Zipcar offers discounts to Philadelphia Housing Authority residents

• Travel costs are a barrier for many in Philly, which has a 22% poverty rate.

State of play: Short-term car rental company Zipcar is providing eight cars at four PHA housing complexes that are available on-demand daily for the agency's 80,000 low-income residents.

• The partnership with PHA, the nation's fourth largest housing authority, is funded by Zipcar and launched last week.

Zoom out: Zipcar has similar partnerships with other housing authorities, including in New York City.

How it works: PHA residents get a free membership for the first year, then $15 annually after that. (That's down from $90 a year for a typical membership.)

• It includes 180 free miles per day (.58 cents per mile after that), free gas, secondary insurance and roadside service.
• The hourly rate is not discounted ($11+).
• The eight car-sharing vehicles will have two dedicated on-street parking spots at John F. Street Community Center, Lucien Blackwell Community Center, Vaux Community Building and Wilson Park Apartments.

What they're saying: Tafari Nobles-EL, a PHA resident, tells Axios the hourly rate to use the cars could remain a barrier for PHA residents.

• "Maybe that's something they can fix in the future," he said.

Editor's note: This story was corrected to note the partnership is funded by Zipcar, not through a federal grant.