The city of Philadelphia is actively providing landlords with tools to maintain and improve their rental properties while also offering pathways to resolve tenant disputes without resorting to eviction. With the goal of fostering better housing conditions and keeping residents in their homes, the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) is making strides to support small landlords and tenants alike through various programs.
One of the highlighted initiatives is the PHDC's Rental Improvement Fund (RIF), which provides forgivable loan products to landlords of small-scale rental units. According to the city's announcement, the RIF aims to ensure that repairs are carried out to improve the safety, health, and efficiency of properties, with loans eligible for full forgiveness so long as landlords adhere to program affordability requirements. Landlords must possess fewer than 15 rentals across no more than five properties and meet building codes post-improvement to qualify for this assistance.
Focused on conflict resolution, the Eviction Diversion Program (EDP) provides landlords and tenants a platform to work out differences with the help of a mediator, potentially avoiding evictions. This program's Targeted Financial Assistance component assists landlords in recouping overdue rent and arrears, offering direct city payments that include up to two additional months of forward rent, if applicable. This financial support is available to landlords seeking $3,500 or less in back rent and arrears, provided they approach the claims in good faith and satisfy other eligibility criteria laid out by the program, as per the City of Philadelphia.
Landlords interested in the EDP can begin by applying for the program, then opt into the Targeted Financial Assistance upon receiving initial approval. Both these programs, RIF and EDP/TFA, are part of the city's effort to stabilize rental markets and ensure tenants have access to habitable living spaces without the looming threat of eviction.
