COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON HOUSING, NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND THE HOMELESS Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, March 4, 2026 10:38 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER, CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU, VICE-CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILMAN MIKE DRISCOLL COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR.
Good morning. Good morning, everyone. I'm going to ask that everyone take their seats so we can get started. Hello, everyone. I now note that the hour has come and this hearing is called to order. This is the public hearing of the City Council Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and The Homeless. The purpose of this public hearing is to hear testimony on Bill Nos. 250329 and 250330. Ms. Jones, would you please call the roll.
Present. Also joining us today is Minority Whip Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke. I note for the record that a quorum of this committee is present and this hearing is called to order. Good morning, everyone, and thank you so much for joining us this morning. I think that we are all here because we understand that housing is the bedrock of a successful life, healthy communities and a vibrant city. So it may come as no 6 surprise that as the places we live change so do the people that live here. This is a citywide issue, but I want to take off my Chairperson hat for just a moment and put on my District Councilmember hat. More than half of the renters and more than in homeowners in my Council District, the 3rd Council District, are cost- burdened. They are making the impossible choice every month between paying their rent or mortgage and other essentials like keeping food on the table or the copay for their prescriptions. And so what does this mean on a community-wide level? West Philly's Black population east of 52nd Street was cut in half between 2002 and 2020, and we're seeing similar widespread displacement in North and South Philadelphia too. So it is not an exaggeration to say that the very thing that makes Philadelphia is at stake in this moment. City Council, especially our Housing Committee, has two core tenets, making sure that the city spends taxpayer funding responsibly and effectively as it relates to housing programs and enacting legislation to make life better for Philadelphians. And we've done the work on the budget side through H.O.M.E. And Safe Healthy Homes is how we do the work on the legislative side, and that's why we're here today. (Applause.)
I want to applaud Minority Whip Nicolas O'Rourke and his team for working so diligently on this legislation. (Applause.)
It's been months and months of hard work, and we would not be here today without his team's steadfast leadership and determination to get these bills enacted into law, and we would not be here today without the support of so many advocates and impacted people as well. (Applause.)
I also want to thank Housing Vice- Chair Rue Landau, Renters United, One PA -- (Applause.)
-- and Council President Johnson for working with all of us and Minority Whip Nicolas O'Rourke on the legislative process for safe, healthy homes. I also want to thank the entire committee for your patience, grace, diligence and working with every stakeholder to make sure that we do what needs to be done in a thoughtful manner. I look forward to today's discussion. Thank you so much. I'd like to recognize Vice-Chair Landau for comments.
Thank you, Chair Gauthier. Good morning, everybody. Thank you all for coming out today, and thank you to Councilmember O'Rourke for holding this hearing today. As Vice-Chair of the Housing Committee, as a former housing attorney and as former head of the Fair Housing Commission, I know that this conversation is long overdue. Everyone, regardless of zip code, deserves access to a safe, healthy home. Everyone deserves to come back to a place where they feel secure and respected. Everyone deserves the opportunity to speak up about injustices and see those injustices corrected, not thrown back in their faces. Across Philadelphia, tenants are living in units with mold, leaking ceilings, broken heat, unsafe wiring and more. What's worse is they are living in fear. Many tenants worry if they submit a complaint or organize with their neighbors, that they risk their housing and even their potential for a new rental. And this was the exact reason for the enactment of the Fair Housing Ordinance in 1962 and we're still here. We have to overcome this fear and we have to put in justice. When tenants have meaningful access to justice and housing disputes, when they are protected from harassment and retaliation, it can mean the difference between living in dangerous conditions and living in a place that truly feels like home. The bills you're hearing today are rooted in the right to repairs and the right to safety. They are the basic standards of humane housing conditions and Philadelphia needs to prioritize safe, healthy homes. Whether it's the residents who lived faithfully in their home for decades and now is advocating for repairs or a new college grad worried about losing their lease to a broken heater, this legislation will affect all of Philadelphia. We're in the midst of an affordable housing crisis and stability is not a luxury. It's a bedrock. When tenants feel safe in their protections, the community improves. When rights are clear, public retaliation loses power. I thank Councilmember O'Rourke for engaging in dialogue and good faith with all aspects of the housing community, including tenants, landlords and his colleagues. And I look forward to this hearing today. Thank you. (Applause.)
I'd like to recognize Minority Leader Councilmember Kendra Brooks. (Applause.)
Thank you, Madam Chair. Been here a minute, been a part of this committee for a while, but I want to recognize Member O'Rourke for his patience. He went the whole lot while all of this was going on. Life be lifing irrespective of what we are doing. In the half dozen or so meetings I've had with him, he has been patient to hold things until we had an opportunity to meet with other stakeholders who were not mentioned herefore, the HAPCOs of the world, the Apartment Associations of the world, that they also are stakeholders on a three-legged stool that we need to recognize, along with the Administration. What I am proud of is that this process that you engaged in and went head forward into has made a lot of progress, which I'm looking forward to hearing from, so that everybody in this process gives and takes a little. One of the things that I'm proud of is that we did Good Cause, one of the authors of that legislation. And when some of the other interests were saying we negotiated it once, we don't want to negotiate it again, I said, we'll negotiate it as we get new information so that we make it better for everyone. And I'm thankful to have you as a colleague. And hopefully through today, after your comments people will see why. Thank you, Madam Chair. (Applause.)
I will recognize the bill sponsor for any comments.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Vice-Chair as well and the entire Housing Committee, for having me and for considering these bills. Once again, very much appreciated. Y'all have heard a lot from me and my team in recent weeks, probably too much. You've heard a lot from Philly landlords of varying sizes, both big landlords and small. And I know you've heard from the many, many, dedicated, organized tenants who've been fighting for these bills. And I don't want to underplay the importance of this issue, of the relationship between landlord and tenant and the entire civic sphere that surrounds a lease agreement, no matter how much it might seem like a private affair. Really there are only a few issues that so reliably draw the public, as we hear them here today, things like our schools, our kids, right, our safety, our health and our homes, our homes. Housing or the lack thereof is something that everybody has a story about. We're going to hear those stories today from everybody's point of view. But I want to be clear about something. The stories that inform the creation of this legislation come from the tenants. And I want to be clear about why. Since the Great Depression, more or less Americans have lived in a country that has made homeownership the core of public policy, has made the single-family home the most important asset the average Philadelphian could own and has structured our tax system to protect that asset. Today low-income tenants who see the taxable value of the place they live reflected in their ever-rising rent are the most burdened by property taxes in the city due to decades of policy choices. But it's more than money. Tenants in Philadelphia have long had to fight for the right to dignified living, dignified living. I didn't say in bright mansions above. I didn't say a private island on a helipad. Dignified living, a condition that they have less control over than those who own the place they actually live in. The names of these bills, they aren't abstract. They're pulled from the life experience of tenants in Philadelphia. So to those in the room, if you hear your name or your group, just wave at us so people know that you're here as through the course of this hearing. Is One PA in the house? (Applause.)
Last year Council passed the Right to Relocation bill, that was last April, a policy ripped straight from the headlines of Ms. Melissa Monts life as she was displaced by cease-operations orders from L&I. Today we're fighting for the right to safety for protections against those select bad landlords who retaliate against tenants trying to speak up or organize when they're mistreated. Ms. Kadi Ashby is right now in a case before our Fair Housing Commission contending that she has faced that exact retaliation. And we're fighting for the right to repairs. And I know there are a couple tenants from Upsal Gardens, who are in the room today who are suing their landlord. Why? Because even after L&I deemed their building unsafe, that's a qualification, they were charged rent for months, despite the fact that collecting rent under these conditions is flat-out illegal under current law, not what we're creating, as the law exists. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. These are the stories. These are the traumas. These are the frustrations and the betrayals that drive tenants to organize, that drive tenants to fight back, that drive them to advocate, to sue and to rally, to draft legislation and to pack City Hall like folks have done today. (Applause.)
