PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Council has to redo the ordinance it passed in June that authorized bonds to pay for the mayor’s affordable housing project, delaying the project by several months.
The new bill is necessary due to changes City Council made to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s budget for her HOME initiative, which promises 30,000 units of affordable housing.
Parker’s budget reserved some of the initial $200 million in spending for moderate-income Philadelphians. Council wanted more for low-income residents, so they lowered the income limits for some programs. The problem is, they’d already passed a bond ordinance stating that some of the proceeds would go to those with slightly higher incomes.
Council President Kenyatta Johnson said having to start from scratch with a new bill is just part of the legislative process.
“The legislative process is very, very fluid and ultimately, we want to make sure this is an initiative that supports everyone here in the City of Philadelphia,” Johnson said.
Johnson said his relationship with the mayor remains strong, though this is a rare case where the mayor did not get exactly what she wanted from council.
It also means a delay in her signature initiative, as the new bill must now go to a committee hearing, and with only one council session left this year, that means it can’t pass until council reconvenes in January. City officials say that means the bonds can’t be sold until March.