View source for Brief:Philadelphia Homeless Residents’ Unprecedented Grassroots Housing Victory

In a remarkable grassroots triumph, homeless residents in Philadelphia engaged in months of protests in 2020 to address the pressing issue of affordable housing shortage in the city. The dire situation worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to increased homelessness across the United States. Homeless individuals were among the hardest hit by the virus, with crowded shelters and encampments becoming breeding grounds for infections.

One significant event that ignited the protests was the eviction of an encampment outside the Convention Center by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). Following the eviction, a man living in the encampment died from COVID-19 after contracting it in a shelter with an outbreak of the disease, affecting more than three dozen people. This tragedy and the lack of housing options for people without homes sparked widespread demonstrations in the city.

In a groundbreaking development, the city of Philadelphia and the PHA responded to the protesters’ demands by agreeing to cede 50 vacant homes to a public land trust managed by Philadelphia Housing Action, a nonprofit formed by homeless encampment organizers. This historic agreement is the first instance of such a massive transfer of property ownership rights from the city and PHA to protesters occupying an encampment in the United States.

The land trust designated 50 properties for use as low-income housing, with rent capped at $25,000 per year, to be managed by local committees. The move addressed the pressing issue of vacant and abandoned houses scattered throughout Philadelphia, which had remained unused for years while at least 5,700 residents were experiencing homelessness. Among people experiencing homelessness were working families with children who struggled to afford the city’s rising rents.

Eric Tars, the legal director of the National Homeless Law Center in Washington, D.C., recognized the significance of this agreement. He applauded the protesters’ efforts and described the housing victory as unprecedented, setting a powerful example for other cities to address homelessness more effectively.

The protest movement in Philadelphia achieved its primary goal and successfully transformed itself into a nonprofit organization and a public land trust. The agreement with the city empowered encampment residents to take ownership and manage the properties, offering hope for a better future for those experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia.
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