They are the stories that have established, that have fixed my North Star when it comes to this issue. And other stories matter too. And I'm glad to hear from landlords of all different stripes, of all different persuasions, of all different perspectives on these bills. In fact, I don't want anybody to suggest that we didn't hear everybody out because we did. So let me be abundantly clear. The day after last year's Safe Healthy Homes hearing when the bills before us today were held, we reached out to HAPCO, we reached out to PAA, we reached out to the BIA for more dialogue. And since then, we've engaged with these primary organizations representing landlords and developers on over 11 separate instances, in person, by 12 email and one-on-ones and in group 13 settings. We've gone above. We've 14 gone beyond in seeking their 15 engagement and been quick to 16 respond when they have reached out 17 to us. 18 Nobody, and I do mean 19 nobody, who has wanted to be in the 20 mix has been shut out. And to the public servants in the middle of this maelstrom as it were, the diligent workers at L&I and our Commission on Human Relations, please know that, please know that I know as this body knows, you need more, that you do vital work, that we are grateful to you for doing and also you need more. We are asking you to do more, which means our financial dedication to your work has to grow deeper. On that point, I was encouraged by a conversation that I had with our Mayor yesterday about the work that we must do to build an L&I that ensures safety for our tenants, while responding to the very real struggles of small landlords that so many landlords have talked to me about. I'm not going to count any chickens before they hatched. But I'll say that Mayor Parker and I agree to work together to make that vision for L&I a reality. I know there's some landlords in the room that would be pleased to hear that. So I'm encouraged for the health, for the safety and the future of all the different actors in the room today, at least I will be if we pass these bills and do the work that it takes to implement them with diligence, without losing sight of compassion, without setting grace aside because we are all in need of it in the course of a life. Do I have a witness in the room? (Applause.)
Now, I want to end where I began, and that is with the tenants. I have to return to these tenants, to the brave and bold members of One PA Renters United Philadelphia, with affection for our friends at Philly Thrive, I want to thank you. Thank you. Thank you for setting an example, your willingness to fight for yourself and your neighbors, for the city that you believe in and for a city that loves you back, is the reason I am honored to do this work. Your solidarity, your steadfastness, your stories are what have brought us here. The pressure that you apply is why we could get here. I heard Mayor Parker say yesterday the pressure is a privilege. And in this case, it certainly is. The year we have spent on this campaign is only a brief moment when put up against the years of struggle, the years of displacement, of disappointment, mistreatment that led you to organize in the first place that led us here today. That's something that everyone here should be able to acknowledge. People don't band together to fight for safe, healthy homes because they're living on easy street. That's not why we get together. They do it because it is a human right. I'll say it again. They do it because housing is a human right. That should not be poetic language. That should be principled to how we ought to construct society. Human beings need shelter. God calls us to care for those who are unhoused. Housing is a human right. I'm going to honor that with every single thing that I have. Now, actually I do want to close for real, for real, just by noting some of the arguments informing me in opposition to these bills, because I think it matters. A HAPCO member reached out earlier sharing many of the arguments that very willingly we've heard from the organization. As usual, they shared that they "couldn't evict the tenant who clearly violate the number of the good cause protections," chronic overdue rent, illegal activity in the home, which demonstrated that this HAPCO member doesn't really understand what good cause actually is. What really stood out to me was how this member closed their argument. They had another vision for good cause. This is a quote. "Good cause, bad people. Is that not reason enough. " Listen, I am a minister. I pastor a small church. I'm honored to be able to be called their pastor. The concept of forces that are pure evil is not foreign to me. It's part of how I process and understand the world. But my training teaches me a different thing about people. My tradition teaches me about grace. It teaches me about mercy. And when a tenant hasn't violated any of those good causes for eviction, then, yes, I believe that grace should, in fact, reign because evictions ruin lives. There was a woman who came here to public comment and mentioned after her eviction she actually lost her foot. It impacts lives physically, straight up. In a city where nearly half the tenants are spending way too much on rent when the cost of moving is severe, eviction is a nightmare. There's more to back up that claim than any resolution, informed or not, from the many landlords who might oppose those measures. And also to conclude, I want to offer a quick clarification for the Housing Committee members about the provision around tenant organizing, which is a part of this. This provision allows for tenant organizers to have the same level of access to buildings as any other non-resident. I'll say that again. It allows for tenant organizers to have the same level of access to buildings as any other non-resident, such as canvassers. Based on this bill, tenant organizers would not have the same access as tenants. Let me say it again. Based on this bill, tenant organizers would not have the same access as tenants. I'm open to offer clarifying language once the bills move beyond committee, if needed. But the intent of this bill is to allow tenant organizers to perform lawful organizing activity without retaliation, which I think is a righteous thing to do.
That having been said, I've talked too long. Let's go ahead and see what the end is going to be. Thank you so much for the time. )
Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm going to next recognize Majority Deputy Whip Cindy Bass and then Minority Leader Kendra Brooks, and then we'll get this hearing rolling.
Thank you. I'm going to be brief. I just really wanted to thank the bill sponsor because we've had several meetings, and wanted to get this right. This is a very comprehensive bill. And so, looking at it sort of holistically, the whole of it all, we wanted to make sure that this bill actually does what it's intended. I want to thank you for clarifying. There were a number of provisions in the bill that weren't crystal clear to the members of the committee. And so, we took the time this morning to make sure that everybody had the appropriate information and some of the concerns that were brought to us from the landlord community were adequately addressed in my opinion. I also appreciate that the sponsor is willing that after today's vote, assuming the bill 13 comes out of committee, after today's vote is still willing to have dialogue. And so listen, there are some great landlords and some not so great landlords, right. There are some great tenants and some not so great tenants. We want to make sure that we can fix the problems that exist. I am a product of both worlds. When my parents divorced when I was a young child, we became housing insecure. We moved into what was back then known as $1 house, if anybody remembers $1 house program. We had tint up on the windows and a big hole in the living room. And I still remember that. I still remember the effects of not really feeling, number one, that you had a home or being somewhat embarrassed about your living conditions. And so, fast-forward to many years later my mother was able to purchase a property in which she was able to rent it out to a tenant. But if something went wrong in that property, it was a disaster in our household. Because if their heater went out, that little bit of rent that we got, which really was what sustained our home, everything went towards that property to make sure that our tenant was taken care of. And so, I know both sides of the issue. And I'm glad to know both sides, and I'm glad to be able to have a colleague who is willing to hear and listen and work with everyone. So I just want to tell you I appreciate that and I'm looking forward to working with you as we get through these bills. Thank you. (Applause.)
Madam Chair, just real quick. One other issue on that three-legged stool is the city's administration, meaning L&I and other departments that will be a part of this process. As you come up and testify, you need to say what you need to be able to complete your task. So I understand how it is being on the other side of that, but now's the time a closed mouth don't get fed. Tell us what you need. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Good morning, colleagues. And thank you to the Committee Chair Jamie Gauthier and Minority Whip Nicolas O'Rourke for allowing me to say a few words in support of the Safe Healthy Homes package. I want to commend my fellow Working Families Party Councilmember for his diligent work on this bill and to get us where we are today. Over the last year, he has worked with members of the committee, tenants and willing landlords alike and the administration to strengthen this bill. I fully support the home package, and I look forward to this bill becoming a law. This law will protect tenants, strengthening Philadelphia's rental protections and making our city a leader when it comes to good cause protections. Empowering tenants to be able to speak up about their living conditions is only going to make us a fairer city. And through these bills, we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that housing is truly a human right. I want to thank the committee for their diligence and I also want to shout out Renters United and One PA for their relentless advocacy. We all know that people power has the ability to change the hearts and minds, and their incredible advocacy is just what got us here today. I am here today to encourage the committee to support these bills and to ensure swift package today -- the swift passage today. I'm sorry. Thank you so much. That's it. (Applause.)
Thank you so much. Ms. Jones, will you now read the titles of the bills.
Bill No. 10 250329, an ordinance amending Chapter 9-3900 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Property Licenses and Owner Accountability" to clarify licensing requirements, authorize the Department to create a Proactive Inspection program, reporting related to Code compliance and establish remedies, damages and protections for tenants, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250330, an ordinance amending Chapter 9-800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Landlord and Tenant" to modify the requirements related to the good cause for ending a tenancy as protections against retaliation and harassment for tenants and tenant organizations, specify tenants rights related to the implied warranty of habitability and provide a legal presumption related to breaches of the implied warranty of habitability, create a tenant right to organize, specify deadlines for asserting claims and establish and enhance enforcement mechanisms, remedies, damages and protections, all under certain terms and conditions.
The Clerk will please call the first panel of witnesses to testify on the resolution. Can all witnesses please summarize their testimony. We have a very packed agenda today and we will be setting a timer for five minutes per witness. Now, a lot of you guys have been in here with me before. You're used to me being really, really nice. I'm going to be less nice today because the goal is that we have to move through this discussion. So once you hear the timer, I'm going to ask you to summarize briefly and please don't take it personally. It's just to move the hearing along. Ms. Jones.
