What does “quality of life” actually mean for neighbors? For many neighbors, it looks like safe housing, clean streets, stable utilities, access to jobs, and knowing where to turn when help is needed. Quality of life is about more than income or infrastructure — it reflects whether neighbors feel supported, secure, and connected in […]

As a teen, Destiny Jackson, was placed into the city’s foster care system to be removed from an abusive home. She was later transferred to Youth Services, Inc (YSI)’s youth emergency shelter.  Jackson says YSI helped her through high school and saw her off to Spelman College. YSI eventually merged with People’s Emergency Center (PEC) […]

First introduced in New York City in the 1800s, a housing co-op (cooperative) is a building where residents receive a proprietary lease for a unit by purchasing shares in the corporation that owns the building. While a corporation owns the building, an elected board of residents maintains the property, approves new owners, and manages the governing […]

THEN: The 10-36  Plan, an interview with Pastor Michael A Majors Solutions for Now: Economic Inclusion Economic exclusion in Philadelphia is not the result of individual choices but of how the system is structured. Entire neighborhoods face the same barriers simultaneously: structural barriers, limited access to capital, fewer pathways to ownership, unstable housing, and jobs […]

 April was Second Chance Month— a time to recognize the challenges neighbors face after coming home from incarceration—and the role communities play in supporting them. Launched in 2017, by Prison Fellowship, the initiative centers second chances, while also asking what it really takes to come home and stay home.  For many neighbors in Philly, […]

A problem my community faces is housing. Not everyone has a safe and stable place to live, and many people struggle daily to find a home they can afford. I believe everyone should have a fair chance to own a home. Housing should not be treated as something only for people with high incomes. It […]

Image above used under license from robert at stock.adobe.com. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over, expecting different results. The introduction of Philadelphia’s new rideshare tax exemplifies this definition almost exactly. In an effort to bolster support for the School District of Philadelphia’s teachers and staff, Philadelphia’s mayor, Cherelle Parker, […]

Image above used under license from Daniel Beckemeier stock.adobe.com. Last week, the City Council met to discuss alternatives to trash incineration. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier has been working to halt trash incineration entirely with the Stop Trashing Our Air Act. If passed, it would ban Philadelphia from burning any collected trash. Currently, 40% of Philadelphia’s trash […]

Imagine not having a grocery store nearby where you can easily pick up fresh, affordable food. For some neighbors, this means taking two buses or a long drive just to reach a full-service supermarket or farmers market. For others, it means stretching a fixed income or relying on SNAP (food stamps) to ensure there is […]

In 2021, on the first day of school for my kindergartner, I entered the schoolyard excited to meet his teachers and introduce myself and my son. Instead, I found myself waiting with other anxious parents and their children. Not a single adult was in the schoolyard to welcome us into our new school community. Eventually, […]