COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE City Hall, Room 400 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, April 29, 2026 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE-RICHARDSON COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY M. LOZADA COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILMAN CURTIS J. JONES, JR. COUNCILMAN NICOLAS O'ROURKE COUNCILMAN JEFFREY YOUNG, JR. COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS HELEN LOUGHEAD, The Clerk P R O C E E D I N G S
Good morning, everyone. Good morning, everyone. This is the public hearing and public meeting of the Committee of the Whole regarding Bills No. 8 260199, 260200, 260201, 260202, 260203, 260204, 260205, 260208, 260209, and Resolution Number 260227. Ms. Loughead, will you please take attendance?
Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember Gilmore- Richardson, Councilmember Thomas, Councilmember Harrity.
Present. A quorum of this committee is present, and this hearing is officially now called to order. Ms. Loughead, will you please read the title of the bills and resolution.
Bill No. 22 260199, an ordinance adopting the operating budget for fiscal year 2027. Bill No. 260200, an ordinance to adopt the fiscal year 2027 capital budget. Bill No. 260201, an ordinance to adopt a capital program for the six fiscal years 2027 through 2032 inclusive. Bill No. 260202, an ordinance amending chapter 19-2400 of the Philadelphia Code entitled Hotel Room Rental Tax by providing for an additional excise tax on hotel room rentals, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260203, an ordinance amending Subcode A in the Philadelphia Administrative Code of Title 4 of the Philadelphia Code, the Building Construction Occupancy Code, by adding and revising zoning board of adjustment fees and provisions regarding hearing scheduling, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260204, an ordinance amending Title of the 3 Philadelphia Code entitled Error Management Code to modify the amounts of license and permit fees, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260205, an ordinance amending section 19-1806 of the Philadelphia Code entitled Authorization of Realty Use and your Occupancy Tax to clarify the imposition of the tax on the use and occupancy of real estate with respect to cell towers, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260206, an ordinance amending chapter 6-600 of the Philadelphia Code, asbestos, by adding revising provisions related to various fees, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260208, an ordinance amending chapter 19-1800 of the Philadelphia Code entitled School Tax Authorization to add a new section 18 -- 19-1808 entitled Authorization of Rideshare Use Tax to authorize the Board of the School District of Philadelphia to levy tax on the use by passenger of a transportation network company for pre-arranged ride that originates in Philadelphia, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260209, an ordinance amending Title of the 14 Philadelphia Code entitled Finance 15 Taxes and Collections to add a new 16 chapter 19-4800 entitled Retail 17 Delivery Tax to establish a tax on 18 orders for the delivery in 19 Philadelphia of retail consumer and other tangible goods, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260227, providing for the approval by the Council of the City of Philadelphia of a revised five-year financial plan for the City of Philadelphia, covering fiscal years 2027 through 2031 and incorporating revisions with respect to fiscal year 2026, which is to be submitted by the mayor to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority pursuant to an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement by and between the city and the authority.
Thank you very much, Ms. Loughead. Today we will hold the public hearing of the Committee of the Whole to consider the bills read by the clerk that constitute proposed operating and capital spending measures for fiscal year 2027, a capital programing -- a forward-looking capital plan for fiscal year 2027 through fiscal year 2032. This morning we have scheduled testimony from the City's Department of Planning and Development and Commerce Department. This afternoon we'll have testimony from the Office of Property Assessment. Ms. Loughead, will you please call the first panel to testify.
Karen Fegely, acting Commerce Director, who's also joined by Deputy Directors of the Commerce team; Dawn Summerville, Dennis Murphy, Helloise Jettison, Salim Wilson, and Yvonne Boye. Also, requesting Jessie Lawrence, director of Planning and Development, who is joined by John Mondlak, first deputy director; Mark Dodds, deputy of the Division of Housing and Development, Kathleen Grady, deputy of Strategic Initiatives and Executive Administration; Octavia Howell, deputy of the Division of Planning and Zoning; and Emily Persico, deputy of the Division of Development Services. Also, joined by Angela Brooks, chief Housing and Urban Development officer; David Thomas, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation; and Angel Rodriguez, the executive director of the Philadelphia Land Bank and senior vice president of Land Services at PHDC.
Thank you very much, Ms. Loughead. At this time I'm going to ask to state your name and begin your testimony. I'm going to start off with Ms. Fegely.
All right. Good morning, President Johnson and members of Council. My name is Karen Segley. I'm the acting Commerce director. I'm here to testify on the Department of Commerce's fiscal year 2027 operating budget. I'm joined today by Commerce leadership and our buddies at Planning and Development. The Department of Commerce is the economic catalyst for the city of Philadelphia. We create wealth-building opportunities through strategic investments. We pursue ecosystem partnerships to grow quality jobs. We build capacity in communities with historic disinvestment. We make it easier to do business and promote Philadelphia as a premier business destination. In short, Commerce delivers on the mayor's vision of access to economic opportunity for all. A few of our FY-26 accomplishments are as follows: In partnership with the mayor's office and other agencies, we launched PHL PRIME, that's Project Review and Infrastructure Made Easy. The first cohort includes four companies making historic investments into Philadelphia. These are DrinkPAK, TerraPower Isotopes, Hanwha Philly Shipyard, and Rhoads Industries. PHL PRIME signals that Philadelphia is open for business and prepared for serious growth opportunities. But beyond PRIME, we help attract, retain, and grow businesses every day. For example, Liberty Coca-Cola is expanding its operations, Legend Biotech established its operations with a new facility, and Stateside Brands, a local company, expanded its operation and relocated its corporate headquarters to Market East. 5 million jumpstart small business initiative this year. This is to support small businesses navigating the changing tax environment. During year one of jumpstart funding, we're proud to expand access to capital for small businesses. For example, the incentive grant for the Philadelphia Business Lending Network increased from $35,000 to a $50,000 cap. And the Catalyst Fund also awards businesses up to $50,000 to grow. Later this year, we're excited to launch a simplified single application for our grant programs. Commerce launched Weeknights Live as an opportunity to support local musicians and to bring culture and entertainment to commercial corridors across the city. The first cohort includes Baltimore Avenue, East Passyunk, and hotels in Center City. The Open for Business Initiative continues to improve systems across departments to make it easier to do business in Philadelphia. Examples of some of our recent projects include; we worked with Health to create accessible food safety inspection checklist for business owners and inspectors in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. We worked with Special Events to create a new permitting system to make it easier for neighborhood events. We worked with L&I to reopen the Center City vending lottery to open up business opportunities. Sanitation developed a new commercial waste and recycling portal to make that process easier. And Revenue and L&I repealed outdated license requirements with Council's support. You know that the Mayor's Business Action Team serves as our front door to support all businesses accessing resources or navigating city rules. In 2025, MBAT served over 7,000 businesses, including over 500 complex cases. The Taking Care of Business program continues to expand its operations. We now work with 51 organizations and have 420 cleaning ambassadors around the city. Our litter index continues to improve with its lower score -- lowest score to date. Since the first evaluation in 2022, there has been a 50 percent reduction in observed litter in the TCB served areas. 5 million for corridor activations, beautification, and celebrations, ensuring that we bring the 2026 excitement to our neighborhoods with commemorative bells, benches, banners, festivals, and more. Bottom line, we're making it easier for businesses to start, stay, and grow in Philadelphia. If we set aside the $15 million for convention center subsidy, the proposed FY-27 general fund budget totals 106 million.