For Panel 1, we have Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens, Medical Director of the Community Asthma Provision Program and Chief Health Equity Officer at the Center for Health Equity at CHOP; Kadie Ashby, Tenant at Alden Park Apartments; Cincere Wilson, Tenant at Upsal Gardens Apartments, Theresa Howell, Tenant in Philadelphia. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, Sponsor O'Rourke and members of the City Council's Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and Homelessness. Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony on Bill Nos. 250329 and 250330, intending to protect Philadelphia renters from unsafe, unhealthy housing conditions. My name is Dr. Tyra Brian Stevenson. I'm a Board- Certified pediatrician in clinical primary care practice for over 30 years, Chief Health Equity Officer at CHOP and founder as well as Medical Director of the Community Asthma Prevention Program. And this is an asthma program that utilizes community health workers to implement asthma interventions in underserved, poorly-resourced innercity communities. I'd like to begin by grounding us in a fact we've known for decades. Disparities in asthma outcomes have persisted across the United States for as long as we've been tracking them. Non-Hispanic Black children are twice as likely to be diagnosed with asthma and four times more likely to be hospitalized and die compared to their non-Hispanic White peers. These disparities are especially pronounced among children living in substandard housing, which we have in many of our rental properties in Philadelphia. CHOP's Community Asthma Prevention Program has delivered over 25,000 home visits for thousands of children with asthma in Philadelphia. 80% of these children live in rental housing. Many of these children suffer from asthma attacks triggered by poor housing conditions and resulting in asthma hospitalizations and emergency room 11 visits as well as school absences. In the more than 200 homes we've repaired in our Capitalist Home Repair program, we find needed roof repairs, plumbing leaks and substandard flooring in most of the homes. These conditions create environments where asthma triggers such mold, pests and allergens thrive. For these reasons, it's very important that we assure that rental homes are safe and healthy for children. I've had the privilege of working with the team at CHOP to study how community-based interventions impact asthma in low-resourced areas like West Philadelphia. Our team mapped asthma rates, code violations from Philadelphia's L&I Department and CHOP's emergency room department use in 2019. The results were clear, more code violations meant higher asthma rates and more emergency room visits for children. While housing disrepair can happen anywhere, it's far more common in low-income neighborhoods, especially those with predominantly underserved racial and ethnic minority residents historically redlined. We have found that when we make those home repairs to remove the source of asthma triggers exposure, we reduce asthma-related emergency room 24 visits by 40% and hospitalizations by 70%. This evidence proves the value of doing everything we can to make sure that children with asthma and all children live in safe, healthy housing. We appreciate City Council and the Mayor's commitment to thoughtful consideration of how to best build and repair existing homes so that one day all of Philadelphia's children have access to healthy housing. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. (Applause.)
Thank you for your testimony. We're going to hold questions until the whole panel speaks. So can the next person please state your name.
Good morning, Councilmembers. My name is Cincere Wilson. I'm a resident of Upsal Garden Apartments in Northwest Philadelphia, and I'm here to support the Safe Healthy Homes Act. We believe that all Philadelphians deserve to live in homes that are safe, secure and well-maintained no matter our neighborhoods, our income or who we are. I support this legislation because I've lived it. Upsal Gardens has been found to be an unsafe structure by the city's Department of Licensing and Inspections, and the owners are currently the defendants in the class action lawsuit due to their mismanagement of the property. Last year, my wife and I noticed a large crack in our living room 20 ceiling early one Saturday morning and I put it in our maintenance panel. And then I went down to the onsite office to report it. Less than 12 hours later at 12:06 in the morning by a loud crash, and we got up to find that our entire living room ceiling collapsed. While we waited nearly two days for management to get this stuff together, luckily no one was hurt and luckily we had renters' insurance. And after those two days, the insurance put us in a hotel. We stayed in a hotel eight days. Now, insurance paid for the hotel, but there were other essentials that we had to pay for, like food and other toiletries and other essentials. So during the course of this eight days, we were in constant contact with management letting them know that the rent would be a little late and it's coming -- like, we got out the hotel on a Wednesday. Our rent is coming Friday. And before Friday, we got consistently harassed, emails, texts. When we got home, there was a note on our door that said overdue rent. It had the amount and the due date. This is just one of the many problems that have occurred in my building. I say my building, but it's an eight- building complex just to be clear. It's a building that's been so compromised that the city officials said it posed an immediate danger to human life. I know this story is not unique. Throughout the city, there are Philadelphians living at the mercy of absentee landlords. They may be different buildings with different owners, managers and business models, but nonetheless, an all too familiar story. Tenants are forced to live in unsafe conditions while predatory landlords keep turning a profit. The Safe Healthy Homes Act stops negligent landlords from cutting corners at the expense of tenants. It increases transparency and accountability insurance maintaining homes that are habitable. This legislation provides commonsense answers to the issues tenants face, protecting renters who speak up about unsafe conditions from landlord retaliation, authorizing proactive and L&I inspections and requiring proof of code in compliance to evict or collect rent. Nearly half of Philadelphia residents rent their homes. City Council has an opportunity right now to protect renters, to protect our health and our safety. I am one of thousands of renters across this city who have lived through dangerous conditions because of bad actors, out-of-state landlords who have gotten away with this for far too long. Too many renters have lost their lives in the city from the fires or the building collapsing or asthma attacks from the mold. I urge the Housing Committee today to pass the Right to Repairs and the Right to Safety bills to guarantee all renters a basic human right to safety in our homes. Our life depends on it. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you so much. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning. My name is Kadi Ashby. I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak today because this legislation is all too personal, both to myself and my neighbors at Alden Park, which is a historically-registered property in Councilman Jones' District and which, like many properties in our city, is owned by an out-of-state investment firm. Shortly after moving into my apartment, I discovered that what I believe to be a large section of water damage on my ceiling was actually an active leak that my landlord had painted over. I notified the landlord as soon as I noticed. And when they ignored my initial maintenance request, I notified them again and again. And eventually, black mold began to form and rapidly took over my carpet, walls, ceiling and baseboards. The plaster on my ceiling started buckling under the leak and began falling off in chunks, which exposed even more mold and holes that centipedes would crawl out of. Over months I begged my landlord to remediate the mold and fix the leak. I explained that I was an asthmatic and I was experiencing health issues due to the mold, but continually my request fell on deaf ears. Three months after my initial maintenance request, with mold still covering my bedroom and no end in sight, I was forced to hire a lawyer. Suddenly the issues were repaired. Had there been a proactive inspection program at the time, I wouldn't have been forced to spend money I didn't have in order to have a lawyer advocate on my behalf. After this experience, I connected with my neighbors and realized that I was not unique in this situation. In addition to leaks and mold, my neighbors deal with bricks and concrete falling off the facade of the buildings, heat and hot water that would sometimes be out for months, roaches and mice infesting their apartments. If management bothered to respond to resident complaints at all, it was often insufficient. Last year alone our landlord was handed almost 50 violations from L&I and the city even placed a lien on the property for unpaid work relating to one of those violations. Despite all of this, they've been able to renew their rental license. They have continued to sign certificates of rental suitability for new tenants, and they maintain the highest eviction rate in the city. Together my neighbors and I decided the only way to advocate for ourselves against these absentee landlords was collectively. And early last year, we formed a tenant union. Unfortunately, due to this organizing effort my landlord is now retaliating against me by refusing to renew my lease, forcing me to leave my home and my community. I'm lucky enough to know my rights and to have friends in the city who have provided me with more help than I can describe but most Philadelphians don't have that luxury. So without this legislation, where are they in my situation. For too long, we've allowed negligent absentee landlords to use Philadelphians as a stepping stone to increase their already substantial personal profits. It's long past time to prioritize our communities and focus our attention and empathy on the tenants. So I'm asking you today to vote yes on this historic bill. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you so much. Good morning. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning. My name is Theresa Howell and I am a proud member of One PA Renters United. Good morning, members of the Housing Committee --
Please speak into the -- I don't know if we can move the mic a little closer.
The Housing Committee, Committee Chair Councilmember Gauthier and Vice- Chair Landau. Reaching this point required considerable effort and support, including Councilmembers here today. We raised our concerns about our landlords and our message reached the right people, including Councilmember Nick O'Rourke, who partnered with us, and introduced our Safe and Healthy Homes Act. For the first time in years, this City Council is focusing on often overlooked individuals. To give examples, this City Council passed the POWER Act protecting thousands of workers in this city. You prioritize low-income residents first in the Mayor's H.O.M.E. Initiative. We now have right to relocation thanks to this very committee and we thank you and City Council as a whole. Now, it's time to protect renters from landlords that put profit over people. They have been lining their pockets with money and not making repairs. They are living in luxury, and I do mean luxury. I mean $5 million homes. I mean $2 million homes. I mean homes upon homes upon homes, while we live in unsafe conditions. Our children's health have suffered tremendously because of the neglect of repairs. I have an egregious landlord that owns hundreds of properties. His name is Drew DeMarco and he does not make repairs, but rent better be there by the 5th of the month or it's going to be problems for you. I'm not the only one who lives with these conditions. Is it anyone here that lives with a bad landlord? Raise your hand. I want to ask you in this room to raise your hand if you have ever dealt with mold and leaks. Raise your hand if you ever had to deal with problems with heat. Raise your hand if you ever had to wait too long to get repairs from a landlord. Raise your hand if you ever was afraid to speak up because you was in fear of retaliation. Raise your hand if you ever had your life threatened, which I have, dealing with issues from a landlord that was absent or just didn't make repairs. Keep your hand up. And, Councilmembers, I ask you to look around the room and see all the hands of the people in all of the neighborhoods of this city who are represented here and going through these issues. There is a crisis for renters in this city, living in dangerous conditions and afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation, and you have the opportunity today to move forward legislation that can protect renters. This is a great city with much potential. This is the birthplace of America, but look at the conditions we're still living in. We're at a 250th year anniversary. But what are we giving the people of Philadelphia in 2026? I believe this city has been trying for years to find a solution to the rental repair crisis that plagues the city. And we believe the Safe Healthy Homes Act is a great start. We also believe this committee, along with City Council, agree. My organization One Pennsylvania Renters United met with all of you on this committee and you greeted us with kindness and understanding and we thank you for that, offering up help with our landlord issues even though they weren't in your district and getting us results from our landlords. But let me tell you, it should not take a Councilman to happen to call the landlord for us to get repairs. We have laws on the books that should protect us immediately. (Applause.)
