Reports & Research

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Income is not keeping pace with rising housing costs & housing expenses are out of reach for too many Philadelphians

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Since 2000, the median home value rose 120%, while median income rose only 7%.

 

Half of all renters and more than 25% of all homeowners pay more than they can afford for housing.

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Housing insecurity affects every council district

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In every Council District more than 40% of renters and 20% of homeowners are housing cost burdened leaving little or no money for other necessities.

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City housing programs are not reaching those who need them most

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One third of Philadelphia’s households earn $35,000 per year or less.

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Yet almost all of the City’s resources for “affordable” housing are open to those who earn more than $60,000. Many programs are open to households that earn more than $100,000!

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Communities are being broken apart

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In North, West, and South Philadelphia, displacement due to rising housing costs has pushed more than 40% of Black residents out of their neighborhoods since 2000.

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Our taxes pay for many of the costs that come from the failure to house our city’s residents

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Families are losing their homes — doubling and tripling up or moving into shelters. The cost of shelter for a family of four is more than $84,000 per year.

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When living in substandard or overcrowded housing, children are being taken from their families and placed in foster care. It costs more than $45,000 per year to house and care for a child in foster care.

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Seniors and people with disabilities are moving unnecessarily to expensive nursing facilities that cost more than $150,000 per year.​