On Sunday, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker visited nine churches across Philadelphia. The stops included neighborhoods such as West Oak Lane, West Philadelphia, Mantua, Frankford, Tacony, Feltonville, Torresdale, Wynnefield, and North Philadelphia. The visits were part of her effort to promote the $2 billion H.O.M.E. (Housing, Opportunity, Maintenance, and Equity) initiative. The program aims to build, preserve, and repair 30,000 housing units in the city. Mayor Parker spoke to congregants about her goal to include working Philadelphians in the city’s housing recovery.
During the visits, Mayor Parker discussed challenges in neighborhoods with older homes needing repairs. She raised concerns about current income limits for the Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP), which offers free grants for essential home repairs. The mayor said the current limits exclude some working homeowners and stated she supports expanding access to these grants.
A main issue is the income eligibility for BSRP under the H.O.M.E. plan. Mayor Parker has proposed raising the limit to 100 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), which is $80,300 for a single person and $114,700 for a family of four in Philadelphia. Recently, a City Council committee gave preliminary approval to a plan that would direct 90 percent of BSRP funds to those earning 60 percent or less of AMI—$48,180 for a single person and $68,820 for a family of four, based on 2024 data…