When we call L&I and say, this landlord is doing this, that and the other, we don't get results. It's a reactive program that does not work, and we need to pass this legislation so children don't suffer. These children in the city -- we just heard from a doctor that asthma is up. Every grandchild I have, have asthma. They were born with asthma. Why are these children being born with these conditions that's crippling the health system? It's ridiculous. We can't work every day because our children are sick --
Thank you so much. Can I ask for you to wrap up? Thank you very much.
Okay. You know I'll go on and on and on. But it's a shame that we reach out to our Councilpeople. We have to reach out to you in order to get repairs. Every day that we wait to pass this, renters will continue to live in unsafe conditions without these basic protections. The time is now, right now today. I ask City Council to follow through and pass this legislation out of committee today. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you all so much for your passionate testimony and for all of your work. Unless there are questions from the committee, we'll move on to the next panel. (No response.)
Ms. Jones, will you please call the next panel of witnesses.
Commissioner Bridget Collins Greenwald, L&I's Quality of Life; and Executive Director Renee Chenault Fattah, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Good morning, Commissioner. COMMISSIONER COLLINS GREENWALD: Good morning.
Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. COMMISSIONER COLLINS GREENWALD: Sure. Good morning, Chairperson Gauthier, members of the Housing, Neighborhood Development and Homeless Committee. My name is Bridget Collins Greenwald and I'm the Commissioner of the Department of Licenses & Inspections, Quality of Life department. I'm here today to provide testimony on Bill No. 8 250329, introduced by Councilmember O'Rourke. If enacted, this bill 11 would amend Chapter 9, Section 3900 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled Property Licenses and Owner Accountability, to clarify licensing requirements, authorize the department to create a proactive inspection program, require public reporting on compliance and establish remedies, damages and protections for tenants. As amended, the bill 23 proposes additional protections and notification requirements for the tenants and licensed rental properties. The administration remains supportive under the intended legislation and recognizes the importance of safe and healthy housing for all Philadelphia residents. Encouraging property owners to communicate with tenants and maintain their properties is critical to preventing hazardous conditions and avoiding the displacement of residents whenever possible. During the first hearing on this bill in June of 2025, the administration raised several concerns with the legislation as introduced. We appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with Councilmember O'Rourke and his team over the past several months to address those issues and refine the legislation so that it more effectively achieves its intended goals. We reviewed and provided feedback to the most recent version of the amendments, which were worked on as recently as yesterday. And at this time, we believe the administration's concerns have all been addressed and that the bill as amended can be successfully implemented. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this testimony on behalf of the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Quality of Life. I'm happy to answer any questions at this time.
Thank you so much, Commissioner. Good morning, Director Chenault Fattah. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, Chairperson Gauthier and members of the Housing, Neighborhood Development and Homeless Committee. My name is Renee Chenault Fattah. I serve as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, PCHR. I'm here today to provide testimony on Bill 250330, introduced by Councilmember O'Rourke. This bill modifies the requirements related to good cause for ending a tenancy. In the section entitled Rights to Safe and Health Homes, the bill also provides tenants the right to organize and provides protection to tenants and organizations for their advocacy. Additionally, the bill reiterates that tenants like all Philadelphians have the right to safe and sanitary living conditions. I am proud to serve as the leader of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations. We are the city's civil rights agency and peacemaking agency. We enforce an important set of laws that prevent discrimination and promote equality. Within the PCHR is a separate commission called the Fair Housing Commission. It works to ensure that renters have safe places to live with decent and appropriate living conditions. Through the enforcement of the city's Fair Housing ordinance, we ensure that both landlords and tenants abide by landlord-tenant laws. The FHC is comprised of four members who are appointed by the Mayor. The commissioners investigate unfair rental practices and conduct hearings to decide complaints. The FHC's work is supported by a dedicated team of city staff. Together, they processed last year more than 600 cases. PCHR plays a role in the community by providing educational and training materials to inform all Philadelphians about their fair housing rights and available resources. It is vital that Philadelphians understand their rights and protections afforded to them in the housing market, and that's the goal we seek to achieve. I would like to thank again Councilmember O'Rourke for his continued advocacy to ensure that Philadelphians have access to safe and healthy housing. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. And of course, we're here to answer any questions you might have. (Applause.)
I just want to sincerely thank you both on behalf of the committee. Obviously, this package was a lot of work from Member O'Rourke and his office, but it took a lot of work from the Administration and particularly from you all too. And it was a great good faith effort and I think an example of the type of partnership between the Administration and Council that gets things done. So thank you, thank you, thank you. And unless there are questions or comments from the committee, we will move on to the next panel. Vice-Chair Landau.
Thank you both so much for your comments. I wanted to also reiterate Councilmember Jones' request. What do you need from us in order to effectively enforce these laws? And also, I want to take a moment to state our commitment as Council to be your partners on this and to make this happen.
Thank you. Commissioner, would you like to take that first? COMMISSIONER COLLINS GREENWALD: I think since we're in the midst of the budget process right now, I'd like to discuss that with the Finance Department and then get back to you with that through that process. Since we're right in the thick of that right now.
I guess just following up on that. And thank you, Councilmember Landau, for the question. You know the saying you only get one bite at the apple, other than saying exactly what we need, I would really love to have the opportunity down the road to speak to each of you once we assess what our resources are, how these changes are going to impact us and then come back to you with what the needs are, but rest assured that we are committed to protecting the rights of tenants.
So the too-long-didn't-read version is they need resources. So we look forward to having those discussions with you all. Thank you so much for being here today and for all your work.
Thank you. COMMISSIONER COLLINS GREENWALD: Thank you.
Ms. Jones, will you please call the next panel of witnesses.
Paul Cohen, General Counsel at HAPCO; Steve Chintaman, Vice-President of Government Affairs at Pennsylvania Apartment Association; Jackie Zaneri, Supervising Attorney at Senior Law Center; Katherine Nelson, Ph.D., Assistant Director at Rutgers Center on Law and Inequality and Metropolitan Equity. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Good morning to all of you. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Paul Cohen. Good morning, Commissioner -- Madam Chairwoman, Vice-Chair and members of the committee. My name is Paul Cohen, as I said. I am the founding partner of the law firm of Cohen Marraccini. I've been practicing landlord and tenant law in the City of Philadelphia for over 40 years. My firm now has 13 attorneys that practice throughout the state of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and New York. I am very familiar with landlord and tenant law, as you can imagine. I was also appointed as an advisor to the Uniform Landlord and Tenant -- the Right to Uniform Landlord and Tenant Act as part of the Uniform Law Commission. That's an act that was adopted in over 12 states, not in full, but in some 13 form or another. And the reason 14 I'm telling you that is because I 15 spent over two years painstakingly 16 looking at landlord and tenant law, 17 every single word of the Landlord 18 and Tenant Law Act to make sure 19 that it was done correctly. 20 We have two bills that 21 are being introduced. And I can say stepping back, the concepts are good. We are not opposed to the concepts of safe and healthy homes. Landlords are not opposed to that at all. They are not. The problem we have is that we have a law, two laws, that are trying to be introduced that are pages long. 6 They are very, very complicated. I 7 spent days and days going through 8 it to see what should be done with 9 it, reading every single word to 10 make sure that it's correct. 11 The problem is this law 12 should be done correctly from the 13 beginning, and it's not. That's 14 not what's happening. And I'm 15 going to give you an example of 16 what's going on. So we had 17 suggested that there should be a 18 safe harbor. And to Councilman 19 O'Rourke's credit, he came out with 20 a safe harbor provision. 21 That we got late Monday 22 night. So now, I'm having to 23 review it late Monday night to figure out exactly what that says. The problem is along with that, there was a section that was done for another group that was changed, and there was a change made to one of the definitions, which you have to look at when you look at the law, and some Councilmembers know what I'm talking about. You have to look at definitions. You have to look at how other sections of the Act, the ordinance and the laws of the state are affected. That wasn't done. So what ended up happening is there's a safe harbor that actually doesn't help and actually got worse because of the definition of non-compliance was changed. So to just go ahead and pass this bill is not going to be the right thing to do in its present form. We're not saying not to pass a bill. What we're saying is not to pass the bill until it's done properly. This is not done correctly. We need to make sure that this bill is right. Now, I'm going to give you another real quick example, and I could go on for hours but I know I only have so many minutes, so I'm just going to give you real quick another example. Suppose -- and I've had this situation and it happens a lot. Suppose you're a person whose parents passed away and you inherited a property. You have a cousin that was taking care of your parents and that cousin is living in the property. And the cousin says to you, listen, I've been living here for three years taking care of your parents. Can I stay in the property? And you say, sure, you can stay there. Pay me $1,000 a month. The person pays you $1,000 a month. They do it for two years. They paid you $24,000. They were doing a good thing. They were helping out their cousin. But you know what, they didn't have a license. They didn't have a residential property license. Mind you, property has no violations, nothing wrong with the property. They're helping out their cousin. Cousin then stops paying the rent. What happens? They want to try to now get their property back. They have to file an eviction. Mind you, it takes eight months for an eviction to go through.
