5th Square is providing the following press release in reaction to Mayor Parker’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E) Address

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, March 24th, 2025

PHILADELPHIA —

“Mayor Parker today released an admirable goal to build, preserve and restore 30,000 homes in Philadelphia. Of these numbers, she listed a goal: the production of 13,500 new homes and the preservation of 16,500 existing homes.”, says Brennan Maragh, co-chair of 5th Square’s Housing Committee.

“We are happy to see the mayor mention reforms to land use and zoning in order to streamline the process of building housing. This includes her acknowledgement that current zoning and land use policies slow investments in and development of multi-family housing as well as the creation of a pre-authorization system that will speed up the land acquisition process for the purpose of building more housing. We are eager to see the growth of mixed-income, mixed-use developments, which Mayor Parker highlighted as a vision in her speech.” says Brennan Maragh.

Natasha Tabachnikoff, co-chair of 5th Square’s Housing Committee adds “We are eager to see the implementation of early priorities under this plan that include cleaning up the code, addressing zoning inconsistencies to reduce the need for exemptions, and expanding development opportunities in transit-oriented overlays. Reducing barriers such as parking minimums and councilmanic prerogative, as well as leveraging public lands via the Land Bank, can create housing for all income levels throughout the city, especially in amenity rich areas where housing faces local opposition too often.”

“Additionally we celebrate the mayor’s intention to expand housing preservation programs, and reduce barriers and eligibility obstacles to the portfolio of programs such as Basic System Repair that keep Philadelphians housed and in their life-long communities.”

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