The Philly Food Affordability Act: what is in it, and what it would take to pass

Council President Kenyatta Johnson rolled out the Philly Food Affordability Act on Oct. 8. It is a package of legislation and hearings meant to lay groundwork for city action on food costs and hunger. The Inquirer reported that Johnson tied the push to federal SNAP changes that took effect Oct. 1. He said the goal is that "no children go to bed hungry, no children go to school hungry."

For households, nothing changes yet. As PhillyVoice and the Inquirer both noted, none of the pieces acts on food insecurity immediately. They set up a new office, a public vote and a series of hearings.

The pieces, from Legistar

• Resolution 260845 proposes a Home Rule Charter amendment creating an Office of Food and Nutrition Security, led by a director the mayor appoints with Council's consent. It also creates a Food and Nutrition Security Advisory Commission. Under the resolution text, the director needs at least five years of senior leadership experience. Status: in committee.
• Bill 260829 would put that charter question to voters and direct officials to arrange the special election. The Inquirer reported the question could appear in the May 2027 primary. Status: in committee.
• Bill 260833 adds a "Food and Nutrition Security" chapter to the city code. It spells out the office's duties, the commission's makeup, reporting requirements and an online portal, and provides pay for commission members. Status: in committee.
• Resolution 260841 authorizes the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to study the feasibility of city-supported grocery stores through public-private and community partnerships. At-large Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke introduced it, the Inquirer reported. Adopted Oct. 8.
• Resolution 260839 authorizes the Committee on Technology and Information Services to examine surveillance, algorithmic and dynamic pricing in the grocery industry. At-large Councilmember Rue Landau introduced it, according to the Inquirer. Adopted Oct. 8.

The Inquirer also described a hearing on grocery pricing practices as part of the package.

The math on the charter change

The resolution cites the state's First Class City Home Rule Act: a charter amendment must be proposed by a resolution adopted with "the concurrence of two-thirds" of Council's elected members. On a 17-member Council, that is 12 votes.

Legistar lists nine sponsors on Resolution 260845: Johnson, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Anthony Phillips, Rue Landau, Quetcy Lozada, Jim Harrity, Nicolas O'Rourke, Mike Driscoll and Nina Ahmad. Johnson would need at least three more votes to put the question on the ballot. Sponsorship is not a vote, and no roll call has been taken.

Related: school meals

On Oct. 15, Council received Resolution 260872. It calls on the School District of Philadelphia to reexamine how it provides healthy, high-quality meals to students, and it was placed on the following week's final-passage calendar (meeting record).

Context from the coverage

Johnson cited Newark's community-partnered grocery stores as one model, the Inquirer reported. The paper also noted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan for municipally backed stores, which faces a lawsuit. The Inquirer reported there is no concrete Philadelphia plan yet. The grocery-store hearing is informational.

What's next

The committees named in the adopted resolutions can now schedule hearings. Watch the Legistar calendar. The charter resolution and its companion bills need a committee hearing and a vote. To make a May 2027 ballot, Council would have to act in time to meet the election calendar's deadlines.