Philadelphia’s H.O.M.E. Plan: A New Era for Housing Policy

This article is part of the 2025 Mid-Year Housing Industry Update. Click here to read the full newsletter.

On April 14, 2025, the administration for Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker unveiled a bold new housing blueprint— the Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) Initiative. With a goal of creating or preserving 30,000 affordable and workforce housing units in Philadelphia, the plan outlines a sweeping set of reforms and investments designed to modernize housing policy, unlock development, and stabilize communities across the City.

The H.O.M.E. Plan establishes seven “core pillars” for realizing this goal:

1. Prioritize preservation efforts
2. Invest in existing and new affordable housing programs
3. Increase development capacity, including by making it easier to identify land that can be developed into housing and growing the workforce that builds and repairs housing
4. Increase the operational effectiveness of City government
5. Address issues that contribute to housing instability and homelessness
6. Invest in programs that enhance the resiliency of housing
7. Reduce blight and vacancy across the City

The H.O.M.E. Plan’s four-part implementation strategy focuses on improving processes related to housing, undertaking certain policy initiatives—such as zoning code and tax reforms, investing in new programs and expanding existing successful housing programs, and leveraging funding from federal, state, and local government with private and philanthropic investments to support affordable housing. Most notably, the H.O.M.E. Plan proposes that the Parker administration issue $800 million in housing bonds by the end of 2027.

In June, City Council passed a series of ordinances related to the H.O.M.E. Plan, including legislation authorizing the City and Redevelopment Authority to finance the H.O.M.E. initiative with $800 million in bonds. Additional ordinances approving changes to the Philadelphia zoning code aim to make the development of housing easier and less expensive. These include:

• Creation of a new zoning district permitting two-family (duplex) housing in rowhomes;
• Elimination of the off-street parking requirements for multifamily residential uses in the CMX-4 and CMX-5 districts, which are concentrated primarily in Center City Philadelphia; and
• Elimination of the Development Impact Tax on certain developments, including affordable rental housing projects funded by a loan or grant from the City and developments of owner-occupied affordable housing units on land provided by the City at a below market price. 

Additional legislation related to the H.O.M.E. Plan is anticipated. This initiative marks a significant evolution in Philadelphia’s housing strategy—pairing major bond investments with targeted zoning reforms to increase supply, reduce barriers, and promote housing stability. If fully realized, it could not only transform development across the City, but also offer a compelling blueprint for other municipalities confronting similar challenges.

More details, including the full list of policy goals, implementation strategies, and proposed investments, can be found in the City’s official H.O.M.E. Plan overview: https://www.phila.gov/documents/mayor-cherelle-l-parkers-h-o-m-e-initiative.

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