But guess what, that tenant under this bill now has a right to sue the landlord and get a refund of the $24,000 that they paid. That is not right. There was nothing wrong with that property. They did the right thing by helping out a cousin. And now, they're going to get penalized by it. We had talked about that and tried to get a safe harbor for that type of thing. This safe harbor doesn't accomplish that. So what I'm suggesting is we take a really hard look at this Act. I'm happy to go through it with anybody that wants to talk about it and go through and figure out a way that we can fix this, to make the bill 13 say what we actually want it to say, to make it actually have safe and healthy homes for tenants, but at the same time --
-- making sure that your good landlords are protected. There's a lot of good landlords that are out here that need protection as well. This isn't only about protecting tenants. This is also about protecting --
Mr. Cohen. Mr. Cohen, please wrap your testimony. Five seconds please wrap.
Okay. Thank you for letting me be on the panel today. Appreciate it.
Thank you so much for your testimony. And I know that Member O'Rourke's office is willing to have discussions even after today. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, Chairwoman Gauthier, Sponsor Councilmember O'Rourke and members of the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and The Homelessness. My name is Steven Chintaman and I'm the VicePresident of Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania Apartment Association, representing over 310,000 units and 316 property management companies across the Commonwealth. Locally here in Philadelphia, we represent over 38,000 units and 49 property management companies. I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to testify today on Bills 250329 and 250330. To be clear, the Pennsylvania Apartment Association is firmly committed to promoting safe, well-maintained housing for every resident. We believe achieving that goal requires policies that are clear, enforceable and balanced, ensuring resident protections while enabling responsible housing providers to continue to invest in their communities. Over the past several months, PAA, alongside key stakeholders, including BIA, HAPCO GPAR, has engaged in extensive good-faith discussions with Councilmember O'Rourke's team to raise serious concerns and offer practical, balanced amendments to these bills. Following our February 13th stakeholder meeting with the sponsor and his staff coordinated with Council President Johnson's Office, we submitted a comprehensive Excel document on February detailing approximately 16 41 targeted drafted by our counsel 17 Paul Cohen. And there has been 18 some. There has been some 19 amendments that did reflect our 20 thoughts, and we do appreciate that 21 from the sponsor and his team. 22 However, we feel like 23 those revisions aren't far enough. 24 Our association, together with stakeholders referenced above, continue to have serious and unresolved concerns with these bills, which are not limited to strengthening the safe harbor provisions to protect responsible housing providers acting in good faith, ensuring that rent forfeiture applies only to violations that materially impact habitability, not technical or administrative issues and then specific concerns regarding the good cause provisions. For these reasons, I strongly urge the committee to hold these bills and allow continued meaningful engagement with the sponsor and his team to address these serious concerns. We remain committed to working collaboratively to preserve the intent of these bills while ensuring that they are balanced, workable and do not unintentionally harm housing providers and the residents we serve. The Pennsylvania Apartment Association is eager to continue to collaborate with the sponsor and with this committee and all stakeholders. Thank you for your time. (Applause.)
Thank you. Please state your name for the record and proceed with the testimony.
Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Jackie Zaneri and I'm from Senior Law Center where I'm a supervising attorney in the Housing Justice Project. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today to voice our strong support for the Safe Healthy Homes Act. (Applause.)
At Senior Law Center, we seek justice for older adults by using the power of the law, educating the community and advocating on local, state and national levels. We're the only nonprofit organization in Pennsylvania whose mission is dedicated solely to protecting the rights of older people and one of the very few in the nation. We provide free legal assistance to thousands of older people each year, including victims of elder abuse and financial exploitation, older homeowners and tenants facing housing crises and homelessness, grandparents raising grandchildren and older individuals facing undue or neglect in guardianship. Our Housing Justice Project provides representation to tenants facing various landlord- tenant issues, including evictions, ejectments, Fair Housing Commission complaints as well as providing advice to tenants regarding their rights. It also provides representation to homeowners for mortgage foreclosure assistance, mortgage modification to correct deed and title problems and resolve property tax delinquencies. And finally, we provide advice and education and conduct systemic advocacy in all of those areas. Our clients need affordable, stable and safe housing, and that is what Bill Nos. 250329 and 250330 will move us toward. I want to focus on a few important measures in the bills. First is Bill 250330, removing the exemption and good cause eviction for yearlong leases, and that would extend good cause to all tenants. Nationally, I'm not aware of any other jurisdiction that has that exemption that the bill would remove. Good cause for eviction is a basic legal protection that tenants rely on for their health, safety, security and for stable neighborhoods. It does not mean no 8 one can be evicted. In fact, there are nine good cause reasons for eviction in the law, but it does mean that a landlord has to provide the tenant with a reason and cannot evict them without one. If there is no good cause, right now a landlord can write in the lease that they do not even have to provide the tenant with a written notice to vacate prior to filing for eviction in court. Having no good cause means that a tenant is essentially unpredicted, and that is the current situation of many Philadelphia tenants and a large percentage of our clients. Our clients are older adults. Frequently they're living in substandard housing and many are particularly medically vulnerable or frail. Many are afraid to call L&I, because if they don't have good cause protections, the result may be that the landlord labels them a problem tenant and decides not to renew their lease. And that happens regularly. The best protection against this retaliation and against discrimination is good cause which is a set of clear legal rules that specify the cause for eviction that apply to everyone. That means if there is a cause, the landlord can set out that cause and a notice to the tenant. The tenant then has the option to move out if they see the cause and agree that it is valid or they can challenge it in court. The goal of providing this notice is that everyone is aware of the reason and the landlord's intention. So again, if it is valid, the tenant can avoid the court filing by moving out. As it stands, most Philadelphia tenants do not enjoy the protection of good cause for eviction. Although the law was a great idea, landlords are contracting around it. Landlords are writing leases which tenants are bound to accept, which say that the lease is from year-to-year, and that eliminates good cause protections. Removing this exemption will have a substantial impact on our client's ability to request repairs and on evictions in municipal court. Additionally, the provision in Bill 250329 that applies the certificates of rental suitability is extremely important to our work. The problem that this is attempting to solve is substandard housing. There are currently tenants paying full rent despite serious violations already cited by L&I.
There are also currently tenants who stop paying rent because of those violations who are then evicted for nonpayment. We need a bright line rule where both sides agree when the city says that the violations are serious, the tenant can't be evicted or can withhold rent until they are fixed, and requiring a certificate of rental suitability in that instance will fill that gap. The current status quo is too variable and it creates a large risk of eviction for tenants who are trying to protect their right to safe and healthy housing. Finally, we support the creation of a proactive inspection pilot program through the Department of Licenses and Inspections that would allow serious habitability issues to be addressed before they snowball into emergencies that result in displacement. It also prevents tenants from having to call L&I and experience that negative response from their landlord. And it is very likely to improve the quality of the city's housing supply as it incentivizes timely repairs. The Safe Healthy Homes Act is aimed to stop the problems of landlords who are violating the law and the disruption and danger that it causes to tenants. And the best way to address those violations is clear across-the- board legal standards that apply to everyone. We urge you to pass both bills. Thank you. )
Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. Briefly, two things I want to put on the record underline and make sure it's there. The author of the legislation, Councilman O'Rourke, has agreed to continue to work with the stakeholders to figure out where we are, and I'm seeing and hearing substantial consensus on where we are. So that still is the case, correct, Member O'Rourke?