That is a decrease of million 9 over FY-26. I'm rounding off, by 10 the way. 11 The FY-27 budget reflects a number of one-time supports for community organizations and 2026 related investments that won't be continued. Plus a $250,000 reduction in economic stimulus which will be spread among our Grow Philly external partnership contracts. 5 million for jumpstart small business supports, continuation of PHL open for business to reduce the cost and complexity of business experience, and the final expansion of Taking Care of Business by 1 million to hire additional staff for program oversight as well as building capacity of our TCB community partners. To reiterate, we are open for business. Thank you for your continued support and input. My team and I will be happy to take your questions.
Thank you very much. Jessie, state your name for the record and please begin your testimony, sir.
Good morning, everybody. My name is Jessie Lawrence, director of Planning and Development, here in the city of Philadelphia. Good morning, Council President, members of Council, joining me today, in addition to myself, are divisional leaders from different divisions and units within the Department of Planning and Development. I'm also joined by Angela Brooks, our chief in housing -- chief housing and urban development officer; David Thomas, the president and CEO of PHDC; and Angel Rodriguez, who is the executive director of the Philadelphia Land Bank and also the senior VP of Land Services at PHDC. I'm pleased to be here today to provide the testimony on behalf of the Department of Planning and Development and its fiscal year of 2027 operating budget. When it comes to our mission DPD, what we're known by is partners -- we are partners with communities who promote, plan, preserve, and develop safer, cleaner, greener neighborhoods that offer economic opportunity for all. By aligning these city agencies that are focused on the built environment, DPD fosters vibrant, thriving, and accessible housing in a dynamic public sphere and a resilient economy. Through thoughtful planning, sustainable development, housing production and preservation, as well as housing stabilization and incentive programs, the department helps build intergenerational wealth and strengthen community wellbeing. DPD includes the divisions of executive administration, planning and zoning, development services, housing and community development, known as DHCD as well. DPD also collaborates closely with PHDC, the city's full- service community development organization in order to create neighborhoods that are safe and inclusive for all Philadelphians. E, and will continue to make strides toward ensuring that Philadelphia is the safest, cleanest, and greenest big city in the nation with the access to economic opportunity all -- to all -- for all. This work will be formed by a robust and intentional engagement across stakeholders. E initiative to advance those goals of 30,000 units; new and preserved housing while leveraging funding from federal, state, and local philanthropic sources -- and philanthropic sources. E initiative and creation of these target goals for 30,000 units. New programs to launch include facade improvement, curbside appeal, home service, clearing house and concierge, and the acquisition fund. The city will also work with private lending institutions to establish that One Philly Mortgage program that you've heard of, which reduces the mortgage interest rates and eliminates the private mortgage insurance requirements for participants. Existing programs will also be maintained, enhanced, and/or scaled, including but not limited to the production and preservation of affordable rental housing, the adaptive modification program, basic systems repair program, eviction diversion and targeted financial assistance, mortgage assistance, permanent housing for individuals experiencing homelessness, investments in the Philadelphia accelerator fund and also Philly First Home. E initiative. The marketing campaign will initiate and engage a public process via earned -- excuse me, engage the public via earned media, paid advertising across outdoor transit, broadcast, and digital channels. Also, along with print and promotional materials, video content, and social media. We will leverage the vacant land to advance the housing and greening priorities via implementation of the recommendations of the Land Bank assessment, which is expected to be finalized by the end of this current fiscal year. With a proposed increase FY27 investment, DPD will work in partnership with the Land Bank to increase its operational capacity and enhance transparency through increased staffing and the addition of new reporting tools, including a new customer relationship management system.
That proposed increase in funding will also support additional acquisition, which will be aligned with the vacant land strategy that is under development for acquisition, maintenance, and disposition of properties. We'll also complete the due diligence for the Modular Housing Factory Effort which will -- which will create family sustaining jobs within the city and contribute to reduced construction periods for housing. We also plan to engage communities and stakeholders in the planning of the future of Philadelphia. Particularly, the vision of planning and zoning will be completed -- will complete two significant planning efforts including the Market East Revival Initiative and also the Philly -- the Philadelphia 2050 citywide vision. Both of these efforts were focused on broad engagement, data- driven insights, and pathways to implementation, which also include the establishment of partnerships and grant opportunities for implementation. We are also committed to boosting residential production and preservation by streamlining the development process, which you've heard through the executive charge of executive order number 325 last year. DPD will continue its partnership with Philly STAT 360 to utilize a data-driven approach, shrinking that time tax to incentivize the creation and preservation of safe, healthy, quality housing for buyers and renters at all levels of cost. And finally, DPD will monitor the progress that provide the capacity and expertise where applicable to assist in the coordination of reporting that work. 8 million over fiscal year 2027 -- 2026's estimated obligation levels. E initiative. The Department of Planning and Development also receives allocations from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, as you know as HUD, including the community -- the Community Disaster Block Grant, CDBG -- the CD -- Community Development Block Grant, excuse me, CDBG, Community Disaster Recovery, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS, otherwise known as HOPWA home, not our home, but the other home, and HOME American Rescue Plan. The department will continue to pursue other funding and state funding resources were available and applicable. And quickly, I'll try to summarize the remainder of our testimony, which is going to get into the programmatic-based budgeting sections. More detailed explanations of this section is provided for every program strategy and funding component within the written testimony that was submitted to Council. For program No. 5, housing development; the proposed general fund amount for FY-27 is just over $10 million. That program anchors the city's housing production preservation, home ownership assistance, and eviction prevention work. It houses many of the major initiatives that we know -- that live within home, including the core expansion of that initiative, facade improvement as we heard, the Home Repair program such as BSRP, the acquisition fund, Philly's First Home and Turn the Key programming, One Philly mortgage and eviction program -- prevention programs as well. The goals there are to prevent at least 850 foreclosures, repair over 8,000 homes, deliver over 1200 homeowner assistance -- homeowner assistance programs, grants, and also create over 300 units to preserve even more. The community development program, which is program number 4, FY-27 general fund budget is $11 million. That program focuses on the community engagement piece, neighborhood stabilization, and also land management, including the cleaning and greening. In that program, we'll continue to work off the proven model of greening and stabilizing under land care. Our curbside appeal will also be uplifted. Special land disposition plan; we have a FUSE fellow that is redesigning the public land process to improve speed, predictability, and access the affordable and workforce develop -- and access for the affordable and workforce developers -- workforce, housing developers.
