Here’s How Housing Leaders are Reacting to Mayor Parker’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E) Initiative
For Immediate Release: February 19, 2025
Contact: press@phila.gov
Here’s How Housing Leaders are Reacting to Mayor Parker’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E) Initiative
Promoting stakeholder engagement this initiative seeks to create or preserve 30,000 homes in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA – Today, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker signed Executive Order 3-25 to create the Philadelphia Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) Initiative, previewing priority areas for investment via a forthcoming new City funding mechanism. This announcement comes with the appointment of a seasoned housing professional to lead the H.O.M.E initiative.
Learn more about the outlook of housing stakeholders, economic experts, private and nonprofit developers, building trades, and state and federal partners on Mayor Parker’s plan to increase access to housing for all Philadelphians below.
Brian A. Hudson Sr., Former CEO, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency: “I applaud Mayor Parker and her Team in developing a comprehensive plan for providing housing throughout Philadelphia. This targeted proactive initiative will stabilize communities, support growth, and improve quality of living.”
Ben Connors, President and CEO, General Building Contractors Association: “The General Building Contractors Association (GBCA) is proud to support the development of affordable housing in Philadelphia. These projects create opportunity—meeting the critical need for accessible housing while driving economic growth and creating good-paying union construction jobs. Investing in affordable housing strengthens our city’s future, providing valuable opportunities for GBCA contractors to build, grow, and thrive in Philadelphia.”
Maria Gonzalez, President, HACE: “The Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations and our member CDCs like HACE are excited that Mayor Parker has made creating and preserving 30,000 homes, especially affordable homes, a keystone of her Administration’s goals and legacy. Safe, stable, high-quality affordable housing is an essential ingredient for great economic and health outcomes, strong neighborhoods and building generational wealth. We applaud the Mayor for making a commitment to improving coordination of City departments and resources, and look forward to working with them, vital partners, and fellow CDC housing developers to make this goal a reality.”
Ira Goldstein, Senior Advisor of Policy Solutions, Reinvestment Fund: “Notwithstanding the plethora of homes built in some sections of Philadelphia, many parts of the city and many people of modest means are unable to find housing opportunities of the types they wish and neighborhoods they desire. It is great to see that the City has affirmed its goal to meet an array of needs for new and preserved housing for people who choose to own or rent the homes in which they live. And it is doubly great to see that there is now somebody whose sole priority is ensuring that the City’s organizational, physical, and capital resources are coordinated in service of this most-worthy goal.”
Corinne O’Connell, CEO, Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia: “Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia is proud to stand alongside Mayor Parker in her call to unite all in our city around the cause of housing. When we invest in housing – safe, secure, affordable – families thrive and communities grow stronger. With nearly 1,300 homes built and repaired over 40 years, Habitat Philadelphia has the experience and the expertise to support the mayor’s bold mission. Let’s build a brighter future, together.”
Dawud Bey, CEO, Fine Print Construction: “This executive order is important because it helps improve coordination between city departments and developers, and I am excited to hear that work is taking place. As an affordable housing developer, I want to commend the Mayor for wanting to not just build houses but improve the process to get it done. I thank Mayor Parker for including my voice and experience, and I look forward to building more affordable units in this city.”
Robin Wiessmann, Executive Director and CEO, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency: “There is no more pressing need in our state, and in Philadelphia, right now than housing. We are delighted that Mayor Parker is taking this comprehensive approach to addressing housing needs in Philadelphia, and PHFA is supportive of her efforts. The timing could not be better as the mayor’s initiative, and Governor Shapiro’s Housing Action Plan that is underway now, have similar objectives of building cross-collaboration and stimulating housing growth as efficiently as possible. With everyone pulling in the same direction, we should all be able to accomplish our shared goal of expanding affordable housing options for Philadelphia families, and for people around the state.”
Kelvin Jeremiah, President and CEO, Philadelphia Housing Authority: “By addressing affordable housing, Mayor Parker’s H.O.M.E. initiative will tackle a root cause of poverty and open doors to opportunity for thousands of Philadelphians. PHA’s own ongoing efforts to preserve our portfolio of nearly 13,000 units, and to expand our stock by 7,000 through an acquisition strategy, will complement the Mayor’s program. PHA is proud to be a partner in this crucial effort, and we applaud the mayor for her vision.”
Mo Rushdy, President, Building Industry Association: “I am honored and humbled to be standing beside our Mayor today as she signs this Executive Order. It is clear that Jessie Lawrence and his team at the Department of Planning and Development have already put in an enormous amount of work to get us here. The development community is energized by this Administration’s commitment to public-private partnership and confident that together we WILL dramatically change the housing landscape for the people of our city.”
Jessie Lawrence, Director, Department of Planning and Development: “My 20 years of experience in public, private, and non-profit real estate development has shown me that each sector is rich in its own expertise, insight, and perspective. That’s why it’s inspiring to me that the Mayor’s Executive Order and the H.O.M.E. Initiative are grounded in the power of collaboration. I’m particularly looking forward to working with colleagues across City government to eliminate barriers, discover synergies, and bring affordable luxury to housing everywhere.”
John Parsons, Partner, BSI Construction: “There’s so much power in an Administration that asks its City how its processes can be made easier. Efficient, streamlined processes are the relief that the builders like me need to get Mayor Parker to her goal, so I truly look forward to the recommendations that come from this order.”
Ryan Boyer, Business Manager, Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council: “As Mayor Parker has always understood, Philadelphia is a union town. It is because the strength of our unions is bound together with the strength of our city. The housing plan to come has a long-range vision, and it will also be a mechanism for training the next generation of workers in the trades. We will see the workforce development – the job training pipeline – that will make good union jobs available in the future. Thank you Mayor Parker and your team for taking a stand for organized labor, and a stand for this city that we love, with this bold and groundbreaking H.O.M.E. Initiative.”
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