SeniorLAW Center’s Tenant Rights Team Testifies in Support of a Trio of Bills to Regulate Rental Processes in Philadelphia
Updated – June 20, 2024 | Published – June 7, 2024
Over the last month, SeniorLAW Center offered written public comment and testified in front of City Council on a trio of bills that will amend current landlord-tenant laws and provide more support for Philadelphia tenants.
On May 22nd, SeniorLAW Center’s Senior Attorney, Tenant Rights Adam Weintraub-Barth, Esq. testified in support of Bill No. 240245, which would provide for a permanent extension of the Eviction Diversion Program in front of City Council’s Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless. Adam stressed how helpful the program has been for Philadelphia tenants, especially older ones, in avoiding eviction:
“This extension is likely to prevent thousands of evictions and keep tenants in their homes. Importantly though, it will also save Philadelphia Tenants countless unnecessary hours in court, hours of missed work, family and personal obligations, and stress for tenants having to go to court hearings that were simple enough to resolve through diversion. As representatives of older adults, these incidental benefits of eviction diversion and successful outcomes from diversion are truly life-changing and life-saving for our clients. Older tenants are more likely to be disabled, frail, or in poorer health than younger tenants and housing has enormous impact on their health, safety, security, and independence, to age in place, versus being institutionalized or homeless on the street.”
Adam Weintraub-Barth, Esq., Testimony on 5/22/24 in front of City Council’s Committee on Housing
The bill passed the Committee and on May 30th, it was adopted by the Council, 16-1. On June 12, 2024, Mayor Parker signed the bill into law permanently extending the Program. Read Adam’s testimony here and the Philadelphia Inquirer’s recent article featuring Adam’s public comments about the Eviction Diversion Program.
On May 29th, Vilna Gaston, Esq., a Staff Attorney on the Tenant Rights team testified in support of Bill No. 240060 that would bolster regulations against income discrimination by landlords, specifically against tenants with housing vouchers. Vilna testified that older tenants often report troubles in securing or maintaining rental housing because landlords refuse to accept Housing Choice Vouchers for rent payments. The bill passed through the Committee and City Council. It is now in the Mayor’s Office awaiting signature.
“We strongly support the enactment of this legislation to both clarify and enhance existing housing discrimination prohibitions including those regarding discrimination based on source of income. The goal is to ensure non-discriminatory housing access and enjoyment for all Philadelphians, regardless of the source of the rent payment. The clarifications will make it easier to enforce the existing law and hold landlords accountable for any noncompliance.”
Vilna Gaston, Esq., Testimony on 5/29/2024 in front of City Council’s Committee on Housing
On June 5th, Rita Eichman, Esq., also a Staff Attorney on the Tenant Rights team, provided public comment on Bill No. 240018 that would provide much-needed regulation in the Landlord Tenant Office (LTO). Last year, there were 3 incidences of gun violence used by private, deputized Landlord Tenant Officer (LTO) contractors against Philadelphia tenants that were being evicted. According to Rita’s testimony, the lack of oversight for the LTO caused many problems for our older tenants in Philadelphia:
“Older tenants have faced a myriad of problems when lockouts occur. One older tenant we spoke with was unable to gather all his medications together when he was locked out after an eviction. After the lockout, he asked the landlord to let him back into the property to get his medications, but the landlord did not respond. This posed a serious danger to his health…We often receive calls from tenants who are not represented by attorneys that have been locked out because they had no advance notice that an eviction was pending.”
Rita Eichman, Esq., Testimony on 6/5/2024 in front of City Council’s Committee on Housing
Bill No. 240018 passed the full City Council on June 6, and on June 18, 2024, Mayor Parker signed the Bill into law.
SeniorLAW Center is proud to support legislation in Philadelphia that will strengthen tenants’ rights. We fully support these measures that will expand and strengthen the nationally-renowned Eviction Diversion Program; amend current law to help further combat income discrimination in the rental market; and regulate the LTO and for-profit private eviction processes in Philadelphia. We look forward to continuing our work with City Council to address these and other critical issues in housing justice.