Land Bank gets enhancements as mentioned before. And also support for continued efforts and supporting affordable housing within our development finance compliance, public art, and capital support registers. Program No. 3, development services, the proposed budget there is just over $400,000. And development services is responsible for coordinating across the agencies to improve our development processes in the city. Again, referencing executive order number 325 mapping and housing -- mapping and development processes for housing and reducing those delays. Coordination continues with Philly STAT 360. Our development services committee modernization, adapting some practices from other cities to improve that coordination. And also collaborating with our law department to standardize leasing and compliance procedures with our mixed income housing bonus and overlay programs. And finally, our executive administration. Executive administration provides a core operational and strategic support across the department. E program amongst other things and scaling, including cross training coaching and onboarding improvements for recruitment, hiring, and retention, performance management and data systems, advancing the departmental culture of transparency across the board, innovation and evidence-based decision making. E outreach efforts and public communications for things like Market East and the Philadelphia 2050 plan. More detailed explanations as I provided are in the -- for each program are in the deliverable that was provided to Council ahead of time. And we are here to address any question that you may have based on this testimony. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Appreciate your testimony and we'll allow questioning of both departments throughout this session. One, I just want to -- as always, I want to acknowledge you and your team for the work that we have done working together on the historical billion- dollar investment when it comes to addressing the issue of housing and equality here in the city of Philadelphia. That includes Angela Brooks, that includes Rob Thomas, that includes Angel Rodriguez, individuals who I talk to on a daily basis, as well as John Mondlak. And so I just want to thank the team as a whole as we walk through the process. At the end of the day, what I'll always stand on is that this is a historical and significant investment. The problem never will get done in our lifetime again. Particularly on this issue of housing, and housing as addressed to those who are vulnerable and are at the end of the day making sure that the city of Philadelphia is a place where people can live regardless of their checkbook and/or the applicable. So I just want to start off by acknowledging that.
I also want to thank Karen Fegely as always, for the work she's continued to do with the Commerce Department from an economic development standpoint. I think you're doing a good job as the interim director, so continue to -- keep doing the work that you're doing. And I also want to acknowledge Dawn Summerville. She worked with me when The Bellwether District came to the 2nd Councilmanic District and made sure we got that project right when it comes -- came to supporting our young people and making sure there's a pipeline for our young people, when it comes to internships. And so, Dawn, as always continue to keep up the good work. And with that being said, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Let me start with Commerce. Can you talk to us -- and first of all, let me say -- just say it's a pleasure to work with the Commerce Department. Karen, you've been there for many years, not to date you, but, you know, you've been here and so you know this lane and you do it very well. But you don't just do it by yourself, you have a great team that I've worked with for many, many years. And so I just really wanted to applaud each and every one of you and say, you know, a big thank you for all of the work that you all do. We wouldn't be able to work without Commerce. And so I wanted to drill down, though, on community -- like, local businesses, neighborhood businesses particularly, sort of, like corner store establishments. One of the things that is happening right now, and it has been happening for a while and we've been talking about it, it's sort of, like, the wrapping around the building and, you know, that you can't see -- you walk into a store, you can't see what's going on. And we know that this is primarily regulated through L&I, but does the Commerce -- like how does commerce interact or work with L&I on these kinds of issues? Not just -- you know, something like the, you know, the window coverings and all that, but just to really beautify and enhance our neighborhood's small businesses.
Yeah. Thank you for that. I'm sort of smiling because I literally just walked into my neighborhood corner store and was talking to them about why do you have all these posters up on the window? It actually makes you less safe, and it makes your store not even -- it's a nice store on the inside and it doesn't look like it from the outside. So -- but what do we really do about that, right? So one, we do work with L&I, we go out with them on corridor walks where we do -- it's a -- it's an educational walk, right? So L&I is there -- the -- this is Bridget's team; the Quality of Life team, go out and they're just looking for things that are, like, quality of life type violations or anything that's really dangerous. But our team -- the important part is the Mayor's Business Action Team is there with them. So it's very much an educational visit. And while we're there, we can talk to them about how we can help them. So the storefront improvement program is the one clear way we can actually incentivize them to take a different look at their storefront. And what's nice when you apply to that, is you actually get free advice too, right? We have a design team that actually helps people think through what things are going to look like. People are too busy running a business, they're not really thinking about what their sign looks like or what their windows look like. They're just running their business. And so when we can use that incentive to give them some advice. And we just encourage best practices. Again, having your windows clear actually makes your business safer. If there's, you know, something criminal happening in there, you want people on the outside to be able to see --
If there's a fire in there, you know, you want people on the outside to be able to see. And so we always encourage that. But I know it's a constant challenge, I think we just have to constantly stay up on it. And we're happy to go out and talk with any business, like, if you have particular ones --
And as you know, we rely on -- right. Well, they're everywhere, yeah. We rely -- you know, we rely on our partners too. So the corridor managers are having these conversations.
