Moving the Agenda: Pennsylvania Fellowship Alum Derek Green Confronts the Housing Crisis With Progressive Policy Solutions

Derek Green is a leader in Philadelphia politics who is helping to write and advance progressive policies. Currently, he is the Special Counsel to Philadelphia City Council Member Marion B. Tasco and a Faculty member for CPL Pennsylvania.

Derek is a major player in Philadelphia politics, serving an integral role in creating progressive policy solutions.

Getting Started in Philadelphia

His first experiences with the Philadelphia political scene was while attending law school, when he went to the polls on election day and noticed a man passying out flyers outside of the polling place.

“The law in Pennsylvania states that you have to be more then 10 feet away from the polling place to do any electioneering, so I [let him know],” he said.  That man happened to be the Committee Chair for the 61st Ward, and noticed right away that Derek both knew about election laws and had an interest in local politics.

As a result, Derek later became the judge of election, which is the person responsible for making sure that the election process runs smoothly at his neighborhood polling place.

Solidifying His Role

Early on in his career, Derek knew that he aspired to run for an elected office in Philadelphia. With that goal in mind, he applied for the CPL Pennsylvania Political Leaders Fellowship to gain the skills he would need to become a successful candidate. It also helped him focus his plans for his future political endeavours beyond his election campaign.  

“When I first came to CPL and started working on my Personal Political Leadership Plan, I was only focusing on running for City Council,” Derek says, “But the CPL Fellowship helped me think about what I wanted to do beyond just 5 or 10 years down the line.”

As the Special Counsel to the Councilwoman Tasco, Derek helps draft legislation for her district. He has been involved in almost every aspect of local politics in Philadelphia, from campaigns to developing policy.

He has served as campaign manager for Pennsylvania State Senator Leanna Washington and was a campaign advisor to State Representative Cherelle Parker. “I’ve been fortunate to work on local campaigns at all levels, from grassroots committee person to the person running the statewide office,” Derek says.  

Creating Housing Solutions That Work

Recently, Derek worked on an Anti-Predatory Lending Bill. The bill was introduced just as the housing bubble was starting to burst. “The resolution called for a moratorium on foreclosures in greater Philadelphia”, he said. Derek and his team worked closely with Sheriff Joe Green and then-President Judge C. Darnell Jones. As a result, an alternative plan called the Foreclosure Diversion Plan was developed and presented.

 “The Foreclosure Diversion Plan would allow for homeowners in danger of foreclosure to work out a payment plan with the bank lender,” Derek explained. Since the Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion plan was passed, 635 homes in Philadelphia have been rescued from the danger of foreclosing. Mayor Michael Nutter has taken it a step further, by gaining $275,000 from corporations that will fund a larger push to educate Philadelphians about the benefits of the program.

Derek played a critical role in the writing and the introduction of this resolution. The Foreclosure Diversion plan now serves as a model for similar resolutions in other cities across the nation and is a progressive policy solution that will positively effect the consumer and not just the banking industry.

Derek’s leadership is just one example of how progressive political leaders are ahead of the curve in confronting the economic crisis.

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In 2006, Derek was a part of the inaugural class of CPL Pennsylvania Political Leaders Fellows. He is now serving in his second year as a Faculty Member for the Pennsylvania Political Leaders Fellowship.