Secondly, we also would ask you to make sure that the departments that are affected that sometimes don't say what they need. Closed mouths don't get fed, that they need. They need to tell us what budget they need to be able to do these things. And you're committing to work with them on those numbers?
Thank you, Member Jones. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Katherine Nelson and thank you. Chairwoman Gauthier, thank you. And thank you to the whole committee for this opportunity to testify today. Oh, closer -- thank you. So I'm Dr. Katie Nelson and I oversee a Housing Studies Initiative based out of Rutgers Law School at an organization called CLIME or The Center for Law Inequality and Metropolitan Equity. We're dedicated to public scholarship focused around place-based inequality. I'm also a long-term resident of Philadelphia, a housing expert and I've spent more than a couple decades now studying housing here in Philadelphia and in the region. I'm the last person testifying today on the third panel, so I'll endeavor to keep my comments brief. We're living through what everyone knows is the housing affordability and habitability crisis. All of us are feeling it, but those of us who are feeling the greatest strain are our renters, and especially our lower-income renters. Tenant protections are critically important tools that can offer tenants security from arbitrary eviction, retribution, discrimination and other threats to stability. Moreover, there is a longstanding power imbalance between landlords and tenants. Passing these types of protections that are in these two bills can help to rectify that imbalance and level the playing field at a time when the city is struggling mightily with habitability and instability. The right to safety will expand good cause eviction to most tenants in the city. This is welcome and it is not without a long precedent of good and just cause clauses in cities and states throughout the country. The first such law was passed more than 50 years ago right next door in New Jersey. It's known as the Anti-Eviction Act. And since then, good cause laws have passed now in seven states and dozens of cities, including recently Baltimore, New York and St. Paul, Minnesota. The laws produce greater stability to renters. They protect them from evictions that are at no fault of their own. And research has continued to document that these laws reduce evictions, reduce eviction filings, and they also have been shown to reduce displacement and slow down the effects of gentrification. With less fear of reprisal, tenants will be emboldened to advocate for themselves around severe habitability and repair issues, as we've heard already here today numerous times. Far too many Philadelphians live in rental units in need of significant repairs. The right to repairs addresses this by introducing greater opportunities for tenants to push for those repairs without fear of retribution, again leveling an unbalanced playing field. Our city is unique, it's special, and that we have pretty good regulations on our books. But we've been challenged and hampered by our ability to actually enforce those regulations. The clear intent of the collection of amendments in these two bills is to create new openings for tenants to be able to express their rights to their safety, security and health through improved transparency, more and specific timelines and by shifting some of the compliance burden off the shoulders of tenants and onto landlords. Not surprisingly, landlords on this panel have raised concerns about these bills, and this legislation should take those concerns seriously, but concerns do not negate the will of our local institutions to act in whatever manner you see fit to address the health, safety and general welfare of the residents of our city. Thank you for providing me this opportunity to testify. (Applause.)
Thank you all for your testimony. Unless there are questions or comments from the committee, we are going to move on. (No response.)
Thank you so much. Okay, everybody. We have a number of people for public comment, but in order to keep quorum and do the work of the committee, we're going to have to move into the public meeting and then come back for public comment. And so, at this point we'll now go into a public meeting to consider the action to be taken on the bill today. Can the Clerk please call the roll.
Present. The Chair recognizes Vice-Chair Landau for a motion on the amendment to Bill No. 250329.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I offer an amendment to Bill No. 250329. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of the committee. I move that the amendment to Bill No. 21 250329 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill 2 No. 250329 be approved. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries and the amendment to Bill 13 No. 250329 has been approved. The Chair recognizes Vice-Chair Landau for a motion on the amendment to Bill No. 250330.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I offer an amendment to Bill No. 250330. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of the committee. I move that the amendment to Bill No. 24 250330 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill 5 No. 250330 be approved. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. And the amendment to Bill 16 No. 250330 has been approved. The Chair recognizes Vice-Chair Landau for a motion on Bill No. 250329 as amended.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 23 250329 as amended be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 250329 as amended be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. (Applause.)
All right. Y'all, got to let me finish now. Come on. Bill No. 10 250329 as amended -- (Applause.)
We got to get through it. We got to get through it, y'all. When we're done, we can have the most applause but you have to let me get through it. Let me get through it please. The ayes have it and the motion carries. Bill No. 250329 as amended will be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation with a request that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Vice-Chair Landau for a motion on Bill 250330 as amended.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 9 250330 as amended be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 250330 as amended be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. (Applause.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. Bill No. 250330 as amended will be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and with the request that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading at the next session of Council. Congratulations, Member O'Rourke. (Applause.) (Background interruption.)
All right. All right. Thank you so much everybody. Thank you so much everybody. We have a number of people for public comment. We have a number of people for public comment. (Background interruption.)
If we could have quiet in the chamber. If we could have quiet in the chamber. If we can have quiet in the chamber. If we can have quiet in the chamber. At this point -- (Background interruption.)
At this point, at this point -- at this point, if we can have order and quiet in the chamber, we are going to go back to public comment. At this point, if we can have order and quiet in the chamber, as I said, before we go back to public comment. Please have order and quiet in the chamber. (Background interruption.)
At this point, we are going to go back into the public hearing and hear everyone who has signed up for public comment. (Background interruption.) UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Quiet please.
If we can have quiet and order in the chamber. If everybody could calm down, if everyone could calm down, we will hear public comment from everyone who has signed up to testify. (Background interruption.)
At this point, we are going to go into the public hearing and listen to everyone who signed up for public comment. All right. Where was this five minutes ago. All right. At this point, we are going to go back into the public hearing. We are going to hear public comment from everyone who has signed up to give public comment today. Will the Clerk please call the roll.
Present. We are resuming the public hearing. Will the Clerk please call the first few public commenters.
We have Daniela Ascarelli, Mike Reed, Anna Maria Vona and Jacen Bowman. Are those people here today? (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Okay. Alrighty. Thank you so much for being here today. We are going to give three minutes for public comment today. You're going to hear a timer when your time is up. If you could kindly wrap when you hear that timer, that would be great. So please state your name for the record and proceed with your public comment.
My name is Jacen Bowman. I'm a Philadelphia native, born and raised. I'm from Uptown, West Oak Lane to be exact. I come from a long line of advocacy and political influence in this city. My aunt, the late great Donna Reed Miller, dedicated her life to public service and fighting for the people of Philadelphia. Watching her work taught me early on that leadership means standing up for community and speaking out when something isn't right. About 15 years ago when Brewerytown, what many of us know here as North, was going through early changes of gentrification, I was one of the residents who witnessed that change happen in realtime. Recently I found myself, along with other residents, dealing with something that frankly should never have happened in this city. We were living in what was marketed as a luxury building, a building that a developer took out a multi-million dollar loan for. But behind the marketing promises, the reality of the tenants was very different. There were serious issues in that building, issues that were so severe that Licenses and Inspections had to come out multiple times to fine the building because of the conditions that we were living in. The building, which was an old warehouse, had become a haven for mice, rats, mold, leaks and heating issues, just to name a few. What made the situation even more troubling was what I later discovered. The building itself had actually been given to a developer through a city program. Yet despite receiving that support, the property did not even have a valid renter's license and had serious issues with compliance. During that time, I reached out to multiple people, including people who represent my district, asking for help regarding what myself and the other tenants were experiencing. Not a single person I reached out to responded. And what's more important to understand is that I'm somebody who has access, I understand systems and I know how to advocate. If someone like me with resources and the ability to navigate systems couldn't get help, imagine what that means for residents who don't have the same access. Because I was able to speak up for myself, organize, advocate, I was ultimately able to move and relocate somewhere safe. But many of the residents that I lived with did not have that same option. And that's the part that we cannot ignore. I later discovered that one of the very people I reached out to for help had received campaign donations from the same developer that I was having issues with. That raised a serious question about accountability and whose voices are truly being heard. Because at the end of the day, safe and healthy housing should not be optional in Philadelphia. It should be the baseline. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you so much for your comment today. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your comment.