I mean, I'm glad you all go out on the walks, but specifically around enforcement, because we just don't see any enforcement. You go tell them to take the, you know, the window coverings down. They say, okay, I guess. And then nothing happens. It never changes. And so the enforcement, I think, is what we need. We need some enforcement on these rules. It doesn't make sense for us to, you know, promulgate all these rules and regulations and then nobody is following them. Yeah.
I hear you. Right. Creating new rules if -- like, we can just enforce the ones we have. I don't want to say -- those first walks are educational. I wanted to stress that, because that's sort of Commerce's side. But L&I and I does follow up in -- and I don't remember, 30 days or 60 days, whatever the exact time is, I'm not sure.
And I -- and I heard the bell ring, so I'll honor the clock. I'll come back on a second round. But is there -- so they're made aware when you do the walk; that's the educational component. And then there's enforcement that should happen through L&I afterwards, and then if it doesn't happen -- I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think that Commerce is really the arm to do that kind of follow up and coordination with L&I to make sure that it happens. And I'll come back because I have some questions for Mr. Lawrence as well, but I'll get on the second round.
All right. I'll just say we have to walk a fine line of -- we always go out and tell businesses we are not the enforcement agency because we try to do that; build that relationship.
-- I'm not saying you're wrong; I just want to say that's -- we'll talk about that more.
Did you say that you have to tell the business that you're not an enforcement agency? I didn't hear your last comment.
Yeah. When Commerce talks to businesses, we try to make it clear, like, we are -- you know, we are -- we, Commerce, are not an enforcement agency. We are part of the city of Philadelphia that clearly has enforcement, but when we go out, we're going out to instruct, to educate, to help to connect to resources. Yeah. But that doesn't mean we don't partner with L&I.
I think that they're just not getting the memo. Because it feels like a lot of these small businesses, commercial corridors, the stop-and- go's, nuisance businesses, they do what they want to do. They do whatever they want to do. And we have to figure out how --
They don't just do what they want to do, it depends on what neighborhood they in.
It depends on what neighborhood they're in. They allowed them to do what they want do.
You're right, it depends on what neighborhood you're in.
Because if you're in certain neighborhoods, like if you're downtown, oh, no, that's not working. Listen, I represent Chester Hill, you're not doing that up in Chester Hill, so you shouldn't be doing it anywhere else.
But, you know, like the level of enforcement that you get in certain neighborhoods, it varies. And I -- again, I recognize that that's L&I but I guess what I'm asking is for commerce to sort of --
-- step up and step in. And to feel free to be an enforcer because these are some of the same businesses that want, you know, help with their facade improvements, the camera programs, all the goodies that the city offers, they want all of that. And, you know, they have to be good players too, so.
Thank you, Member Bass. Always on the case on that particular issue. I said Rob Thomas, but I want to clarify for the record, Dave Thomas. We've done a million Turn the Key projects together. Matter of fact, we are in Cindy Bass' District next. So it's the very Dapper Dan Dave Thomas over there. Wanted to make sure I acknowledge him as well as Nadir Jones who is working with my DEI task force to transition us into a new arena of how we address local and small businesses to make sure there's equity and they have a seat at the table. With that being said, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Jim Harrity.
Thank you, Council President. Good morning, everybody. Thank you for coming today. I'm going to ask my questions that way I can get them on the record for the sake of time. Trying to stay on time. Planning and Development; how many units of housing are projected for 2027? What type of units will they be? And then for Commerce; how has the transition to the removal of the BIRT exemption gone thus far? Have we run into any issues with businesses not being aware of the changes and fighting them? How many new businesses have started in Philadelphia this past year, and how many have left? And finally, what is the Commerce Department's opinion on the new taxes the administration proposed for FY-27's budget? Thank you.
To hear this, he's saying I go first so he has time to pull his numbers so. Thank you, Councilmember. I'm going to start with -- you talked about the change -- the unfortunate removal of the BIRT exemption and how that's been going. We've worked -- we've done a lot of outreach. We've worked with the Revenue Department, and I can speak for Revenue. They've then -- they've sent out 120,000 postcards. They've, you know, met -- they meet regularly with tax professionals. They've issued official notice letter to over 80,000 BIRT accounts. And they were sending a mailer to anyone who was a $0 filer in the past, like, with a specific instruction that the rules have changed. Commerce has also worked with Revenue to do 40 plus workshops; we've reached over 1,000 businesses. And some of them were in person in different neighborhoods all around the city, some of them were virtual. We also contracted with -- we have a marketing firm who has done paid ads through Meta and LinkedIn. And we've done some paid ads on -- in El Sol and WURD Radio and used our own social media, of course. We also really rely on our partners to get words out to businesses. We -- I mean, our team is out talking to businesses every day, but we can't get everybody. So we really rely on our partners. We started a new -- we have new contracts this year with groups that we're calling affinity groups, another -- the way to reach more businesses. So every one of our partners is, you know, responsible for telling people about this. We have over 210 community and nonprofit partners and about 40 -- and then we did our free tax rep Program. So we really let people know about that. I think we've served about 2000 people -- businesses so far through the Free Business Tax Prep Program. Are there still businesses that don't know about it? Yes, of course.
Can I get a point of information though? How many businesses have taken advantage of the actual funds that we put aside? The health businesses that were dealing with the BIRT exemption going away? What's the actual number of businesses served? And how much of that budget is still -- how much was allocated in the budget? And then how much of that budget has actually been exhausted?
Uh-huh. So again, the specific program -- the most specific direct program was the Free Business Tax Prep Program, which we're at 2000 to date. Plus the businesses that are -- the 18 tax prep professionals who are -- 19 who are doing that work and getting 20 paid for it. 21 I am looking for my 22 jumpstart numbers. We have numbers 23 on every program we have funded with 24 these dollars, and the number of businesses we are tracking very closely; the number of businesses that are assisted. If you recall, there's a portion of the funding that we're putting towards training, education, and capacity building through our partners. And then there's a portion that is going direct dollars into businesses' pockets.
I'm a fan, but I need you to work with me. We just want the specific numbers because that's what we are -- we're -- want to go through this process to figure out how many more people want to help --
-- who were impacted by the tax going away. And we know it was a -- 38.5 million was allocated. We want to also know how much of the money is left and then how many people, total, was serviced out of that money? And I relax the time back to Harrity.
