Rents are high and housing vouchers are hard to get. So Philly is giving renters cash

Stoneleigh Fellow Vincent Reina spoke to NPR about his work to help Philadelphia develop the PHLHousing+ program, which gives the city’s renters cash to help with their housing costs.

Angie Atkins has been on a waitlist for a federal housing voucher for the better part of a decade. During that time, her rent in northwest Philadelphia kept rising, year after year, until it was eating up three-quarters of her income.

“When I did my monthly budget, I had to live off $156 a month,” she says. “It’s crazy, and no public assistance or anything.”

Atkins is 37, upbeat and quick to laugh. She manages an accountant’s office. And as a single mom with two kids, providing food for her family has been a priority. She sold her car to save money. But in 2022, she fell behind on rent and faced possible eviction. Then, Atkins had a surreal moment.

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