HOUSING

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GET HELP: HOUSING

HOARDING

If you or someone you know struggles with too much stuff, The Philadelphia Hoarding Task Force can help. We can refer you to Philadelphia area resources related to organizing, health, legal help, cleaning, and more.

HOME REPAIR

CLS provides legal advice to homeowners who have disputes with their home repair contractors or are considering borrowing money to pay for repairs.

HOMEOWNERSHIP SCAMS

CLS provides legal help to homeowners dealing with predatory “We Buy Houses” residential property wholesalers, flippers, and investors.

LICENSES AND INSPECTIONS

CLS provides limited legal advice to homeowners who have code enforcement violations from the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I).

MORTGAGE ISSUES

CLS provides legal advice to homeowners who have disputes with their mortgage company or are facing a mortgage foreclosure.

NEIGHBOR DISPUTES

CLS does not generally help with disputes between neighbors, because they rarely involve legal issues. However, this page contains recommendations and resources that may be helpful for those with disputes with their neighbor.

PRIVATE RENTAL HOUSING

CLS provides free legal assistance to renters facing a number of housing issues, including evictions, illegal lockouts, utility shutoffs, building repair issues, and complaints taken to the Fair Housing Commission.

PROPERTY TAXES

CLS helps Philadelphia residents who are struggling with their property taxes. We can often help homeowners qualify for affordable payment agreements or other programs that will save their home from being lost at sheriff sale for unpaid property taxes.

RENT-TO-OWN

CLS helps resolve issues with rent-to-own agreements. Many people have problems with these agreements, sometimes called lease purchase or installment sales agreements, and CLS can discuss your legal options and remedies with you.

SUBSIDIZED HOUSING

CLS assists low-income tenants living in public and subsidized housing, including PHA public housing, Section 8, HUD, and others.

NEWS ABOUT HOUSING

Feb172021

COVID-19’s Impact on Race and Housing Security Across Philadelphia: Philadelphia Renters Report

February 17, 2021

Read the full report Racial and economic disparities in affordable housing existed long before the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet, new data from the US Census…

Jan252021

Resolving Tangled Titles in Philadelphia

January 25, 2021

What is a tangled title? If you live in a house that you think you own, that you treat and pay for as your own,…

Nov302020

Report: Breaking the Record: Dismantling the Barriers Eviction Records Place on Housing Opportunities

November 30, 2020

Each of the nearly 20,000 eviction complaints filed in Philadelphia Municipal Court each year carries a lifelong blemish on a person’s tenancy records, regardless of…

Nov202020

CLS Releases Recommendations for the Biden-Harris Administration

November 20, 2020

Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS), one of the largest and most respected legal services programs in the nation, congratulates President-Elect Joseph Biden and Vice…

Apr232020

Residentes de Filadelfia: ¿Su vivienda está en ejecución hipotecaria o está atrasado (o a punto de atrasarse) en el pago de su hipoteca? Esto es lo que necesita saber

April 23, 2020

Actualizado 13 de abril de 2020 Muchos propietarios de vivienda pueden tener problemas para pagar sus hipotecas debido a la pérdida de sus empleos, la…

Apr132020

Philadelphians: In Foreclosure, Behind, or About To Be Behind on Your Mortgage? Here’s What You Need to Know

April 13, 2020

This information was last updated February, 2021. En Español Many homeowners have had trouble paying their mortgages because of job loss, reduced income, or illness…