I'll have to -- I do have the numbers about how much money is left. I will need another minute on that. I can tell you the number of businesses that we've served so far. Mayor's Business Action Team has reached 3,300 businesses. Our Business Technical Assistance Program has reached 921, Targeted Corridor Management program around 2200. This is all the assistance things -- business affinity group, 166. The task prep program, like I said, is about 2000. Our grant programs, we are at -- with the Catalyst Fund, we've done 123 businesses so far. In store, we have -- we have -- this isn't -- this number is not right; it says one done. This is all -- an old number. So I know we have a -- there's about of those; that's a 6 small program. 7 Storefront Improvement 8 Program; there's only 18 completed, 9 but we have about a 100 that are 10 literally in process right now. Those -- that -- you know, it's a construction project, that takes a little longer. The acquisition loan fund, we've only done two this year so far, but we have an RFP, we're hiring another -- or we're bringing on another partner to move more of those. That's the program that helps people buy their property, so small business owners can buy their commercial property. So we look to do about 10 of those a year. Through the Business Lending Network, we are at about 15 so far with -- again, we've just increased the cap and increased the pipeline, so we expect to do a lot more on that. In the emergency grant fund, we've only funded 43, but I know that all the -- the $2.5 9 million is pretty much accounted 10 for. 11
14 Thank you, Council President. Thank 15 you for that. If you could just 16 tell -- how many new businesses 17 started in Philadelphia in the past 18 year and how many left? And then, 19 you know, of course, what's the 20 Commerce Department's opinion on the new taxes that are proposed?
I don't have the numbers of how many new businesses and how many businesses left. That's something that we can work with Revenue to get.
Okay. I'll accept that. If you could, please try to get that to the Chair. And then just -- your opinion on the taxes, and then we can get to Planning what their house is.
Yeah. I mean, as the Commerce Department, we know -- you know, we never know want to see the new taxes, but I do feel like these are very nuanced direct taxes to meet very specific -- you know, meet very specific needs that are things that we hear about as complaints from businesses, right? We know that our schools need more support and funding. I mean, that's -- that goes directly towards our workforce and our talent for our business community. We know that businesses are concerned about street homelessness and want more services for them. For example, we know that businesses want our streets to be in good condition so that their customers and employees and trucks can get through. So, you know, we are -- we are not hearing a lot of specific complaints about -- or concerns about the taxes.
All right. So is -- you're feeling that it's sustainable? In other words, that the projections that they're projecting that we're going to get are going to stay that way? Because again, we -- there were projections for other taxes that they had put up in other administrations that -- where taxpayers are now paying at least half of whatever it was going to fund. So --
Yes, I hear what you're saying, but yes, I'm -- I mean, I'm comfortable with what -- with Finance's projections.
Thank you, Director, Councilmember, your question was, what is the anticipated target for development of new homes and -- is also preservation or repair? What was -- just to clarify.
No. 17 Well, I mean, really, I want to know how many new housing units for '27 -- FY-27 and what type of units will they be like what --
Got you. So I'll give you the best breakdown I can on the spot right now. So our objective for meeting production and goal -- well, we're looking to meet a production goal of over 3,900 units in new construction. Just to break that down a little bit, based on the different divisions doing the different work, and, kind of, expanding off my opening testimony. We have about 1900 units of multifamily units that are in pre-development right now. Approximately 1500 or under construction as we speak. That's actually a combination of preservation and new construction. To give you a little bit more of a breakdown in terms of the -- what's been kind of coming under the Turn the Key roster. There is a -- we have over 1000, approximately -- actually 1,048 units that have been approved for development for Turn the Key right now. And there are 200 units specifically in Turn the Key under construction right now. So we anticipated to look for that to be done this -- within this next fiscal year. And as of now, there are 392 units seeking permits as we speak.
Okay. Yeah. Are there affordable units in there? I -- you said 1900 multifamily?
We can get you in writing the proportion of what those affordable units are. I mean, based on our disposition policy and the work that we do, most of that inventory is going to be for affordable opportunities at varying income land -- income bands. But we can get you that breakdown more elaborated and expanded.
Thank you very much. The Chair of Housing and Neighborhood Services and the Homeless, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.
Thank you, Council President. Good morning, Director Fegely. Good morning, Director Lawrence and to you and your teams. And thank you for the work that you do on behalf of the city and our communities every day. I have questions for both of you, but I'm going to start with Planning and Development. And so obviously we spent a lot of the fall discussing housing spending priorities through the H.O.M.E initiative budget process, but I want to make sure that we are still keeping our eye on the prize and making the most of the great opportunity that this program will provide. And so, first, do you have written down anywhere a full breakdown of how soon the H.O.M.E money will start getting spent on each housing program it funds? How long we think each funding allotment will last? And what other funding sources are being used to supplement H.O.M.E in FY-27?
So thank you for that question. As you know, we literally just got the money not too long ago, and we are waiting to spend that money out as we -- as we speak. As you know, our H.O.M.E program is -- it secured the bond fund -- bond funding, but it also is in combination with other forms of funding that we have access to, such as CDBG, housing trust fund, so on and so forth. But I would like to call Angela to talk about where the status -- what the status of spending is across the different programs.
Good morning. Angela Brooks, chief housing and urban development officer at the mayor's office. Thank you for the question, Councilmember Gauthier. As Jessie mentioned, we did just receive funds. We anticipate we will start seeing some of the first requisitions any day now. I'm sure Dave Thomas --
-- is sending his staff -- will be sending over BSRP and adaptive mod requisitions over momentarily. But he's here right now. I think your question was, do we have it in writing? I don't at this moment; we can certainly follow that up and get that to you. We do have projections on what we think that spend down will be. There is -- I'm not sure if it's been in -- if it's been transmitted already, there will be a bill coming -- a resolution coming to make the fiscal year of the year one H.O.M.E bond aligned. So it'll go from April 1st, 2026 through June 30th of 2027. So following -- so here I'm following the bond years; will go with the city fiscal year.
