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Mary Bryant Speaking in front of the Wanamaker School

Terms like 'Inclusionary zoning' and the 'Ten Year Tax Abatement' may sound like technical jargon to most Philadelphians but Mary Bryant breaks it down.

"The creation of affordable housing means that people who work in the city can live in the city."

Bryant spoke before media and supporters yesterday at the Wanamaker school, the site at which Philadelphia helped more than 400 Katrina survivors through Project Brotherly Love.

Bryant and other members of the Philadelphia Campaign for Housing Justice (PCHJ) gathered to praise Philadelphia's response to those left homeless by Katrina but to also remind the city of the housing crisis in its own backyard.

"It is great that the city could open its hearts to the victims of Katrina," said ACORN member Donald Stokes. "Now it needs to open its hearts to the victims of Philadelphia’s housing crisis. Many hard-working low-income people see luxury condos being built but cannot find houses they can afford.”

Lack of Affordable Housing During Development Boom

Philadelphia is undergoing a construction boom in high end condos and homes. According to the PHCJ more than 6,000 luxury units have been built since 1998 with another 10,000 on the way.

The average price of a condo sold last year was $450,000. To afford that you would need to make over $94,000 a year (according to HUD standard of 30% of income).

Meanwhile over one in three Philadelphia households earns less than $20,000 a year and the median household income for the city is only $30,746.

In this rising sea of luxury Philadelphia is experiencing skyrocketing rents, increase in poverty, higher rates of homelessness, and a lack of affordable housing.

A Call for Inclusionary Zoning

The PCHJ, which includes housing, service and advocacy organizations such as ACORN, Congreso de Latinos, One Philadelphia, and others, sees inclusionary zoning as part of a solution.

Inclusionary zoning means that developers of market rate or luxury housing must include a percentage of affordable units.

"A trade off between developers that create local units and government which provides incentives," explained Bryant who is also a member of ACORN, "this arrangement promotes the creation of affordable housing without the commitment of large public funds."

It is an approach that has been adopted by over 300 cities across the U.S. including NYC and San Diego and which groups like PCHJ are lobbying for in Philadelphia.

Housing advocates will bring their demand for inclusionary zoning to City Hall next month with a demonstration on September 14th.