by pcacadmin | Feb 4, 2016 | Affordable Housing, News, Uncategorized
The State of our Coalition in 2015 The Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities’ first membership meeting of the year, held on January 27, 2016, was filled to capacity. Together, we recounted highlights of our work in 2015, and began by celebrating the exciting growth of our Coalition in the past year, from 27 to 44 organizations! We recalled our powerful press conference last March with 150 supporters! There, we unveiled new research and a policy proposal to increase funding to the Housing Trust Fund through an anti-speculation tax on the practice of flipping houses. When City Council reconvened after its summer break, we rallied to urge Council to pass legislation without delay to increase affordable, accessible housing and green space. More than 85 Coalition supporters erupted in chants, demanding to know “Who will be our champion?” Before the meeting, we delivered petitions to Council’s Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless, with signatures of 2,000 people in support of our demands. Throughout the year, Coalition members continued organizing in our communities and continuing our advocacy. At Housing Trust Fund meetings, we presented our proposal on how we can increase funding and, at Land Bank hearings, we testified on the need to establish specific targets for affordable accessible housing and green space. Housing For All in Washington, D.C. Wins $100 Million for Affordable Housing! Our guest speaker, Elizabeth Falcon, Director of Housing Advocacy at the Washington, D.C.’s Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED), gave a tremendous presentation on their inspiring Housing For All Campaign. The Campaign began in 2010 at a time of drastic cuts to the...
by pcacadmin | Mar 10, 2015 | Displacement, Gentrificaton, News, Philadelphia
With words like “glam,” building “pedigree,” “hot” neighborhoods, and “luxification,” Philadelphia Magazine’s Philadelphia’s New Boom article clearly highlights who is going to benefit from our city’s revitalization- the wealthy. The investments are a sign that our city is on the upswing, but with (multi-) million dollar homes being built it is clear that, in some neighborhoods, Philadelphia is facing growing inequality. Philadelphia has tackled a declining population for decades and our recent resurgence has meant significant changes in our housing market. As a city we are in serious need of a boost to our tax base and this new development can help bring that. But even as housing costs skyrocket, income levels for most Philadelphians are shrinking. Philadelphia remains one of the poorest major cities in the nation and this housing boom does nothing to address the needs of seniors, disabled citizens, and working families- many of whom struggle to stay in the communities they call home. If our city lets development proceed unchecked, we could soon be facing the same housing crises that plague San Francisco and Boston, where even firefighters and teachers cannot afford to live in the city where they work. We need to make sure that we are preserving affordability in rapidly changing neighborhoods so that those who are committed to and invested in our communities can afford to stay. We want to see Philadelphia revitalized in a way that does not displace the people who have lived through this city’s disinvestment. We want to be a city where every neighborhood has: • Economic and racial diversity, • Affordable, accessible housing options, • Local businesses...
by pcacadmin | Sep 11, 2014 | News
On the morning of September 11th, more than 60 of our members launched our Development without Displacement campaign by attending the first City Council Meeting of the fall session. We announced our campaign with numbers, and showed our collective unity by filling the council chamber while wearing our new green Development without Displacement shirts. The goal of our action was to show City Council that our coalition consisting of many of the core community, disability, faith, labor, and urban agriculture groups as the Campaign to Take Back Vacant Land, is going to continue to fight for accessible affordable housing and fresh food production. Similar to our last campaign to pass a fair, accountable, and transparent Land Bank, we have joined together to pass a suite of legislation that can slow the tide of displacement that is sweeping over many of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. Our call to fight displacement in Philadelphia’s communities resonated with at least one council person. Councilman Kenyatta Johnson draped one of our shirts on the back of his chair in support of Development without Displacement. He also pleasantly surprised us by announcing and welcoming our coalition to the entire chamber. After the action we held a spirited debrief outside of City Hall. We’re excited to be working together to launch this campaign to ensure Development without Displacement! ...