Thank you. If you could get that information to us in the next week or so, it -- we would appreciate it. And I'm asking this because it gets to how we're operationalizing this historic investment and initiative that we're all very proud of. We knew even in the fall that many programs were not going to be fully funded through H.O.M.E. And so I think we need to make sure that we aren't knowingly leaving any initiatives with less than -- well, I was going to say 11 months, but this is starting in 12 April, so it's a little more than 12 months' worth of support. So one example is the 1.8 million for PHLHousing+, which is an incredibly effective and, and important program. That was never meant to get PHLHousing+ all the way through FY-27. So that means that if we want to keep this program going through to the next fiscal year, it's going to need to be supplemented. And we're taking a big risk if we don't plan for that eventuality right now in the budget process. Another is the tenant based shallow rent program. The city committed about $6.2 million to this program, 3.5 million of that coming through H.O.M.E. But there haven't been any new opportunities for more LIHTC building owners to apply -- to participate in this program yet. So, you know, it's also an incredibly effective and important program, and we don't want that money to sit. Other programs like the Home Repair Programs, TFA, housing counseling, and many others were getting supplemented with funding sources such as CDBG and the Housing Trust Fund. And so, I think we want to make sure that we as council, understand the full spending picture, an operational plan for each of these critical programs as we go through and deliberate, and I -- and at the end of this process, approve this budget.
Council President, we would like to take the opportunity to follow up on that. As you remember and recall this body, we was a lot of -- there was an extensive conversation and dialogue about what the cash flow of proposed programs would be, right? So we certainly are okay with helping you have -- well, helping have that conversation; continuing to have that conversation to be able to dive deeper into what that cash flow looks like as a result of just receiving that money. But I would like to also -- I would like to also call up Director Dodds -- Mark Dodds, who can speak a little bit more about exactly what we're doing as we speak, anticipating everything you've just described.
Good morning, Mark Dodds, deputy director, DHD. I just wanted to touch on two of the programs you referenced. PHLHousing+. We're looking -- you're right, there's not enough funding to fully fund the program all the way through FY-27. We're looking at different scenarios working with PHDC to crunch the numbers and thinking about ways in which potentially the Housing Trust Fund might be able to help supplement that program. In the past, funding for this program has -- seems to be in jeopardy nearly every year. In the past, we've also looked at different transition plans to make sure that participants, if there is a need to exit, will be able to do so as smoothly and gracefully as possible. Also, around the shallow rent, the property based program, that did receive a sizable increase under the home bond. I believe we work -- working with our partners at PHDC that they anticipate releasing another RFP as soon as this spring, hopefully to increase the number of participants, obviously.
Thank you so much. I look forward to receiving that detailed information hopefully in the next week. But certainly in time for us to make these budget decisions on our critical housing programs. Do I have Chair privilege or do I -- is that it? Do I have privilege to ask more questions?
Okay. I wanted to spend a little bit of time talking about housing production and preservation. These are some of the highest dollar amounts in our housing budget, and also the areas where we have the best opportunity to be creative and respond to changes in the market. You all know that I am championing a very specific opportunity --
-- neighborhood restorations which could get Mayor Parker a 1,000 of her 30,000 units. And so my question is, how are we setting ourselves up to really take advantage of the production and preservation money in H.O.M.E from an operational perspective? We've been really backed up on RFPs, and if we get this infusion of cash to these programs, we have to be able to get it out in the street. What are we doing that's like -- what are we planning to do that's different from an operational perspective than we're doing now? And with just -- there has to be an acknowledgement that we've really been struggling to put up our RFPs and get money out on the street.
So there are a couple of things -- and I appreciate that question. There are a couple of things that have been in the works even prior to now that really allow us to think about and actually attack the fact that there are things like a time tax on development, and understanding that there -- you know, we should be positioned to spend money as swiftly as possible, as fast as possible, to meet these goals as soon as possible. That's exactly why the HomeOps process is important; understanding that the streamlining of development processes is whether it's, you know, DPD-specific or DPD-adjacent or development- adjacent. Understanding that there are different departments that play a role in the development process is important. So, you know, we're positioning ourselves to make sure that we are equipped to streamline approvals much more swiftly than we are right now. In terms of preservation, we recognize that that is also something that is of the utmost importance. Looking at that in a couple of different ways in the -- on the competitive RFP side, we recognize that there needs to be some reconciliation of the timing. You know, a lot of these projects that come to us for RFPs ultimately go on to the state for PHFA, for other tax credits, right? And we really kind of fill that -- we fill that gap, right? So understanding that when we put these projects, when we put these competitive opportunities out, we need to make sure going forward that they are aligned specifically with the ability to fulfill an -- complete an application with the -- proper awards that ultimately go to PHFA. And basically, you know, there has been kind of an inconsistency in the timing of it all. So, department-wise, our director of DHCD is looking at and actually exploring even moving forward with putting out RFPs in a time that's much more ideal to be able to sync up with some opportunities when folks go to PHFA for credits and so on and so forth. In terms of the preservation effort, again, recognizing that there is an opportunity at neighborhood's preservation portfolio to dive in and swoop in and really kind of save, you know, and preserve affordable housing that's coming out of a period of compliance. But, you know, again, I -- and I stressed this before, recognizing that that needs to be a comprehensive strategy citywide is very important to us. And even -- you know, and throughout the H.O.M.E process, one of the big take-aways was understanding that if folks are all coming to different funding opportunity -- different funders that would be willing to participate in this with different strategies all from the different -- from the same administration, it's a little hard for them to kind of commit to something that seems to be fragmented on the delivery, on the pitch. So I think that this is not a portfolio specific approach, but a comprehensive kind of approach that looks like, you know, something that's a structure that can be applied across the board is what we're gaming for. So, I mean, we look forward to continuing those conversations about that portfolio, but then also bringing it into the larger conversation that we're having with different implementation partners that are also looking at the same exact thing and how to bring it together under one strategy.
When will the operational program -- operational plan be completed? And when can you get that to Council?
I can't give you a date at this moment because conversations are still in play, but we would like to deliver that as soon as possible. Because please understand that we are absolutely committed to figuring out some sort of strategy that allows us to move forward sooner than later. This is not something we want to delay at all.
Thank you. Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips, Councilmember Rue Landau, Councilmember Nicholas O'Rourke.
Thank you, Council President. So the H.O.M.E. initiative is rolling out as a major investment in housing, and to me it's really important that we are really strong with effectively and efficiently rolling out this plan. It's incredible and it's important, but a responsive government is major and essential. Will the department provide a clear public-facing one-pager explaining how wait lists, priorities, and timelines will work under H.O.M.E.?
We can get you something in writing that specifies what our strategy around that is.
That would be -- that would be incredible. And what is the expected timeline for residents who have already been waiting for services?
