City Council September 12, 2024
Communications From the Mayor to Council:
A draft of a Resolution Entitled authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority deeds conveying fee simple Title to 2134 through 36 East Clearfield Street in the First Councilmanic District of the City of Philadelphia and further authorizing the Redevelopment Authority to the Philadelphia Land Bank Fee Simple Title to such properties pursuant to Section 16-405 of the Philadelphia Code.
Resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1900 East Lehigh Avenue in the First Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of the Philadelphia Code.
Resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority Deeds conveying fee simple Title to 2741 and 2743 Latona Street and 1329 South 15th Street in the Second Councilmanic District in the City of Philadelphia and further authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to transfer to the Philadelphia Land Bank fee simple title pursuant to Section 16-405 of the Philadelphia Code.
Resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority deeds conveying fee simple titles to 839 North 39th Street, 3938, 3940, and 3944 Mount Vernon Street, 3907 and 3930 Wallace Street, 3833, 3902, 3912, and 3922 Brown Street, 908 and 910 North Holly Street, 3948 Parish Street, 4117, 4119, 4121, and 4126 Pensgrove Street, 3814, 3816, 3850, and 3852, 3947, 3949, 3960, 3962, and 3964 Reno Street, 666,674, and 803 Union Street in the Third Councilmanic District of the City Philadelphia and further authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to transfer to the Philadelphia Land Bank fee simple titles to such properties pursuant to Section 16-405 of the Philadelphia Code.
These are just approximately 66 vacant properties to be transferred to make way for the “Turn the Key” affordable housing program. The program provides a path to home ownership. The transferred sites will provide 90 affordable homes for first-time home buyers or City employees.
According to Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, the program has numerous positive effects. “We’re providing access to affordable home ownership in a neighborhood that’s been asking for this change. We’re building the capacity of nine Black and Brown developers who understand our communities and want to do right by them. We’re using the city’s vacant land and resources for good,” said Gauthier.
Other positives to this initiative include the elimination of blighted, dilapidated properties and land, improving access to housing, and an increase in the number of minority-owned contractors building the units.
Council members will be introducing more sites into the program in the future.
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Roxborough resident Amanda Cahill died while in custody on Saturday morning following her arrest for drug possession and an outstanding warrant during a coordinated police sweep in Kensington three days prior.
An emotional Kelsey Leone, a Harm Reductionist, stepped to the podium and said, “I’m only allotted one minute at this podium, and it’s just not possible to do justice to the richness of her life and the extraordinary cruelty of her death in such a short time, but I’m going to try because her life mattered and she deserves to be publicly mourned and because we’re in the room with the people responsible for her death…Councilmember Driscoll, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Harrity, Councilmember Lozada, and though she’s not here, Mayor Parker. For those of you who don’t know Amanda, she was a mother of two sons, a sister, and a beloved community member, and she also had opioid use disorder, which is a medical condition and legally considered a disability…”
Council approved a hearing in the Special Committee on Kensington to explore improving outreach to those with substance abuse disorder, sponsored by Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
“I believe in creating a system that provides the fast, robust recovery system that helps the people we see suffering on our streets need,” said Lozada.
Please feel free to join City Council at its next session in Council Chambers at Philadelphia City Hall at 10 am on Thursday, September 19, 2024, or access a session at www.phlcouncil.com.
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