Dignity Housing's early history is deeply routed in advocacy and organizing with and on behalf of low-income and homeless families and individuals. There have been significant strides made in addressing the housing, employment, education and supportive services needs of those who are homeless in the City of Philadelphia. However, unmet needs are still a reality for thousands of low-income citizens and individuals who currently are at risk of becoming homeless. Each night more than 3000 people sleep in shelters and mothers with children constitute half of this population. The number of chronically homeless individuals, sleeping on the streets have as low as 100, but now approaching 500. Clearly more resources and initiatives are required to truly achieve the goals of Philadelphia's Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.
Dignity's staff, board and tenants have redoubled our commitment to promoting responsive policies (at the local, state, and federal level), affordable and decent housing, jobs at livable wage, education opportunities, health and child care for low-income individuals and families in Philadelphia. Toward that end, in 2007 our agency established the senior level staff position Contracts Monitor / Policy Analyst. Ms. Vanessa Tercero, Dignity former Director of Social Services, assumed this role. She will insure that our tenants, supporters and potential allies are kept informed on develpments in the McKinney-Vento Act Homeless Assistance Programs, local and state government and lesgislative initiatives, Dignity's involvement in coalitions, as well as issues addressed by the board network of homeless and housing service providers. Periodic 'calls to action' and updates regarding Dignity's advocacy will be posted on our website's Policy and Advocacy Section.
Family Service Provider Network Advocates for the HEARTH Act - H.R. 840
The HEARTH Act is a strong legislation that would re-write the rules governing HUD's McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grant Programs, better enabling urban, suburban, and rural communities to end homelessness. According to the NPCAH, the HEARTH Bill will be moving along, but not in the direction that most national advocates, service providers and local officials suggest. It is expected that in July 08 the House Financial Services Committee will consider the HEARTH Bill and make some changes. Congresswoman Maxine Waters of Los Angeles is proposing a broader set of alterations to the bill through a "managers amendment". The changes being supported by Congresswoman Waters would turn HEARTH into a bill that is almost identical to the Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act - S. 1518, the Senate legislation and one that HUD officials support.
To learn more about the issue and lasted update on the HEARTH Bill please click on the link below.
The majority of Philadelphia's homeless are young, single mothers with small children. (n3)
The Housing Crisis Economic improvements have lagged behind the escalating need for affordable housing. Supply has not met demand, and the Philadelphia community is suffering. Affordable housing is a necessity in reducing the amount of people living both on the streets and in shelters. In Philadelphia, the absence of such housing is a leading cause of homelessness.
There is need for 60,000 additional units of affordable housing for low-income families in Philadelphia. (n10)
The demand for shelter is rising. In 1995 the demand for shelter increased by 11%. In 2003 the demand for shelter rose another 13%. (n14)
At the same time the stock of affordable housing has been shrinking. Statistics indicate a more than 25% decrease in housing stock over the past 25 years. Between 1997 and 1999 alone, the number of units of affordable housing for very low-income households dropped by 1.14 million and by 750,000 for extremely low-income households. (n15)
Less than one-third of Philadelphians who are eligible for housing assistance get it. (n11)
Quality Housing
The condition of existing housing is not good for low-income families. More than half of the available housing units in Philadelphia were built before 1934.
Exposure to lead paint has remained a problem in aged Philadelphia homes (many of these where lower income families reside). In 2001, 6,000 children tested positive for lead poisoning and had unhealthy levels of lead in their blood. (n17)
The increasing amount of violence in areas where low-income families can find housing also remains a problem. 102,400 households reported a desire to move due to the presence of crime. (n17)
Employment and The Housing Wage Despite common assumptions about homeless people, 44% of the homeless population is employed. (n16)
However, Philadelphia as a community has suffered job loss. In the past few decades, tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost, only some of which have been replaced by lower paying service sector jobs. (n17)
The minimum wage is insufficient to cover the cost of housing. The real value of minimum wage is down 30 percent since 1968 and 24 percent since 1979. (n17)
As reported in 2004 by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a minimum wage earner (earning $5.15 per hour) can afford monthly rent of no more than $268, while the Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom unit is $596 and two-bedroom unit is $962. (n2)
In other words, a worker earning minimum wage must work 144 hours per week in order to afford a two-bedroom unit at the area's Fair Market Rent. (n2)
Ultimately, for a full-time worker (40-hours per week) to afford a two-bedroom unit at Fair Market Rent, they must earn an hourly wage of $18.50.
Almost 130,000 Philadelphia households have an annual income below $20,000 and pay more than they can afford on housing. (n13)
What’s Being Done? As a nation, a city, and a community we are confronted with unceasing challenges down the path to defeating homelessness and poverty. Dignity is working with other community and government organizations to make sure that our mission to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty in the City of Philadelphia not only remains priority, but accomplishes repeated success.