So I'm going to defer to David Thomas, who is managing obviously PHDC's roster of applications for BSRP and other home repair programs.
Well, as he comes up, time is ticking. So I just want ask, will Council receive district level data showing how many homes are repaired, preserved, and built through H.O.M.E in each councilmanic district?
So I believe that's a requirement -- it's a reporting requirement for the H.O.M.E plan, and we certainly will get that information to you. And David Thomas can talk a little bit about what the shift in strategy has been for our wait list to date.
Yeah, and just a reminder, David, I just want you to explain how you're going to make sure residents clearly understand what programs are available to apply to and what to expect in terms of the timelines. And then are you going to provide a one-pager explaining how wait list, priorities, and timelines -- no, no. 4 It was what is expected for the residents who are already waiting for services. Sorry about that. That's the one.
David Thomas, president and CEO for PHDC, I'm not clear on your question.
The question, what is the expected timeline for residents who have already been waiting for services? That was --
-- my wait list is anywhere from six to nine months, depending upon the type of services that you're seeking.
Is that something that can be reduced at this point? What would -- what would be needed to make it -- to reduce that wait -- that wait time?
Honestly? I don't know that it can be reduced much more because of the process of determining eligibility and the time that it takes for us to gather the documentation and do the assessment on the property and also assign the work. I think six months is probably the best I can probably get to. I would like -- now, in emergency cases, we get to that a lot sooner, like sewage in the basement and things of that nature. We probably get to that within two months.
-- they know that; they know it's six to nine months?
Okay. I heard the bell. I have other questions, but I'll save it for the second round. But just -- I just want you to -- you did say just on the record that we're going to get a one pager where we can get a clear outline on the timeline for application; start time to finish. When it comes to -- when someone applies the timeline on, you know, execution of the whole projects and also how it works with the programs, you can do a one-pager just explaining all the programs you were eligible for as well as giving them a service level agreement on timelines of when they should receive the service. Is that something you can do, you said?
That detail will pretty much spell out what the process is and the time associated with the different steps. I think it's important to recognize the different steps that are taken between that six-to-nine-month process, right? We can certainly elaborate on review times, the times it takes to procure contractors, so on and so forth, the times it takes to schedule visits. initial inspections, backend inspections. But I think that we can provide an itemized timeline of what those different steps spell out over a six-month period.
Thank you. That would be really helpful. I look forward to that. And I'll save the rest of my questions for the next round.
Thank you, Dr. Phillips. Councilmember Rue Landau.
Thank you. Thank you all so much for being here. I'm going to start with some housing questions, and we'll come back to Commerce in the second round. First, I wanted to talk about a Fresh Start. One of the programs we talked about during this -- the -- it was one of the big ones we talked about during the H.O.M.E budget. It provides support for moving expenses for Philadelphians seeking housing, maybe to get out of a situation where there -- they must transition. Mark, thank you for all the work you've done on this and for talking to me through it. But my question is about the current status of that program; the expected expenditures going forward. What was ultimately spent on Fresh Start programs in FY-26? What's budgeted for 27? And how much will come from H.O.M.E program funds, and how much from other sources?
Do we have that information? I think we can give you a high-level initial answer, and we'll talk about what we can break down in writing for you to follow up.
This tight court is up here. Good morning. So in FY-27, there's $4-million budgeted for the program. All of that funding comes from the H.O.M.E budget in FY-26. The exact breakdown we can provide, but many -- the entirety of the funding in FY-26 came from, I believe, reallocated emergency rental assistance funding which is -- which is no longer available, unfortunately.
Great. That makes total sense and probably rings a bell for something you've told me in the past. I appreciate you. How many people do you think will be served -- while you're here. How many people do you think we can serve with the $4-million for this year?
That's a good question. So we do have projections and I don't have them right in front of me, but I will say that I believe the average payout is around $3,500. So I think it would be the 4 million divided by 3,500.
We got calculators for that. We got that. Thank you. Thank you for that. I wanted to --
And I just want -- it could be a little bit higher so we can follow up with more exact figures. We do have projections for that program.
Great. Thank you. Thank you. Just a little bit more about the housing repair programs too. The budget -- your budget detail says that you'll serve 8,000 households through BSRP, AMP, and the Heater Hotline. And I know you're going to come back with a timeline on that, but how many households were served last year and how many more will be served this year as the result of H.O.M.E funding?
David Thomas, President, CEO of PHDC. Councilwoman, last year, I can give you BSRP's numbers on average. So somewhere around -- with the funding that we received, and it floats over fiscal period. So this is going to be confusing for me. I want to say just under 4,500 last year for BSRP. AMP is a lot smaller because the funding is a lot lower, and that -- and my goal for AMP this year has been 500, but I think my number last year was like 350.
Heater Hotline. That's very interesting. Because we work with ECA, and a lot of that is predicated, so over a thousand, but I don't know my specific numbers right now.
What about for this year? So we have BSRP just under 4,500; AMP, 350. You said the goal this year is 500 and the Heater Hotline was over a thousand.
Yes. What your -- what your expectations are, your goals.
Well, my goal is always to get to everybody that has a need. Okay. So I think it's really going to --
So I think it's really going to be predicated on funding. Because I think I can try to get to everyone if I have the resources. But my goal will stay the same. I would love to be at 3,500 to 5,000. And that's all going to be predicated on funding, so.
But your budget testimony said that you're going to serve 8,000 households through this and that. 8,000 is much more than last year. Last year was about, it looks like, 5,800.
Those projections -- those projections are based on -- that projection in the testimony is based on a combination of all the different programs under the Home Repair days. The Whole- Home Repair.
Okay. One more? Homelessness? Excellent. Wanted to move on to -- for fear -- I need to come back with multiple. I'm going to throw in homelessness and tech real quick. I wanted to know what the administration has planned to move more chronically homeless Philadelphians into permanent housing, particularly permanent supportive housing. And while I'm at it, I also want to put my tech question out here, which is, when can we -- we want to -- I wanted to -- what effort has been made to publish the data about the funding that's been allocated to the H.O.M.E. program? What funding's been obligated? What's been spent? And when are we going to get our quarterly reports?
