Lack of affordable housing in Philly
Philly has an affordable housing problem. The less money you make, the worse the problem becomes. According to a PEW report on the state of affordable housing, 88% of renters with an income below $30,000 per year are paying at least 30% of their income towards housing, and 68% are spending at least 50% of their income on housing (Howell, 1). This is a substantial, and unacceptable, financial burden for low income individuals and families. Combined with domestic violence the reality is devastating.
The Impact Housing has on DV/IPV survivors
Mary* was in a highly controlling and physically dangerous relationship. She was regularly being choked by her partner, and repeatedly finding herself, alongside her kids, being locked in a room with limited access to food and water. In active crisis, she knows one thing, “I need to get out.”
She pulls her kids out of school early one day and they flee to Philadelphia’s DV shelter. While there, she gains regular case management support but has no leads on a more permanent housing situation. Working a minimum wage job, she does not have the funds to rent her own place, and her friends and family are too terrified of her partner to open up their homes to her. The 60 days go by quickly. She is not one of the lucky few placed in transitional housing, and no other temporary housing or shelter options have come through for her and her kids.
She now faces an incredibly difficult choice: become homeless or return to her abuser.
Mary’s story is a common reality for many in Philadelphia. When a victim of DV/IPV realizes they need to leave, there are very few places to go. The DV shelter system in Philly does their best, but getting a place in the shelter is first come first serve, leaving some victims calling for days, even weeks, to gain access to a bed. And if you do get a spot in shelter, it does not guarantee access to transitional housing. In March 2020, of the DV/IPV survivors accessing housing services in Philly, 62% of beds were in shelter, while only 26% were in transitional housing. This leaves many survivors stranded after their 60-day shelter stay is up. Like Mary, they face the decision of becoming homeless, or returning to their abuser.
DV/IPV survivors need and deserve more support around housing to help them be successful in leaving abusive situations for good. Affordable rental properties, more transitional housing, and city funded financial support for housing for DV/IPV survivors are just a few ways we as a community can support survivors.
Action steps
Lots of people are working towards more affordable housing in Philadelphia, and there are plenty of ways for YOU to get involved.
Join efforts in your local community around housing accessibility
Get involved with The Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities and their Development without Displacement campaign: http://phillyaffordablecommunities.org/index.php/get-involved/
Put pressure on local legislators to prioritize affordable housing in Philadelphia. Find your local legislator here: https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/
Volunteer with or financially support the Women's Community Revitalization project: https://www.wcrpphila.org/leadership-advocacy
Learn more about housing needs in Pennsylvania, including resources and action steps, through the National Low Income Housing Coalition: https://nlihc.org/housing-needs-by-state/pennsylvania
Fixing something as big as the housing affordability crisis in Philly can feel daunting, but your voice can make a difference!
Works Cited
Howell, Octavia. The State of Housing Affordability in Philadelphia. The PEW Charitable Trusts. September 2020. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2020/09/the-state-of-housing-affordability-in-philadelphia. Accessed 9 March 2021.
Eichel, Larry, and Octaiva Howell. “How Philadelphia Can Address Its Affordable Housing Shortage.” The PEW Charitable Trusts, 26 October 2020, https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2020/10/26/how-philadelphia-can-address-its-affordable-housing-shortage#:~:text=The%20report%20found%20that%204,their%20income%20on%20housing%20costs.&text=And%20the%20city%20has%20nearly,housing%20units%20they%20can%20afford. Accessed 26 02 2021.