Philadelphia’s struggle with housing insecurity

As a teen, Destiny Jackson, was placed into the city’s foster care system to be removed from an abusive home. She was later transferred to Youth Services, Inc (YSI)’s youth emergency shelter. 

Jackson says YSI helped her through high school and saw her off to Spelman College. YSI eventually merged with People’s Emergency Center (PEC) to become what is now HopePHL. 

Jackson now works for HopePHL as a case manager for rapid re-housing, assisting single mothers experiencing domestic violence. 

“I know what it’s like to live with someone who is supposed to love you but doesn’t really care for you,” said Jackson. 

Jackson and her clients are among many Americans who struggle with unstable housing. This makes homeownership unattainable for many and even keeping up with rent prices difficult. 

Housing insecurity occurs when someone does not have access to sustainable, safe, affordable, and stable housing. According to Pew’s State of the City report, the number of unhoused people in the city has increased by 10%. 

Although the poverty rate has decreased, almost 20% of the city’s population still live below the poverty line. A research brief on housing in Philadelphia from the University of Pennsylvania found that about 30% of renters and 16% of homeowners in the city spend more than 50% of their income on housing. 

The brief also states that more than half of all renters in Philadelphia are low income and a little less than half of the homeowners. 

Homelessness and Affordable Housing

Philadelphia has about 5,000 people who are experiencing homelessness according to Penn’s Current Housing Needs in Philadelphia research brief. 

“When we talk about the homeless we don’t always talk about homeless families,” said Kathy Desmond, HopePHL’s President. “ You don’t always see children that are experiencing homelessness because those families tend to be doubled up, staying with other relatives.” 

 HopePHL also provides transitional housing, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing. 

Another organization that assists people who are experiencing homelessness or have in the past is ProjectHOME.

Mayor Parker’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E) two billion dollar Initiative  aims to build and preserve 30,000 housing units in the city. The H.O.M.E initiative also aims to incentivize developers to build affordable housing and provide financial assistance to homeowners and renters. 

The city’s planning and development department did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication. 

According to Penn’s research brief on housing needs in Philadelphia, there is no shortage of housing for those who live at or above 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). But for those who live at or below 30% of the AMI, there is a shortage of over 60,000 units. 

Both ProjectHOME and HopePHL say that having a plan is essential, but there may still be some gaps in the plan where the needs of the people are not fully met.

“The H.O.M.E. Initiative has the potential to align stakeholders across housing, homelessness, and mental health systems,” said Jazzmyn Gamble, ProjectHOME’s Media and External Relations Officer, said in a statement to Generocity. “But without formal mechanisms for setting shared priorities and measuring successful transitions from the streets into permanent housing, the city will continue to struggle to address the crises that disrupt pathways to housing stability.” 

The city also has proactive measures to help Philadelphians avoid homelessness altogether. 

The city’s eviction diversion program helps renters avoid eviction by using targeted financial assistance and mediation to resolve issues between renters and landlords. 

Eviction diversion must be initiated by the landlord and requires that a tenant owe less than $3500 to qualify for financial assistance and have an income less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Mayor Parker’s H.O.M.E. initiative recommends the continuation of this program. 

There is also an eviction diversion plan specifically for Philadelphians living in housing owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority. 

However, according to the University of Pennsylvania’s State of Subsidized Housing in Philadelphia report, the ability to maintain subsidized housing in Philadelphia can have some challenges. The report explains two types of risk: exit and expiration. 

Exit risk occurs when an owner is only required to provide subsidized housing for a certain period of time. After that period, the owner can choose to renew or exit, which would allow them to raise the rent.

In expiration risk, the affordability and financing restrictions end, and the owner will need to apply for a new form of assistance to continue providing affordable housing. In West Philadelphia, there are currently 925 units for sale that are set to expire.

Councilwoman Jamie Gautheir is rallying with her constituents to ask the city to buy the units and keep them affordable. 

Living in a Healthy Home

Mayor Parker’s H.O.M.E. initiative recommends the continuation of home repairs through the Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP), which will be available to Philadelphians earning up to 100% of the AMI. BSRP will address roof, electrical, plumbing, heating, and carpentry emergencies.  

The mayor’s initiative also supports other home repair programs, such as the federal government’s Housing and Urban Development’s Healthy Homes program, the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA)’s Heater Hotline, and the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA)’s Built to Last, among many others. 

Last month, the city council passed the Safe Healthy Homes Act, which expanded protections for renters. This act requires the city to run a rental inspection program and mandates that landlords give their tenants a written notice before terminating their lease. 

Advocates say this act will be able to hold larger landlords accountable to their tenants. 

“These landlords just want to collect money; they don’t want to spend money on the necessary repairs,” said Shawmar Pitts, Co-Managing Director of Philly Thrive. 

The organization began advocating for the Safe Healthy Homes Act when they realized that so many people in their area of operation were renters. Pitts says that gentrifying developers would target elderly people in their community who could not keep up with the necessary repairs in their homes. 

The Gap in Affordability

Philadelphia has developed many plans, programs, and partnerships to tackle housing instability. The city’s efforts range from large initiatives like H.O.M.E. to more focused actions such as eviction diversion and preserving subsidized housing. These steps show that leaders see how big and complicated the crisis is. Still, rising rents, too few truly affordable homes, and a lack of coordination between systems show that having a strategy is not enough.

Policymakers, advocates, and service providers are trying to work together, but the main challenge is ensuring help reaches the people most at risk of being overlooked. Without enough ongoing investment, better accountability, and more attention to the lowest-income residents, the gap between housing policy and real life may likely continue. This means thousands of Philadelphians may still struggle to find stable housing in a system meant to help them.

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This story is part of Generocity’s 2026 Flourishing Series, supported by People’s Media Fund