Don’t lock renters out of affordable housing policy

The housing crisis in Pennsylvania means that for too many people, a stable home is out of reach, especially for those living paycheck-to-paycheck or on fixed incomes. If a person is fortunate enough to have a safe, healthy home, they may be at risk of losing it all with just one stroke of bad luck.

Politicians are taking notice. That’s why Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced her Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) Initiative to preserve, restore and build 30,000 homes in the city. In addition, Gov. Josh Shapiro has signaled his intention to address housing instability by issuing an executive order last year to direct his administration to create a comprehensive statewide plan.

While elected officials know there’s a problem, they’re forgetting a key constituency: low-income renters like me. Real estate developers and multi-state property moguls attend high-dollar fundraisers in Harrisburg and Center City Philadelphia, making sure they have their say in housing policy. And they’re handsomely rewarded for it. Mayor Parker’s H.O.M.E. plan has designated hundreds of millions of dollars for big developers and landlords – but less than 5% of the $2 billion in funding goes to renters.

Meanwhile, housing advocates have met with thousands of people throughout the commonwealth in urban, suburban and rural communities. By listening to the people of Pennsylvania and not the real estate lobby, we’ve come to understand what people need to feel safe in their homes: expanding tenants’ rights and protections; investing in affordable housing; prioritizing equitable development; and ensuring rights and dignity for our unhoused neighbors.

I personally understand this. I know what it’s like to live in an unsafe, unhealthy home under the control of an absentee landlord. Name the problem, and I’ve probably had it in my apartment in North Philadelphia.

For years, the smell of raw sewage permeated my building. The landlord didn’t fix it until the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections held them accountable. I’ve had water leaks throughout my apartment, including in my bedroom. It took the landlord months to fix the moldy tiles in the drop ceiling that resulted from it. My kitchen floor caved in due to water damage, which itself was the result of an improper repair of a leak in the pipes under my sink. My back door was off its hinges for years. I’ve had squirrels in my home.

And when I spoke up for myself, after the landlord charged electricity in my building’s basement to my account, one of their representatives targeted me with a race- and gender-based slur. It wasn’t until I joined Renters United Philadelphia and spoke up for my rights and those of others that the landlord finally became responsive to the problems in my apartment. While it’s empowering to be involved in this way, a person shouldn’t have to go through the trouble of becoming an activist to have basic repairs done by their property owner.

Every Pennsylvanian deserves to live in a safe, healthy home, no matter who they are, where they live, or whether they rent or own. Pennsylvania needs a comprehensive tenants’ bill of rights. We should be free from retaliation when we report absentee landlords to proper authorities. We need proactive rental inspection programs and the freedom to organize tenant unions and associations.

Tenants also deserve due process in eviction proceedings. That includes the right to counsel, the sealing of eviction records and a moratorium on wintertime evictions.

Gov. Shapiro and Mayor Parker may reward Big Real Estate in their housing plans. But people like me shouldn’t be forgotten in the process.