Help a West Philly Family Stay Housed

Summary: This is a call for community aid for a Black, disabled senior caring for two kids in West Philadelphia at risk of being forced from her home with no alternatives for housing. Ms. M and her boys are facing homelessness unless we collectively intervene to help them.

 

My name is Taryn Jones and I am organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my neighbors in West Philadelphia who are facing the loss of their generational family home. The head of the household, Ms. M, is a Black, disabled senior who cares for her teenage son and adolescent grandson. I connected with Ms. M and her family in the summer of 2020 through volunteer work that I do with the food distribution mutual aid group the West Philly Bunnyhop. I have been delivering groceries to them every other week for the past year. A few months ago, Ms. M opened up to me that she and her two children are in the process of being forced from their home and asked for my assistance.

 

Ms. M's home was purchased by her parents over fifty years ago and she grew up there. She moved back into the house as an adult to care for her aging parents who are now deceased. Years ago, her mother took out a reverse mortgage on their house to pay for renovations. The loan accrued excessive interest, their family was not able to pay it off, and the house was foreclosed on in 2017. Ms. M believes that her mother was not in sound mind when she agreed to the predatory terms of the loan. She fought the foreclosure in court but was ultimately unsuccessful.

 

After the foreclosure, Ms. M’s home was purchased at sheriff sale by JF Management LLC. The new owners initially allowed Ms. M and her kids to stay in the house and rent it at an affordable rate. However, JF Management recently decided that they want to sell the house and served Ms. M with an eviction. Ms. M has diligently paid her rent in full, even since the eviction process has been underway, which has prevented her from saving money for her future moving costs. Under current Good Cause housing laws, a landlord can refuse to renew a lease in order to make repairs or sell the unit. Advocates are fighting to strengthen these laws, including a provision for landlords to provide relocation funds for tenants like Ms. M who are being displaced through no fault of their own, but these protections won’t go into effect until 2022 at the earliest.

 

Ms. M has been working with Senior Legal Services to fight the eviction but has only been granted temporary permission to remain in her home. She has been searching for alternative housing but she has not been able to find a place that she can afford that can accommodate her and her kids. The cost of housing is currently skyrocketing in Philadelphia and nationally. According to a study of Affordable Housing in Philadelphia’s 3rd District, where Ms. M and I live, 43% of households in our district were already living in housing considered unaffordable to them even before the pandemic. Low income families like Ms. M’s have been the most greatly impacted by rising housing costs in our district. Public subsidy for housing is also extremely scarce, there is nowhere near enough resources to meet the entirety of affordable housing needs. Housing vouchers are difficult to access and the number of subsidized housing units in Philadelphia that accept vouchers meets just 25% of the total need.

 

Ms. M is suffering from several health conditions that have been exacerbated by stress from her eviction. She has been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, and acute hypertension. She has osteoarthritis and her mobility is limited, and acute glaucoma which affects her vision. Her medical team has testified that she is unable to survive in a shelter setting.

 

JF Management owns many rental properties throughout the City of Philadelphia. A search of public court records shows that they have forced at least six Philadelphia families from their homes over the past six years, three of whom owed less than $1000 in unpaid rent. They are also among a growing number of landlords who are selling their rental properties due to the hot housing market, displacing vulnerable families and reducing the already low supply of affordable rental housing in the city.

 

Ms. M and her boys are facing homelessness unless we collectively intervene to help them. I believe that it is possible for our community to come together to keep our neighbors safe and housed. The money that Ms. M receives from this fundraiser will be used to cover her family's moving expenses and cost of their new housing. Currently the maximum rent that they can afford is $800 per month, which is insufficient for their needs. It is my hope that the money raised in this fundraiser can supplement their income to help them pay rent in the future and act as a long term safety net. In addition to donations, we are seeking recommendations for affordable rental properties in Philadelphia where Ms. M and her family might be able to move.

 

Due to concerns about their privacy, Ms. M prefers that she and her family remain anonymous and I fully respect their decision. I believe that they should be able to request help from their community without having to make a public display of their suffering and make themselves potential targets for judgment or discrimination. If you have any questions about this fundraiser, please feel free to contact me directly.

(illustration by Rachel Gordon)