Project HOME Applauds Philadelphia’s H.O.M.E. Plan and Calls for Focus on Deep Affordability and Homelessness Prevention
Project HOME commends Mayor Cherelle Parker and Council President Kenyatta Johnson for their leadership in confronting Philadelphia’s housing and homelessness crisis. The City’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) Plan represents a historic opportunity to build and preserve deeply affordable housing, stabilize vulnerable households, and prevent homelessness before it begins.
We are encouraged by the Mayor’s bold commitment to create and preserve 30,000 homes, and by the Council President’s willingness to bring partners together to ensure the City uses every available tool to meet this urgent need. As the first-year H.O.M.E. budget takes shape, the City must focus its initial investments on households most at risk of losing their homes. Strong leadership now will ensure that families with the lowest incomes can access housing they can truly afford.
Recent reporting suggests that HUD may soon issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that caps funding for permanent supportive housing—potentially jeopardizing housing for 170,000 Americans. This uncertainty underscores how essential local leadership will be in the months ahead. Philadelphia cannot afford to wait for federal solutions—we must act now to preserve and expand what works.
Tenant-based rental subsidies remain one of the most effective and immediate tools for preventing homelessness. By providing modest monthly assistance, these programs help families weather short-term crises, remain stably housed, and avoid the devastating—and costly—consequences of eviction. Expanding these proven interventions should be a cornerstone of the City’s early H.O.M.E. investments.
Economic mobility starts at home — and it begins with housing stability. Ensuring equity in how resources are distributed will be critical to making this plan work for all Philadelphians, especially those historically left behind.
As homelessness continues to climb, the first-year H.O.M.E. budget must also clear long waiting lists for programs like Tenant-Based Shallow Rent, Basic Systems Repair, and Adaptive Modifications. The City housing programs should prioritize families earning around 60 percent of Area Median Income—or as low as 30 percent AMI wherever possible—ensuring that those with the greatest need can access housing they can truly afford. These are the lifelines keeping families housed today.
We also applaud proposals to strengthen the H.O.M.E. Plan through targeted amendments—adding supportive housing as a permissible use under the Production and Homelessness Prevention categories and increasing Homelessness Prevention funding to $6.8 million. Together, these targeted investments will keep families in their homes and ensure that Philadelphians with complex needs have access to the stability and wraparound supports needed to rebuild their lives.
Project HOME stands ready to partner with the Parker Administration and City Council to ensure the H.O.M.E. Plan delivers on its promise—making this once-in-a-generation investment work for every Philadelphian.
