How to Create More Affordable Housing in Philadelphia

Eliminating parking minimums and reforming Philadelphia's tax abatement program could do a lot in making Philadelphia affordable, Inga Saffron argues.

1 minute read

December 17, 2017, 11:00 AM PST

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Downtown Philadelphia

rlassman / Shutterstock

Philadelphia is grappling with legislation to change affordable housing requirements. A bill on the subject from Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez will not come to a vote because of opposition from some who worried a low-income housing requirement would end up lowering density in the city and having the perverse effect of making housing more expensive for many.

Inga Saffron argues, in a piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer, that though the bill may have failed before it got to a vote, it did the important work of getting the council focused on housing costs. Saffron offers her own suggestions for how to achieve that goal, including: revising the ten-year property tax abatement (which has helped fuel the housing boom in Philadelphia), eliminating parking minimums, and increasing the transfer tax to subsidize affordable housing. 

Thursday, November 30, 2017 in The Philadelphia Inquirer

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