Students in a government-administration class at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania have released a briefing report on Philadelphia housing issues.

Copies of the publication, “To Move Ahead: A Briefing Paper on Philadelphia Housing and Community Development Issues,” are being delivered to Mayor Michael Nutter and City Council members. The 98-page narrative report by the Penn students can be viewed at
www.fels.upenn.edu/Projects/housing_report_2.6.08.pdf.

The students contributed to the report as part of a fall 2007 semester class called “The Politics of Housing and Community Development,” taught by John Kromer, Fels senior consultant and a former Philadelphia city housing director.

The report contains chapters on 11 key issues, including housing-agency reorganization, public housing, homelessness and historic preservation.

The publication includes recommendations to:

• Establish a stronger negotiating position with unionized employees.
• Develop a shelter, transitional residence and permanent housing venture in each City Council district.
• Create a rental-assistance fund to preserve affordable rental housing in gentrifying neighborhoods.

Second-year Fels graduate student Ashley Frampton was managing editor of the publication.

Information contributed to the narrative report by class members was gathered from interviews with housing experts, published works on housing issues and a series of in-class presentations and discussions.