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Need a new roof? One Pa. lawmaker wants to help pay for home repairs for those who can’t afford it
A Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to create a new state fund for people who can’t afford basic home repairs or weatherization. Introduced earlier this month, the Whole-Home Repairs Act would provide eligible residents with grants of up to $50,000. Small landlords could...
Pennsylvania budget forecasts, by political parties, are at odds
(The Center Square) – A Senate Appropriations Committee hearing with the secretary of the budget and secretary of general services focused on making state government efficient – and accurately projecting the state budget’s cost to taxpayers, now and in the future. The...
Senate Democrats Discuss Housing Scarcity and Houselessness at Policy Hearing
PHILADELPHIA, March 15, 2022 – State Senator Katie Muth (D- Berks/Chester/Montgomery), Chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee, joined Senators Sharif Street, Nikil Saval, Amanda Cappelletti, Tina Tartaglione and Art Haywood to host a public...
Wolf Administration Announces $500K Grant For FDR Park Improvements
Harrisburg, PA -- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Deputy Secretary Lauren Imgrund today announced the department has awarded a $500,000 grant for environmental and infrastructure improvements to FDR Park in Philadelphia. "I am happy to...
Policy Hearing on Housing Scarcity & Contemporary Houselessness
Philadelphia Council Supports Unionization of Starbucks Workers
PHILADELPHIA — Today, March 3, 2022 City Council expressed their strong support for Philadelphia Starbucks workers who are attempting to form a union, unanimously passing a resolution introduced by Councilmember Kendra Brooks (At-Large) and Councilmember Helen Gym...
City Council Expresses Support for Philadelphia Starbucks Unionization Efforts, Calls on Starbucks to Accept Card Check Neutrality
PHILADELPHIA — Today, City Council expressed their strong support for Philadelphia Starbucks workers who are attempting to form a union, unanimously passing a resolution introduced by Councilmember Kendra Brooks (At-Large) and Councilmember Helen Gym (At-Large)....
Organizations Say Meek Mill And Celebrity Takeover Of Criminal Justice Reform Weakens Their Work
It’s been three years since hip-hop artist Meek Mill, along with some of his celebrity and billionaire friends, launched the REFORM Alliance – an organization dedicated to changing laws around probation and parole. But some longstanding criminal justice reform...
How a redesign of Washington Avenue got detoured by a clash of competing needs
It seemed to be a wrap when the plan was announced two years ago. Washington Avenue, the wide and often chaotic arterial with white-knuckle traffic slicing through South Philadelphia, would be narrowed from five vehicle lanes to three, with two parking-protected bike...
Meek Mill’s Bills Show Limits of Probation Reform
LAST JUNE, rapper Meek Mill stood behind then-Gov. Ralph Northam as the Virginia Democrat signed a probation reform bill into law. Meek Mill’s 11 years on probation, which started with gun and drug charges in Philadelphia when he was 19, inspired his push to reform...
House and Senate lawmakers announce relief plan for rental assistance fund
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Lawmakers from the state House and Senate held a news conference today to outline plans to restore Pennsylvania’s depleted Emergency Rental Assistance Program and help thousands whose incomes were affected by the pandemic. State Senators Vincent...
In their own words: Local leaders urge Congress to act on climate
“In Philadelphia, schools routinely have to close during the summer because temperatures inside the buildings grow dangerously hot. In the winter, households face crushing utility bills. And year round, whole neighborhoods are traumatized by losing everything to flood...
House and Senate Lawmakers Announce Relief Plan for Rental Assistance Fund
HARRISBURG − February 16, 2022 − Lawmakers from the state House and Senate held a news conference today to outline plans to restore Pennsylvania’s depleted Emergency Rental Assistance Program and help thousands whose incomes were affected by the pandemic. State...
Legislators are urging more financial help for Pennsylvania renters
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- More relief could soon be coming to Pennsylvania renters and landlords. Legislators are calling for millions of dollars to be put into the state's depleted Emergency Rental Assistance Program. "Our proposal is asking simply for $500 million to...
Senator Saval Calls for Investment in Housing, Schools, and Public Infrastructures
City, facing criticism, says Washington Ave. pivot was a ‘matter of equity’
City officials sparked outrage Saturday when they reversed course on a planned “road diet” for one of the city’s most dangerous thoroughfares. But the transportation officials say the decision was meant to promote equity. Officials in Philadelphia’s Office of...
Port of Philadelphia gets second infusion of money for modernization
(The Center Square) – Gov. Tom Wolf gathered with state and local officials Friday to announce $265 million in funding for the Port of Philadelphia to “continue modernization efforts and improve regional stability.” “The port is an economic driver, not only in...
A sentence that never ends: How probation kept a Pennsylvania man locked up through the pandemic — even after his release date
Kevin has been in the system since he was a baby. His mother was unable to provide for him, so he was raised in foster care, and he spent his adolescence in a Philadelphia educational and treatment facility for young people with behavioral issues — a facility that...
Philadelphia’s port is getting a $246 million investment from the state, Gov. Wolf says
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday that the state will invest $246 million to help expand Philadelphia’s port, adding to the $300 million his administration committed to port development in late 2016. During the five years in between, five super post-Panamax...
Wolf Administration Announces Additional $246 Million Investment at Port of Philadelphia
“The port is an economic driver, not only in Philadelphia, but across the commonwealth,” said Gov. Wolf. “The port supports jobs, encourages trade, and builds connections that help businesses and communities across Pennsylvania thrive. This new $246 million investment...