What’s at stake for Philly-area tenants?
The ROAD to Housing Act defines a large corporate landlord as a company with 350 or more single-family homes in its portfolio.
Proponents of the ban argue that these companies, which make up a small percentage of buyers, contributed to a surge in housing costs following the COVID-19 pandemic. They say that barring them from this segment of the market will help lower prices.
However, companies like Nestidd are not considered the target of the legislation. That’s why Parker has been meeting with lawmakers with hopes of getting an amendment introduced that would spare him and others from the ban without undermining the bill’s broader intent.
“Without exception, they all tell us, ‘Yeah, you guys weren’t intended to be swept up in this thing. That’s not what we’re going for.’” So we say, ‘OK. Great. So, can we change it?’ and that’s what’s a little more complicated,” said Parker, who grew up near Valley Forge in Chester County.
The ball is currently in the House’s court. Lawmakers must decide whether to simply adopt the version of the legislation sent over from the Senate or open the door to amendments. Passage might be delayed if a flurry of changes were to be proposed.
Like Parker, Patricia Menszak hopes the House chooses the second option. She’s an administrator with Catholic Charities of Philadelphia, an arm of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that operates 25 licensed group homes in the area, most of them in Delaware County.
About a third of the nonprofit’s properties are leased, leaving those tenants at risk of being uprooted if the legislation passes unchanged.
“The impact for the individuals is quite simply, ‘Well, then where do they go?’” Menszak said.
Forcing anyone to move from their home is exceedingly disruptive. Disbanding a group home is even more complicated.
Roommates in a group home are carefully selected for compatibility, and it is common for these individuals to live with the same people for years on end, meaning they effectively become like family to one another. They also maintain daily routines that are centered on the home, including meals, appointments with support staff, and trips back and forth to jobs and day programs.
“That would be so emotionally difficult,” Menszak said. “They would certainly have the potential of having some sort of regression or perhaps even depression. That would not be good.”