Housing Trust Fund On July 14, 2005, Governor Ed Rendell signed into law Philadelphia County’s first Housing Trust Fund to help address the growing affordable housing crisis faced by low- and moderate-income residents in Philadelphia. City Council members Jannie L. Blackwell and Blondell Reynolds Brown are sponsoring a local bill to create the trust fund. Proposed and endorsed by more than 100 Philadelphia organizations including Dignity, the Housing Trust Fund is expected to contribute nearly 275 units of affordable housing, assist more than 900 homeowners with home repairs, and prevent nearly 1,000 families from becoming homeless. The Fund is also expected to have an $85 million economic impact on the city every year. (n13)
The primary mission of the fund is to support housing production, increasing it by nearly 60 percent. Also, it will leverage up to $36 million annually in outside public and private resources that would not otherwise come to Philadelphia and is anticipated to provide up to an additional $15 million a year in housing resources. The primary funding of the project will come from the doubling of fees for recording deeds and mortgages. Additionally, the city of Philadelphia has already committed $1.5 million towards the Housing Trust Fund through the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative. (n13) And, on June 9th the Philadelphia City Council voted unanimously to pass Bill #050059 and create the Philadelphia Housing Trust Fund. The State Senate must still pass enabling legislation in order for the fund to become operational.
According to Philadelphia’s OHCD, housing production, housing preservation, homeownership and resource leveraging are the key factors in addressing the needs of the city for the upcoming year. The culmination of these objectives will support production of more affordable housing and less vacant or abandoned homes, in addition to promoting private sector investment into Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.(n9)
Philadelphia's 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness The City of Philadelphia in collaboration with over 100 government agencies and service providers, has put together a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. The Plan calls for the the city to successfully "create homes so that affordable housing is available to all, improve systems to that we respond humanely and appropriately when homelessness is inevitable, and strengthen our community so that homelessness can be prevented as much as possible."
Read The National Alliance to End HomelessnessNewsletter or, visit The National Alliance to End Homelessness Website.
REFERENCES
n1. The crisis in america’s housing: confronting myths and promoting a balanced housing policy. (2005). Retrieved Mar. 21, 2005, from The National Low Income Housing Coalition Web site: http://www.nlihc.org/research/housingmyths.pdf.
n3.Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition. Our Way home: A Blueprint to End Homelessness in Philadelphia. Retrieved February 11, 2005, from http://www.homelessphila.org/gpuac.pdf.
n4. The City of Philadelphia, (2005). Fiscal 2006 operating budget – as proposed to the council january 2005. Retrieved Mar. 23, 2005, from phila.gov Web site: http://www.phila.gov/pdfs/Budget%20in%20Brief.pdf.
(Fiscal 2006 Operating Budget – As Proposed to the Council January 2005, 2005)
n6. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, (2005). Housing opportunities for persons with aids (hopwa) program. Retrieved Mar. 23, 2005, from Community Planning and Development Web site: http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/aidshousing/programs/index.cfm.
n7.Citizen's Housing and Planning Association, (2005). Congress acts on budget national low income housing coalition. Retrieved Mar. 23, 2005, from Citizen's Housing and Planning Association Web site: http://www.chapa.org/nlihc_budget032105.html.
n8. The City of Philadelphia, (n.d.). Neighborhood transformation initiative. Retrieved Mar. 28, 2005, from The City of Philadelphia: Neighborhood Transformation Initiative Web site: http://www.phila.gov/ohcd/CAPER/CAPER/go2004.htm.
n10. Cartographic Modeling Laboratory at Penn. (April 2, 2003). Penn Study: One in Four Philadelphia Households Faces Extreme Difficulty Finding Affordable Housing. Research at Penn: Society. Retrieved November 18, 2004 from http://www.upenn.edu/researchatpenn/article.php?625&soc.
n12. People's Emergency Center, (2005). Pec perspective. Retrieved Apr. 13, 2005, from People's Emergency Center : Serving Homeless Families since 1972. Web site: http://www.pec-cares.org/e-alert/.
n13. Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, (n.d.). The philadelphia housing trust fund campaign. Retrieved Apr. 13, 2005, from The Housing Trust Fund Web site: http://www.pacdc.org/TrustFund/.
n14. U.S. Conference of Mayors. Hunger and Homelessness Survey: A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities. (December 2003). Retrieved January 24, 2005.
n15. Office of Policy Development and Research, US Department of Housing and Urban Development. A Report on the Worst Case housing Needs in 1999: New Opportunity Amid Continuing Challenges. (January 2001). Retrieved November 18, 2004 from http://www.huduser.org/publications/affhsg/wc99.pdf.
Facing Homelessness 