Our homes are in dire need of repair. We can’t afford to leave.

Each time we complain about the potholes in our neighborhoods, or all the noise outside from what’s either gunshots, fireworks, or motorcycles, or the drug dealers a few blocks from the apartment, we hear this: “If you don’t like it, then leave.”

As if we haven’t been trying.

One of us (Gianna Luna) has been living in the same apartment in Hunting Park since she was born. As the years passed, it’s gotten too small for her and her mom, and the cracks have started to show. Even with the windows closed, you can feel a breeze. No matter the season, it’s the same temperature inside as it is outside, regardless of how hard the heaters and air-conditioners work. The plumbing has broken several times, and the landlord — without fail — opts for a Band-Aid fix that only solves the problem temporarily. To do it right, Luna and her mom had to pay for repairs themselves.

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Luna’s mom has been searching for anywhere else to live for months. From online listings to calling the numbers on “for rent” signs, the outcome is the same: too expensive.

The only thing keeping them in the same apartment is that the landlord doesn’t and hasn’t raised the rent in years. They feel lucky for that. That’s the only reason they’ve been able to afford everything they needed and a little more. The day they move is the day all of that will change.

Rent in Philadelphia has reached astronomically high levels, especially with the post-COVID-19 boom of people looking for new housing after being cooped up during the pandemic. Not to mention the cost of buying a house these days, which is impossible for many because of the income requirements and high mortgage rates.

Those unable to find housing within their budget are stuck spending more than they can afford just to have a roof over their heads.

More than 54% of Philadelphia renters are “cost-burdened” — meaning they spend more than 30% of their household income on housing costs. That’s about 800,000 people. On top of that, nearly one-quarter of Philadelphia residents live in poverty.

Many residents feel lucky when they are able to find affordable housing. But they soon realize that a large number of these residences are in a state of disrepair.

We can relate to this personally. Here are only a few things both of our families have had to repair since we each moved into our abodes, with or without landlord help: faulty plumbing (the shower, the washer and dryer, the toilet, and almost every sink), the hot water and central heating/cooling system, the roof (on several occasions), the screen door, garage door, and front windows (none would open), and the entire bathroom (three cheers for broken porcelain).

This is not to say the government doesn’t help at all; the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Philadelphia Housing Authority have been working to help low-income families with housing vouchers. Last year, HUD created a new plan to increase the value of housing vouchers, based on the fair market rent for the zip code, so they cover 70% of the cost of housing.

But when it comes to vouchers, the demand is still much higher than the supply. Last year, the website for the PHA — which administers the voucher program — crashed right after it reopened, due to overwhelming demand. Because of limited funds, thousands remain stuck on the waiting list. In March 2023, the PHA stated it only supported around 18,405 households with vouchers — this, in a city where around one out of four households live in poverty.

The demand is still much higher than the supply.

And even though it is illegal, many landlords refuse to accept housing vouchers — to the point where the PHA started offering bonuses to landlords who take vouchers and may even pay the security deposits of these households. What’s more, many landlords’ rent prices are higher than fair market rent prices as defined by the HUD, so the voucher won’t be enough to cover costs.

Housing vouchers are a good solution, but they need to be fixed. We need more funding so vouchers can be handed out with more money and to more people, hopefully cutting down the waiting list. In order to give renters who rely on vouchers better options for housing, landlords refusing to accept these vouchers must be heavily penalized.

In addition, there should be some incentives for landlords to abide by fair market rent prices, which will make it easier for voucher recipients to find a home.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s 2025 budget does address some of our concerns — such as adding 30,000 housing units and allocating funding to housing repair — but it doesn’t go nearly far enough. We believe the Philadelphia government and the PHA — the fourth-largest housing authority in the nation, and the largest landlord in Pennsylvania — can do far more to help low-income renters.

Housing is a right and should be accessible to everyone regardless of economic status. We hope one day that becomes a reality.

Gianna Luna is a senior at Central High School desperate to move out of her neighborhood. Anna Cadogan is a senior at Central High School.