DHCD-funded agencies and neighborhood marketing

The DHCD Communications Department works to ensure that properties with accessible units are listed on the Home Finder and confirm that available units are properly advertised to households who meet the criteria to rent them.

DHCD works with the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) Real Estate Department to maintain a list of accessible units. We send the list to DHCD’s Contract Administration and Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) teams, who then share the list with DHCD-funded community agencies. These agencies include:

• NACs
• Housing Counseling agencies
• Community Development Corporations (CDCs
• Registered Community Organizations (RCOs)

If necessary, the units are also announced on the DHCD and PHDC social media channels.

Model Affirmative Marketing Plan (MAMP) for accessible units

DHCD can help developers advertise their accessible units to households who need them. The MAMP uses a tiered approach:

• Developers are contractually required to use the Home Finder to market their accessible units if they received development funding from DHCD.
• DHCD includes reminder fliers in every developer package.
• DHCD checks-in on a quarterly basis to make sure developers are complying with the policy.

VisitAbility in Philadelphia

VisitAbility is a design requirement for new housing. It requires that anyone using a wheelchair or other mobility device should be able to:

• Visit the house.
• Pass through interior doorways.
• Enter and use a bathroom.

VisitAbility is The City of Philadelphia continues to work on raising public awareness about VisitAbility and the legislation that requires it. VisitAbility is required in all publicly subsidized multi-family housing built in the city.