both renters and homeowners.
- New Programs & Initiatives: Among the innovative housing solutions proposed in the plan are the ONE Philly Mortgage to make mortgages more widely available and less expensive, a Home Service Clearinghouse and Concierge to protect residents from unscrupulous contractors, and a Curbside Appeal Program of matching grants for improving the appearance of an entire block or blocks. The H.O.M.E. Plan also calls for maintaining and expanding the many successful housing programs that already exist in Philadelphia, several of which are national models.
- Streamlining Land Bank Processes: Multipronged approach to moving more publicly owned vacant land, more quickly, into productive use for housing, including exercising priority bid option at Sheriff sale, new easy-to-navigate website, Land Bank Acquisition Fund, comprehensive reviews of Land Bank operations and processes, and working closely with district councilmembers to preapprove small projects on Land Bank land.
“My colleagues and I on the Mayor’s housing team are continuing to meet with internal and external experts and stakeholders,” said Jessie Lawrence, Director, Department of Planning and Development. “Their feedback, as well as City Council’s invaluable input, will go into revising and improving the H.O.M.E. Plan. This is why we are better and stronger as One Philly, a United City.”
To learn more about the city’s current and future housing initiatives and programs, please visit phila.gov.