My name is Daniela Ascarelli. Thank you for allowing me to speak. I've been a landlord for over a decade here in Philadelphia. I'm a small landlord. I think I'm one of the landlords that are helping us have affordable housing through the NOAA system, if you will. I've been fortunate. I've only had a few bad tenants, but those that have been bad have been really bad and have created havoc for me. One tenant, for example, told me that they had a small lap dog but, in fact, it was more like a Doberman. Not a problem, you say, except tradespeople won't enter houses if there is a large dog that they have to deal with. The tenants did not want to cage their dog because they felt it was inhumane. That meant that I couldn't do repairs. In the end, they called L&I. I get a violation. It doesn't matter that I've been trying to get into the house for months. I'm the one held responsible. My question to you is, how does this bill take care of us when we do what we are supposed to do, but our tenants don't allow us to do it? Just this past year, I had a tenant call me about a broken fridge. We had a snowstorm. You guys might know about that. That created problems. But to add to that, my tenant ghosted me. They didn't answer texts, they didn't answer phone calls. They didn't answer the door. Over a month to get a fridge fixed. They didn't call L&I, but they could have and I would have been at fault, and I had no recourse to say these are all the things that I have tried to do to hold up my end of the bargain. What I'd like to have happen in this new bill is that the same rules that you ask us as landlords to follow, that the city follows, that when you send me a violation, it doesn't take me a year to get it. Then I get it within seven days and that when eCLIPSE is down for weeks on end, that I am granted a respite from all of your rules. If the city can have schools, rec centers and libraries that are nowhere near safe and clean, free of black mold, why do I have to follow all of those rules? Why am I fined when you all aren't fined for the same things? Why is it that PGW and the Water Department can shut off people's water and their gas and they don't have to wait nine months to go through an eviction diversion program and then wait yet again for the Sheriff to help you out. Go ahead. Let's have PGW and the Water Department go through an equivalent diversion program and then work with the Sheriff's Office to actually turn off water. And then when those tenants reapply for gas, don't treat them any differently than those who have always paid on time. If the city wants us to follow rules, you should follow those same rules. (Applause.)
All I ask is that before you enact this legislation, you think about how we as landlords are supposed to follow it if you as a city won't hold up your end of the bargain. We're the ones who create housing for the city. Are we not allowed to earn something? Are we not allowed to have justice?
Thank you so much. Thank you very much. I know that there's more work to be done on the city's part. I also know that Member O'Rourke is willing to have continued conversations with the landlord community. Thanks for your comment today. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your comment.
Good afternoon. My name is Michael Reed. I am a Navy veteran. I'm also a landlord here in Philadelphia. I'm a small landlord. I have two quadruplexes, two triplexes. I've been able to provide housing for families 8 here in the City of Philadelphia 9 since I made my first real estate 10 purchase in 2022. 11 And I know every 12 landlord's experience is different, 13 but I'd like to take an opportunity 14 to thank the City of Philadelphia at this point for all of the programs that have been put in place to assist people. I first became a landlord right before the COVID-19 pandemic. And I watched 90% of my tenants fall on hard times through lost work. Then the city came with the rental assist program, and it allowed me to continue to pay my mortgage payments and allow my tenants to remain in their buildings. So thank you for that. As my buildings aged, as I was short on capital myself, there was another program that I had the opportunity to take part in, and that is the Rental Improvement Fund. I received at least $50,000 for each of my properties and I was able to allow my tenants to have more updated living conditions, more outdoor space, safer homes. So thank you for that. Most recently, I had a tenant who I gave her the information for the Turn the Key program, and she did an application for the Turn the Key program. She got accepted. And her biggest worry was, Mike, we're in the middle of another lease but I did receive the opportunity to join this program. And because I'm so supportive of the city and the program, I allowed her to break her lease early. And as of March 1st this year, she moved into her Turn the Key home with her son and her partner. (Applause.)
I've been a licensed general contractor with the city and I've completed all the requirements for that and has given me the opportunity to learn so much about what it takes to have a safe and healthy home. And I'm proud to say that all 14 of my units have washers and dryers in units, Quartz countertops, central air, Ring cameras. All of my rents are at least 20% to 30% below what the developers in my neighborhood are charging. (Applause.)
Right now in order to participate in many of the programs that the City of Philadelphia offers, they got all up in my business, but it was good because it made sure I stayed compliant as a landlord. All of my units have active rental licenses. All of my tenants have received their lead paint safety. Everybody has property insurance, and I am a tax-paying rental landlord in the City of Philadelphia. And what the Safe and Healthy Homes Act is going to do, thanks to you guys, is hold these other larger developers accountable for -- (Applause.)
Well, again this was just my opportunity to say thank you for the work that you all put in, to bring this program to fruition. Small landlords like me you definitely got my support. And if there's anything I could do to offer more affordability to the city, please don't hesitate to reach out. (Applause.)
Thanks so much to all of you. Will the Clerk please call the next few public commenters.
Gareth -- excuse me, Garth Even, Linnea Bond, Jax Hebner, Sonya Sanders. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Hi. My name is Sonya Sanders. I'm a proud member of Philly Thrive. I lived in Grays Ferry for all my life. I lived on 32nd Street for 27 years with my husband Ray. In this house, we had holes in the floorboards, in the sheet rock. You can literally see through the floorboards when you are standing in the basement, the holes, and look upstairs. This also led to utility and electrical challenges, including incredibly high bills on top of everything else. We had bugs flying into our house. We had so many holes in our walls from the outside in, that bugs could fly in. Literally big cockroaches would fly in our home. And we had to -- do you know how bad it is that you have to tape -- and desperate you are that you have to tape your walls so the bugs won't come in. We had to tape our walls and tape our ceilings. That's all we had. So we used what we had. These living conditions were detrimental to my physical and mental health as well as my family's health. Then Ray, he passed away, and I had no choice but to move out of that house and out of my neighborhood that I lived in all my life. When I moved, I was excited. I was like I'm getting a chance to move out of this terrible home into a better home, that this has got to be the only landlord that's terrible, a slumlord. But I was mistaken. I was forced into another unsafe rental because I couldn't afford anywhere else to live. In this rental, I didn't have electricity for weeks during summer hot heat waves, including no refrigerator, no air conditioner, no stove. I went months without water, months without bathing, months having to buy water from the store to even flush my toilet. But did my landlord do anything? No. I have text after text of complaints to him. This is my story. But I know it's also the story of people across the city. 40% of rental properties in Philadelphia need major repairs. We need the city who works for us to hold slumlords accountable, to hold these bum-lords accountable, so everyone can live in a safe, healthy home. I say today that I think y'all, because I'm not here to complain about the landlords who are doing their job. That's not what I'm coming here to do. That's not what we are here to do. We're talking about the landlords who don't do their jobs. We're talking about the ones who are home with health conditions. We're talking about people who can't even get downstairs --
I'm sorry. Can I ask that you wrap up your testimony in the next 10 seconds.
-- because the elevators wasn't working. We are glad that this is now a part of safe, healthy homes, that we can live in safe, healthy homes. We are thankful for that.
You're welcome. Nicolas O'Rourke, thank you. Thank you so much for all you did for us. We appreciate you. (Applause.)
Thank you so much. We're going to move on to the next public commenter. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your comment.
Hello. My name is Jax Hebner. I'm a member of the Philadelphia Tenants Union, and I'm also a law student at Temple and I'm a legal aid worker on the front lines of the city's housing crisis. I've spoken to thousands of tenants in the city about their living conditions. And time and time again, I hear and see deteriorating ones. Conditions I'm sure all of you, and especially landlords, would not want to live in, much less pay rent for. Demanding rent for unsafe living conditions is theft. Landlords rent out properties to get rental income and we understand that. So we want landlords to understand that their rental income is our hard-earned money. If we are paying rent to them, it better be up to healthy standards. The profit interest of landlords are as light as a feather in comparison to the gravity of consequences tenants face when they are forced to live in unhealthy conditions. Proactive inspections do not harm good landlords. Regulating unfair evictions does not harm good landlords. The current inadequate legal system that allows for negligent, absentee landlords to profit at the expense of tenants must change. We, the people of Philadelphia, deserve a government capable of ensuring that we have access to safe and health healthy homes. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you so much. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your comment.
My name is Linnea Bond. I'm a renter with four other adults in District 5. I'm lucky to have a great landlord, but I live next to a house owned by a landlord that I can only guess has had multiple violations because the home was pictured in a WHYY article about this legislation. He has told his renters to open windows when they smell gas, rather than call PGW, which makes sense. Because when they did call PGW, the PGW found an illegal heater on the other side of the wall that I sleep on, that would have been caught in a preemptive inspection. This is not to mention the mold my neighbors complained of and the fact that the third floor tenant had to store all of her cereal and pasta in the fridge because of infestations. But as the Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, I want to highlight what doctors have told me about the impact on patients. You already heard from Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens, the founder of the Community Asthma Prevention Program from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who wrote to me that she sees the impact of indoor conditions on asthmatic kids, as she mentioned here, 80% of whom live in rental housing. I have so many pediatricians telling me when they're sending kids home to a house with mold infestations and a landlord who doesn't care, you know you'll see them again. Kids are particularly vulnerable, but obviously housing conditions affect everyone's health, regardless of age. So thank you for your vote today and we'll keep working to educate your colleagues. (Applause.)
