Mayor Cherelle Parker visited churches across the city on Sunday, urging congregants to back her proposal to widen income eligibility for a key home-repair program at the center of a dispute with City Council.
Speaking at churches in West Oak Lane, West Philly, Frankford and Mantua, among others, Parker promoted her H.O.M.E. initiative, which aims to build, preserve and repair 30,000 housing units citywide. The mayor told worshippers she would “leave no working Philadelphian behind,” arguing that too many longtime homeowners are shut out of free repair grants because they earn slightly above current limits.
“Across Philadelphia, we have too many neighborhoods that are struggling, where the homes are older and need repairs,” Parker said. “I call them ‘used-to-be neighborhoods.’ We cannot and will not exclude owners of these homes from accessing free repair grants under H.O.M.E. because they earn a nickel and a quarter more than the income eligibility limits. Not on my watch.”…