Since 2000, Philadelphia’s housing market has been transformed by several factors, including gradual population growth after decades of decline, a property tax abatement that spurred new real estate investment, the market contraction following the 2006-08 national housing crash, and the subsequent years of low interest rates that attracted many new homebuyers.
The Pew charitable trusts analyzed over two decades of single family home sales to learn how the city’s housing market has changed in the midst of those local and national forces. The report finds that the city’s reputation of affordability—although somewhat overstated—remains largely intact, but fewer of the city’s households are able to afford housing than could at the turn of the century, and some groups are seeing increasing access to homeownership, while others have seen that access slowly slip away.
To view the reports and analyses, please visit the links below.
Octavia Howell leads housing research for Pew Charitable Trusts’ Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative. Her reports on cost burden, tangled titles, home purchasing trends, and rental code enforcement highlight the myriad challenges residents face when seeking to secure and maintain safe and affordable places to live within Philadelphia. Pew’s housing research is seen as a trusted resource for both local and national housing advocates and policymakers. Prior to her time at Pew, Howell worked for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, where she focused on geospatial analysis, community engagement, and housing. She is a native of Philadelphia.
Sorry, your browser is out of date
The web browser you are using is too old to view this site. Please update your browser or use Internet Explorer 11 or the current version of Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Chrome or Safari. Thank you!
