Finding, buying or renting, and staying in a home can be a challenge. Whether you are an existing homeowner or renter, or looking for a new place to live, Planning and Development can help.
Housing Action Plan
One of the first tasks of the new Department of Planning and Development was to create a strategic housing plan. The Housing Action Plan includes strategies to address homelessness and increase the availability of affordable, workforce, and market-rate housing. The plan reflects a process that gathered input from residents across the city.
Learn more about our progress toward meeting the plan’s goals.
Buy, maintain, and stay in your home
Buying a home is a big decision. The work doesn’t stop when you move in. You have to maintain it, repair it, and pay taxes on it.
The Department of Planning and Development’s Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has programs to help you:
- Buy a home.
- Make home repairs.
- Avoid foreclosure.
- Afford your property taxes.
See our flyer about home purchase, repair, and tax relief programs.
Neighborhood housing resources
Housing support from the Department of Planning and Development can be found in neighborhoods across Philadelphia.
- Housing counseling agencies help residents buy their first home or identify resources for home repair. They also help homeowners avoid tax or mortgage foreclosure and tenants fight eviction.
- Neighborhood Energy Centers help homeowners to lower their utility bills.
- Neighborhood Advisory Committees help residents become engaged in their neighborhoods and learn about available services.
Explore our neighborhood resources.