Maria for Mayor | Accomplishments | Housing

Maria's Accomplishments

Housing

FOCUS ON HOUSING AND GROWING NEIGHBORHOODS

Maria is a leading voice fighting for investments in affordable and accessible housing and creating tools to preserve affordability in every neighborhood. She is committed to ensuring that all Philadelphians can access safe, affordable housing with access to transit, great schools, and family-sustaining jobs.

In the 7th District, Maria led the city in remapping and zoning code reform to preserve neighborhood character and history, spur growth in neighborhood commercial corridors, promote mixed-income, mixed-use development by working closely with community organizations to ensure that development enhances quality of life for long-term residents without displacement.

CITY-WIDE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INITIATIVES:

Maria has authored over 30 major bills to prevent displacement, keep families in their homes, and promote equitable development. These tools include: income-based tax payment plans and tax relief for low-income homeowners (OOPA, LOOP, Senior Tax Freeze and the Homestead Exemption); utility supports including Philadelphia’s internationally recognized water affordability program (TAP); and direct assistance for rent, down payments, home repairs, and eviction and foreclosure prevention.

COVID-19 RENTAL ASSISTANCE & EMERGENCY HOUSING PROTECTIONS ACT:

Maria aggressively supported the Emergency Housing Protections Act, which provided emergency protections for landlords and tenants during the pandemic, including eviction moratorium, eviction diversion program, a repayment plan, and prohibitions against late fees and illegal lockouts. As Appropriations Committee Chair, Maria led the process for distributing close to $400 million in federal, state, and local emergency rental assistance to landlords and tenants, and helped simplify the design of phases 1-4 of PHLRentAssist to disburse funds immediately and directly to landlords and tenants in crisis before and after the onset of the pandemic.

$100 MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING:

In 2018, Maria won an unprecedented commitment of $100 million for the Housing Trust Fund for affordable housing and homelessness prevention. This fiveyear investment supported equitable development,
assisted first-time homeowners, and constructed new affordable units, which resulted from yearslong negotiation with housing advocates, industry stakeholders, and the Kenney administration.

EXPANDING THE MIXED INCOME HOUSING BONUS:

In 2018, Maria authored the expanded Mixed Income Housing Bonus, which is a critical tool for growing diverse and mixed-income neighborhoods, to incentivize affordable housing development and generate revenue for the Housing Trust Fund. This
win-win program immediately exceeded revenue estimates, and, in her district, led to the most affordable units created by the private market.

BLACK STIMULUS PACKAGE:

In 2020, Maria led a successful campaign for a Black Stimulus Package, which focused on real and longterm investments in Black and Brown communities. The resolution passed. As a compromise, the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative was created and included $400 million in borrowing to grow affordable housing, particularly home ownership