Angela Brooks, Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer. Thank you for that question. I'll start with the quarterly reports. Per the legislation, the quarterly reports are due when we start spending. So we will probably have our first quarterly report in probably the next three months. So that's the short one. We have been working with the Office of Homeless Services. I know these questions came up during their budget hearing. So we are working together to think about how we will allocate the 8.8 that's allocated in year one H.O.M.E. spending. Certainly, we are committed to supporting not just transitional housing, but permanent supportive housing. As you know, that's what I did before I got here. So we are working closely with both the Office of Homeless Services and Department of Behavioral Health to really think about how we work together as well with the Philadelphia Housing Authority. So stay tuned; we are working on that, but we are thinking about how they'll allocate the year one funds, and they have some ideas. So I won't say, I'll defer to Sheryl, but the priority really is utilizing PSH funding to really -- or the year one funding to support development of permanent supportive housing.
Okay. And as I've been hearing from constituents throughout the city, why can't we pay for the thousand new homeless beds through the H.O.M.E. money that we allocated versus adding a new tax on the hotel rooms?
That is a question I would have to follow up in writing because that's not a perspective that we've been thinking of. But I will say that the year one H.O.M.E. budget allocation, we are projecting to spend it as it was approved and allocated. So any shifting of that, we'd probably have to have the conversation with the committee that Council designated in the -- in the legislation on how we reallocate that. So --
Thank you, Mr. President. Blessings and morning to all. Thank you for being with us today. This past week, we passed -- this body passed a few bills. The Safe Healthy Homes Act, which modernizes our landlord- tenant laws in a number of critical ways. The Safe Healthy Homes Act is a huge step forward for our city, I believe. And the debate around it raised some very important issues that I spoke to a little bit yesterday in a previous hearing, and I'd like to discuss a little bit more today. What we learned in the many, many conversations that we had, from small landlords, is that they're struggling. End of sentence. In reality, my legislation does not contribute to that Struggling for good actors, though it was framed that way incessantly. But the legislative process did expose cracks in our current system. The primary complaint that we heard is that landlords are struggling with the sheriff's office and with the courts. We discussed that at length yesterday. However, second on their list was red tape. I am not an expert on all the steps needed to complete a repair, a new development, all the in-betweens on that. So I want to ask you, what are we doing to make it easier for responsible, equitable and affordable development and preservation to move more quickly in Philadelphia? And it should be as easy as possible, I think, for reasonable and responsible developers to build and to preserve truly affordable housing in this city. I want to start there. Was that the bell? Okay. Great. We'll start there. Yes.
So I mean, the response that I gave earlier about what we're doing to expedite the process still stands. It really is making sure that we are looking to our departmental partners to not necessarily circumvent processes. You know, we want to make sure that, you know, the process moves faster. I know L&I is pivoting in a way to be able to streamline their process a little bit faster already. We're doing the same thing at PHDC as we speak, as far as virtual inspection, so on and so forth, to move that wait list process on a little bit faster. But, you know, it's a matter of making sure that we look within our processes to move it faster. You know, we can commit the funds, we can talk about securing that money, but we also have to look into our HomeOps process. So, you know, the answer lies within that process. And looking at not just our ability to approve projects faster on the DHCD and planning and development side. You know, same thing goes with that answer earlier about being able to pivot and issue these funding opportunities much more swiftly. Not one time a year, two times a year, whatever the case may be, right? But then also making sure that aligns with the other parts that are ultimately going into capital stack. So I think it's making sure that we're aligning with the timelines to make sure that development is responding to the open opportunities for funding. But it's also, you know, doing things like not just our L&I, but also our ZBA, right? That -- the process of getting projects approved with variances. We're minimizing the intake process timeline, making sure that folks are getting something -- you know, applicants, excuse me, are getting some sort of response from our ZBA within a -- within the week of business days. But it's -- that's where it lies. And just kind of minimizing the barriers historically that have elongated the process going forward.
Another lesson that we learned is that there's a very broad concern among landlords, among tenants, community members, members of this body, with outside corporate investors purchasing and increasing share of our single-family homes and Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing, NOAH, that folks have been on my neck about. What steps is the administration planning to take to resist this particular trend, preserving affordable housing opportunities and local control of property?
Well, I'm sorry, I missed the part about the NOAH. Can you just repeat the back end of that question please?
Yeah. What steps is the administration planning to take to resist this particular trend of this particular --
Can you recapture the trend for me please? I'm sorry. I missed that.
Yeah. About these particular developers coming in and buying up a lot of the single-family homes, like big swathes of it or what have you. That is a trend. That's a thing that's often repeated. When folks say that what we were doing was somehow choking out the naturally occurring affordable housing, and that it's going to displace all these folks, and you're going to have all these corporate folks coming and buying up. So that is a thing that's a refrain we consistently heard about the entirety of the process. And we did -- we could to kind of mitigate those particular concerns. But I do want to ask from a strategic standpoint, from the administration, if we're aware of this being a trend, what is the administration particularly doing to resist that particular trend?
Thank you for making that clarification. We certainly are aware of it, and in a number of different ways that we're, you know, actively responding to it. One, for purposes of being able to position landlords to make those repairs, things like the Rental Improvement Fund are really important, right? Being able to rely on a resource, that is the alternative to just simply selling to somebody that's a predatory buyer, right? But at the same time, it's not just about the landlord, it's the small landlords. It's about the actual home buyers too -- I mean, homeowners too, right? So understanding that tangled title is increasingly important so that people who have the titles to their home, but not -- might not recognize -- might not officially have the title to their home, but are the owner occupants to a certain extent. Making sure that we are positioning the funding for programs like that; to be able to position owners to be able to take advantage of the programs that allow them to get their affairs in order so that, you know, the option or the easiest option isn't to just sell the property. The home repair programs are also important to that as well, right? Making sure that people have the access to the grants and the loans, whether it's Basic Systems Repair or even Restore, Repair, Renew, which is something that's a low-interest loan, but you have a little bit more control about what you do there, right? And you're moving -- you have options at this point.
But that kind of array of options is meant to be able to respond to predatory buying. Whereas, it's keeping people hopefully in their neighborhoods that they've lived and owned, you know, a home for the last 40, 30, whatever the case may be. But that arrangement, you know, the H.O.M.E. plan is about stabilizing. I think it falls into that stabilization effort. Being able to put all of those together as potential options to keep homeowners in their homes, whether it's owner occupants --
-- or whether it's the small Rental Improvement Fund for the landlords that have a handful of properties.