Mayor Speaks in Churches at 9 Locations, Promises to “Leave No Working Philadelphian Behind”
PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Cherelle L. Parker visited churches in neighborhoods across Philadelphia Sunday, from West Oak Lane to West Philadelphia, from Mantua to Frankford, Tacony, Feltonville, Torresdale, Wynnefield and North Philadelphia, speaking with thousands of congregants about the $2 billion H.O.M.E. initiative to build, preserve and repair 30,000 units of housing citywide.
In impassioned remarks to congregants in the churches, Mayor Parker said she would “leave no working Philadelphian behind.”
“Across Philadelphia, we have too many neighborhoods that are struggling, where the homes are older and need repairs,” Mayor Parker said at church after church.
“I call them ‘used-to-be neighborhoods.’ We cannot and will not exclude owners of these homes from accessing free repair grants under H.O.M.E. because they earn a nickel and a quarter more than the income eligibility limits. Not on my watch.”
The mayor was referring to a current policy debate between the Mayor’s office and City Council over what the income eligibility limits should be for a popular home repair program called BSRP, short for the Basic Systems Repair Program. BSRP provides free home repair grants for homeowners to fix electrical, plumbing, heating, carpentry and roof emergencies.
Mayor Parker has proposed that homeowners earning up to 100 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) be eligible for BSRP grants under H.O.M.E. 100 percent of AMI is $80,300 for a single person, and $114,700 for a family of four, in Philadelphia.
Last week, a City Council committee gave preliminary approval to a revised H.O.M.E. plan for its first-year budget that would require 90 percent of the BSRP funds go to people earning 60 percent or less of AMI. 60 percent of AMI is $48,180 for a single person, and $68,820 for a family of four (based on FY2024 data).
On Sunday, Mayor Parker explained to church congregants that restricting the BSRP program in that manner would leave thousands of Philadelphia homeowners out of qualifying for the much-needed home repair grants.
“This morning, Mayor Cherelle Parker reminded us that housing is not just policy — it is ministry. The adjustments made by City Council threaten to stall the bond sales and delay the relief our neighborhoods desperately need,” said Pastor Jonathan Mason, Northeast Baptist Church. “ Families cannot wait. I urge Council to correct this on Wednesday so Philadelphia can move forward with a plan that restores our communities and provides real, affordable homes for our people.”
According to a flyer the Parker administration handed out on Sunday, many city employees including sanitation workers, social service workers, librarians, police officers, firefighters and paramedics, earn more than 60 percent of AMI.
Under the stricter 60 percent income limits given preliminary support in City Council, at least two out of three city employee households would be left out of BSRP assistance. That means up to 9,000 city employee households would be left out, as well as other qualifying Philadelphia homeowners.
“We cannot penalize working Philadelphians,” Mayor Parker said. “It’s important to help those city residents who most need our help, absolutely. But we cannot and should not do so by excluding all those working Philadelphians who are just over that 60 percent AMI income restriction.”
MORE ABOUT THE H.O.M.E. PROGRAM FIRST YEAR BUDGET
- $40 Million — Basic Systems Repair Program
- $25 Million — One Philly Mortgage. Low-interest mortgages and down payments of no more than 3 percent to help people buy their first homes. No private mortgage insurance required.
- $43.5 Million — Turn the Key. Affordable homes for people to buy, including city workers like sanitation, police, firefighters, social workers, teachers and others qualifying homebuyers.
- $100.3 Million — To build and preserve rental housing and provide assistance to Philadelphians who rent their homes or apartments.
- $8.5 Million – Adaptive Modifications. Free accessibility modifications for people with permanent disabilities, allowing easier access and mobility within their homes.
“I believe in taking care of the less fortunate. Jesus commands us to. And yes — we must help those who are struggling the most. But we also must be fair,’ said Pastor Lonnie Herndon, The Church of Christian Compassion. “We cannot penalize the hardworking families who get up at 5 a.m., go to work every day, pay their taxes, and still don’t qualify for help because they make “five dollars over the limit.”
Mayor Parker took her message to the following churches:
Mount Airy Church of God in Christ (West Oak Lane)
Church of Christian Compassion (West Philadelphia)
Second Mt. Airy Baptist (Mantua)
Sharon Baptist Church (Wynnefield Heights)
Baptist Worship Center
Northeast Baptist Church (Frankford)
Tabernacle of Faith Spanish Assemblies of God (Feltonville)
City Reach Church (Torresdale)
Ambassador Seed of Love Church (North Philadelphia)
“Second Mount Zion stands in full support of Mayor Cherelle Parker and her housing plan because it is sound policy with a people-first approach,” said Pastor James Moore, Second Mt. Zion Baptist Church. “For too long, working families have been pushed to the margins of homeownership, and this plan speaks directly to that crisis. We believe stable housing is sacred ground.”
“We support the Mayor’s vision to secure a bright and prosperous future for generations to come through a strong commitment to building affordable housing,” said Bishop J. Louis Felton of Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ and President of Philadelphia Black Clergy & Vicinity.
“We cannot and should not pit ‘the have nots’ against those who ‘have just a little bit’,” Mayor Parker told the church assemblies. “Do I have your permission to go back to City Hall and fight for you?”