In the "My Philadelphia" contest, students from Philadelphia shared their visions of the city. Check out the winning entries.
"My Philadelphia"
User login
SYNDICATE CONTENTCitizens Agenda: Neighborhoods in Flux
Nov. 25, 2007
Tax abatements and the rising chic of urban living this decade have fueled an influx of high-income homebuyers in Center City and nearby neighborhoods.
On some long-scuffling blocks, the trend has brought vitality, rising property values – and deep anxiety.
Long-time residents worry that the newcomers will bring different values, rising prices, tax hikes – and displacement. Some feel they’ve seen this movie before, and it didn’t end well for them.
Meanwhile, residents of working-class areas farther from Center City also fear what they think is coming: the double whammy of tax hikes and an invasion by displaced strangers, cramming into a limited supply of rental housing.
Those fears aren’t always accurate, but they are genuine. In a city where property values hadn’t risen like this in a long time, many people have no experience with rising equity in their homes and higher incomes in their neighborhoods. So they focus not on the benefits, but the possible downsides.
Two dark clouds deepen the anxiety: The national subprime lending meltdown heightens fears about a wave of mortgage foreclosures. Talk of a citywide tax reassessment has many people panicking – a few with reason, most inaccurately – about whopping tax hikes.
These trends present challenges for elected leaders. They’ll feel populist pressure to scrap the successful tax abatements and to put off the overdue reassessment. They must reassure longtime residents that influx and immigration are mostly beneficial, while addressing the problems that do arise. They’ll need to invest in affordable housing, particularly decent rentals for families.
It’ll take unaccustomed leadership. But the payoff could be grand: a city of diverse, mixed-income neighborhoods that work for both natives and newcomers.
Here’s how to start:
The No. 1 Priority: Boost affordable housing.
Why this matters:
Rising housing prices in some areas put pressure on working-class residents to move, but the areas to which they might move lack good, affordable housing – particularly rentals. This syndrome harms both neighborhoods. Nurturing mixed-income neighborhoods is a worthy goal because such areas are more stable, equitable, democratic and interesting.
Rising housing prices in some areas put pressure on working-class residents to move, but the areas to which they might move lack good, affordable housing – particularly rentals. This syndrome harms both neighborhoods. Nurturing mixed-income neighborhoods is a worthy goal because such areas are more stable, equitable, democratic and interesting.
What to do:
Feed the new, undernourished Housing Trust Fund by earmarking a stable stream of city revenues. Use it to subsidize the inclusion of affordable units in market-rate housing and the creation of affordable family rental housing.
Feed the new, undernourished Housing Trust Fund by earmarking a stable stream of city revenues. Use it to subsidize the inclusion of affordable units in market-rate housing and the creation of affordable family rental housing.
Short-term actions
Stay the course I:
Keep the useful tax abatement for new construction and renovation. But promote and enable much greater use of it citywide, particularly in neighborhoods in flux. Reduce the abatement to 90 percent, and earmark the gained revenue for the Housing Trust Fund.
Keep the useful tax abatement for new construction and renovation. But promote and enable much greater use of it citywide, particularly in neighborhoods in flux. Reduce the abatement to 90 percent, and earmark the gained revenue for the Housing Trust Fund.
Welcome sign:
Set up a City Hall office to serve immigrants and encourage immigration, while helping deal with the transition issues that arise from influxes of newcomers from other lands. Immigration has been the key to neighborhood turnarounds and population growth in many American cities.
Set up a City Hall office to serve immigrants and encourage immigration, while helping deal with the transition issues that arise from influxes of newcomers from other lands. Immigration has been the key to neighborhood turnarounds and population growth in many American cities.
Credit where due:
The city should work with banks and nonprofits to blitz city residents with solid information on avoiding predatory loans and foreclosure, and safely benefiting from rising home equity. Work with financial institutions to maintain pools of capital for subprime loans.
The city should work with banks and nonprofits to blitz city residents with solid information on avoiding predatory loans and foreclosure, and safely benefiting from rising home equity. Work with financial institutions to maintain pools of capital for subprime loans.
The U. and You:
Support and promote universities’ efforts to offer mortgage assistance to workers who buy homes near campus. Colleges have workforces diverse in income and background, so this promotes stable, mixed-income neighborhoods.
Support and promote universities’ efforts to offer mortgage assistance to workers who buy homes near campus. Colleges have workforces diverse in income and background, so this promotes stable, mixed-income neighborhoods.
Long-term efforts
Stay the course II:
Proceed with citywide reassessment for property taxes, using full market valuation. The current system is scattershot, confusing and unfair. It forces moderate-income homeowners in struggling neighborhoods to subsidize the tax bills of affluent condo owners. Install buffers to cushion homeowners in areas of rapidly rising values against whopping year-after-year increases. Set up protections for elderly, moderate-income owners.
Proceed with citywide reassessment for property taxes, using full market valuation. The current system is scattershot, confusing and unfair. It forces moderate-income homeowners in struggling neighborhoods to subsidize the tax bills of affluent condo owners. Install buffers to cushion homeowners in areas of rapidly rising values against whopping year-after-year increases. Set up protections for elderly, moderate-income owners.
In the right zone I:
Weave “inclusionary zoning” ideas into the new zoning code. These provide incentives to developers to include units priced to be affordable to buyers making the median city income or less.
Weave “inclusionary zoning” ideas into the new zoning code. These provide incentives to developers to include units priced to be affordable to buyers making the median city income or less.
In the right zone II:
Encourage “transit-oriented development” in the new zoning code. These are mixed-use, mixed-income projects built within walking distance of transit stations.
Encourage “transit-oriented development” in the new zoning code. These are mixed-use, mixed-income projects built within walking distance of transit stations.
Community land trusts:
Support, through policy and subsidy, the formation of such trusts, which build affordable housing and keep it affordable by retaining ownership of the land and enforcing limits on sale prices.
Support, through policy and subsidy, the formation of such trusts, which build affordable housing and keep it affordable by retaining ownership of the land and enforcing limits on sale prices.
Ideas from citizen forums
Council of neighborhoods:
Convene, with foundation help, a citywide coalition of civic group leaders. This would serve as a vehicle for these leaders to exchange tips, expertise, concerns and warnings – and to mobilize jointly to lobby city government about opportunities or threats. A particular focus would be on established groups from well-off neighborhoods sharing resources with groups in challenged neighborhoods.
Convene, with foundation help, a citywide coalition of civic group leaders. This would serve as a vehicle for these leaders to exchange tips, expertise, concerns and warnings – and to mobilize jointly to lobby city government about opportunities or threats. A particular focus would be on established groups from well-off neighborhoods sharing resources with groups in challenged neighborhoods.
Civic dialogue:
Convene forums where newcomers and long-time residents can discuss concerns in a non-crisis environment, and get solid information about taxes, policies and trends affecting their neighborhoods.
Convene forums where newcomers and long-time residents can discuss concerns in a non-crisis environment, and get solid information about taxes, policies and trends affecting their neighborhoods.
Fair competition:
Set up a fair, transparent system for civic groups to compete for federal, state and city grants and aid for community improvement. Don’t let politicians groove grants to favored groups without real competition. Have city staff help neighborhoods with limited resources or expertise write applications.
(Illustration by Tim Ogline)
