Kelly J. Gastley (L) and Miriam N. Jacobson (R) of Philadelphia VIP.Courtesy photos
Tangled title has gotten a lot of buzz in Philadelphia of late, and for no small reason. It is a pervasive problem that hits right at the asset that our community most needs to protect— family homes, which are the bedrock of lifting future generations out of poverty, particularly in communities of color. But it is also not a new issue in Philadelphia; it has been with us for decades, and Philadelphia VIP has been at the forefront of tackling tangled title cases for years. So, why is tangled title garnering so much attention now—and what does that mean for the future of homeowners and communities across our city?
Where It Started
As a city with a very old and poorly maintained housing stock, Philadelphia has always been prone to a high incidence of tangled titles. The problem has numerous causes. Homes are often informally passed down from one generation to the next, without proper conveyances happening through deeds. Homebuyers with no credit history or unstable incomes seek nontraditional ways to achieve the American dream, opening themselves up to risky rent-to-own agreements or moving into homes left untended for years. Twenty years ago, when the Philadelphia community sought a systematic answer to the tangled title problem, they found the solution in VIP and its volunteer attorneys.
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