Philadelphia's Eviction Task Force Releases Action Plan

The city of Philadelphia released a draft report on the city's eviction crisis [pdf] in April, culminating a months-long process by the Mayor's Taskforce on Eviction Prevention and Response and seeking input from the public.

Jared Brey shares news of the report, describing the report's context as well as introducing its 17 recommendations. The number of evictions in Philadelphia has been rising since the 1970s—in 2017, "one in every 14 renters in the city faced eviction at some point during the year," writes Brey.

Liz Hersh, director of the Office of Homeless Services and co-chair of the task force, is quoted in the article describing a compelling concept: "It turns out the real barometer with the affordability crisis is eviction."

The report's recommendations respond to these realities with 17 recommendations, split into four categories: outreach and education, resources and supports, housing standards and enforcement, and legal processes and policies. Brey provides more insight into how those recommendations could work to help residents facing eviction in the source article.