Thank you so much. Thanks to all of you. Will the Clerk please call the next few public commenters.
Bill Vargas, Sandra Bryant, Dawud Bey, Mary Laughlin. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Good afternoon. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your comment -- sorry, one second. Councilmember O'Rourke.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to offer just some remarks that in the course of the last couple of weeks, as we're getting down to the nitty- gritty on these bills, I had the opportunity, thanks to you actually, to be able to connect with the next commenter here today, Mr. Dawud Bey, who is a small -- is a landowner, a landlord here in the City of Philadelphia. I just want to thank him for his conversation and really shedding the light on some things that we can be addressing. As Member Jones has mentioned already, my commitment to continue to work through things with stakeholders as we go forward towards final passage. And so, I appreciate those persons who offer genuine ideas around things that we commonly agree are concerned to create a better city and a better process for all persons. Certainly we're winning for tenants today. And also, I hear the concerns with small landlords that we share as it relates to L&I and things of that nature. And I appreciate Mr. Bey for engaging in good-faith conversation to be able to address those things. I just want to lift that up before he begins to speak, that I do appreciate him. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Madam.
Thank you, Member O'Rourke. Please, first person, state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Okay. Thank you, ma'am. My name is Dawud Bey and I appreciate the opportunity to speak today. I was actually not going to speak because I seen the bill was passed through committee, but I did want to speak kind of to even speak to the point that Councilman Jones made as it relates to putting on the record that we will continue to work with Councilman O'Rourke on the bill to try to see where we can find more common ground. So I wanted to thank him for that. And I also just still wanted to kind of place a little bit of balance. Again, my name is Dawud Bey. I'm a representative of the BIA, which is the Philadelphia Building Industry Association. I am also a long-term resident of Philadelphia. My company is called Fine Print Construction, and we specialize in affordable housing as well as affordable rentals. Literally out of 15 of my units, so I'm still considered a small landlord, 10 of those units is PHA, so I'm completely committed to affordable rentals and affordable housing. But at the same time, what I'm hearing in these type of settings is the fact that we looking for accountability, right. So in accountability, it goes both ways, you know, because we got that slumlord that don't want to do nothing, want to leave people stranded in their units and don't fix the units and things to that extent. But you also have what we call the professional renter. That professional renter is the person -- (Applause.)
That professional renter is the person who have no intent at all to pay their rent. These people can write legislation better than some of our lawyers that's writing these legislations right now. They know the law backwards. So I say that to say that we have to find accountability. While we have eviction diversion program, a beautiful program Councilwoman Rue, me and you have spoke about it in the past. It allows me to be able to, you know, get a tenant an opportunity to get on their feet, collect my three months' rent, but at the same time, I may not want to deal with that tenant no more, not for no retaliation or anything to that extent. I might want to raise my rent or I might just don't want to be dealing with that tenant because I got to chase the tenant around in order to pay my mortgage. So you're looking at a building that's six units and you lose three tenants that's not paying no rent, your whole performance is messed up. You literally can go bankrupt. You literally will have to file 4 bankruptcy. Because at the end of the day, I'm a person, I do affordable housing. I'm a general contractor as well so I make other money, granted, right. So I'm able to float some of the months that the tenant is not paying the bills. But at the end of the day, should I have to pay they bills? No. At the end of the day, people got to be accountable for their own actions and their own responsibilities. We got to stop playing that game on the city, blaming it on landlords and everything. Like I said, we talking about -- a lot of these people, a lot of these associations, we talking about the small landlord. When you look at these big landlords that own 10,000 units, 100 units, they represent 2% of the landlords in the City of Philadelphia. We just need to find more balance. I want to continue to work with City Council to figure out where we can find that balance. The BIA is committed to working towards those actionable items that we believe that's in good faith and that we know that there's a middle course to that route. So thank you very much for allowing me to speak. I'm very grateful. Thank you. (Applause.)
Sorry, Chair. You wasn't here, but thank you so much. Appreciate what you did as far as making the connection with us as well. Thank you very much.
We appreciate you. Thank you. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your public comment.
Hi. My name is Sandra Bryant Downing. I live in Northwest Philadelphia -- okay. I live in Northwest Philadelphia. I'm a proud member of the NDAA and One PA. I used to live in a basement apartment. It was okay at first. As soon as winter came, it was leaking and the mold was on the wall. It affected my breathing and I started breathing short all the time. I used bleach. I called the landlord. He cursed me out and I'm thinking like I should just unlive in it, and I stopped paying the rent so he took me to court. And the judge said I shouldn't have to pay because this house, it was -- it shouldn't be rented from the first place. So I'm just asking you, Councilmember, just be like -- just offer renters and we are counting on you to vote yes and protect renters. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you so much for your comment. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your public comment.
Hi. My name is Mary Laughlin. I live in a 183-unit apartment building in Holmesburg. The owners are from out of town. The conditions have worsened over the last five years. No snow plows, mice and bugs. No 23 carbon monoxide detectors for over a month. Five fire alarms three weeks ago every day, Monday through Friday while at least inches of 3 ice in parking lot. Throughout the building, all three buildings, giant holes in ceilings, washrooms. Many of us are senior citizens. We call and complain to property management and all we get are lies and excuses amongst ourselves. We complain, but tenants are afraid for them to retaliate and not renew leases. Their goal is to get longstanding tenants out so they can update into luxury apartments. We are begging for the Safe and Healthy Homes bill 17 to be passed. (Applause.)
Will the Clerk please call the next few public commenters.
Debbie Rhoe, Reverend Greg Holston, Carlos Boothe, Joy Ahn, Kim Neubauer. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Please state your name for the record and proceed with your comment.
I'm Bill 13 Vargas. I apologize for my earlier outburst. I thought you were not going to take comments. Especially, I apologize to Councilwoman Landau. Last time I sat in front of this committee, you had put out a series of bills which were going to be very harmful to landlords. And I guess you must have listened to our testimony because I guess that got tabled. I'm not going to apologize to Mr. O'Rourke. He put out a bunch of bills earlier. They were found to be unworkable. Now, they're being regurgitated and brought back and they're ridiculous. They will never result in any kind of healthy homes like they're supposed to. And I'll tell you why. I had a tenant who sucked $28,000 out of my pocket. I'm going to say that again so that Representative Gauthier can hear this, Councilwoman. She sucked $28,000 out of my pocket. This woman made $114,000 a year, so we're not talking about helping people who are poor and broke. And the way she did it and the way she was able to --
I just wanted to make sure you said your -- I wasn't sure if you said your name on record.
Bill 2 Vargas. I'm a landlord. The way that she did it was, well, first of all, four months she didn't pay. I took her to eviction court, but three of those months I was unable to get my rental suitability certificate. You know why? Because the City of Philadelphia, and they do this every year, they send you a bill, they say you owe taxes, they give you no details and they give you no way to appeal. So I was fighting the city. That means calling every day, being on hold hours and hours before they hang up on you at 5 o'clock, and then you come back the next day and do the same thing. So for three months, I was fighting with the City of Philadelphia over taxes and could not renew my rental license. So the judge threw out those three months out of the four that she owed me, out of the 8000 that she owed me, 6000 thrown away. And that's what we're talking about. We're talking about nothing that's going to help tenants. We're just talking about landlords being penalized for not printing a piece of paper. And he said, Mr. Vargas, I'm very sorry that I have to do this, but the idiots at City Hall keep passing these legislation and I have to uphold the law. So then she paid the 2000, avoided eviction, and then didn't pay again rent for another several months. So I had to take her back to court. Now, she was ordered to pay me $10,000, and then she appealed. She didn't have to put up a dime. I had to put up money because you have one of these crazy, insane Philadelphia rules that says, if you're an LLC, you have to hire an attorney. So I had to pay $1,500. She didn't have to pay a dime. Now, I won again because she keeps going into court falsifying documents. And now, she's ordered to pay me $16,000. Now, when I had this happen in Delaware County on my properties, when people get defeated in court, they have appeal, they have to put up money that they've been -- the judgment amount. And then if they lose the appeal, I get that money. But in Philadelphia, 10,000, 16,000, guess how much of the 16,000 that she was ordered to pay me I've received in the 10 months that have gone by since? You already know it. Not a dime, not a dime, because of how this city operates. So, therefore, I did at least have one thing. That is, the court order that she has to be evicted. So the first month, I'm waiting on the Sheriff --
Okay. You did allow somebody who was a tenant to testify for nine-and-a-half minutes.
At any rate, I was unable -- I have to -- while I'm waiting for the Sheriff to show up for three months, my license expired. I have to go in and get a lead paint test. So I bring a guy in and of course, we are surrounded by her relatives pulling in cars threatening us --