— how Philadelphia politics, government, unions & institutions work

Housing, Transit and Authorities

From the Philadelphia Civic Wiki, the free guide to how the city works

Housing agencies, landlord-tenant systems, development incentives, and transit and port authorities.

Articles (14)

  • Division of Housing and Community Development — The City of Philadelphia's housing funding agency within Planning and Development, which distributes federal and local money for repair, affordable housing and neighborhood programs.
  • Philadelphia Land Bank — The city-created public body that controls and sells tax-delinquent and city-owned vacant land, subject to Council approval, to support housing and neighborhood projects.
  • Philadelphia Housing Authority — The state-chartered public body that owns and manages public housing and administers Housing Choice Vouchers in Philadelphia, funded largely by HUD.
  • Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority — The state-law public authority with power to condemn and assemble land and manage redevelopment areas, now staffed through the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation.
  • Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation — The nonprofit that runs the City's home-repair and housing programs and staffs the Land Bank and Redevelopment Authority.
  • Rental Licensing and Landlord-Tenant Law in Philadelphia — A general civic overview of rental licenses, the Certificate of Rental Suitability, state landlord-tenant law and the city agencies and courts involved.
  • Fair Housing Commission — The five-member city commission that enforces Philadelphia's Fair Housing Ordinance, holds hearings on rental complaints and verifies landlord licensing and suitability certificates.
  • Eviction Diversion and Landlord-Tenant Court — How eviction cases are handled in Philadelphia: the pre-filing Eviction Diversion Program, the Right to Counsel program and the Municipal Court's landlord-tenant process.
  • Safe and Healthy Homes Act — The 2026 Philadelphia package of two rental-housing bills (250329 and 250330) on repairs, licensing, anti-retaliation and good cause, effective November 1, 2026.
  • Tax Abatement and Development Incentives — How Philadelphia's property tax abatements, including the 10-year residential abatement and the proposed 20-year conversion abatement, and other incentives work and why they are debated.
  • Philadelphia Parking Authority — The state-created authority that manages on-street parking, enforcement, garages and lots, taxi and ride-share regulation, and airport parking in Philadelphia, and shares revenue with the city and School District.
  • SEPTA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the five-county regional transit agency whose buses, subways, trolleys and Regional Rail serve Philadelphia, and its recent funding crisis.
  • Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation — The City's nonprofit economic development corporation, founded in 1958, which manages industrial land such as the Navy Yard, provides business financing and supports job-creating development.
  • Port and Bridge Authorities — PhilaPort, the Delaware River Port Authority and the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission: the regional bodies that run the Delaware River seaport, bridges and PATCO.

See also the Department Directory, the full index and the Main Page.