Emily Rizzo is the Accountability Reporter for Kensington Voice. She mostly covers the city’s response to the opioid and housing crises in Kensington, with a focus on how new policies and initiatives affect the community.
Accountability
The Overdose Prevention and Community Healing Fund, or Prevention Fund, used a community-led grantmaking process to distribute $3.1 million to 43 organizations in 2024.
Accountability
Parker’s spending plan includes $216 million over five years on the “wellness ecosystem,” mostly for the Riverview Wellness Village, a 336-bed recovery housing facility for people who have completed between 30 and 90 days of substance use treatment.
Accountability
The new dashboard provides data on violent crime, property crime, police response times, overdose incidents, and emergency services efforts. It also monitors health, quality of life, and economic opportunity metrics.
Accountability
While there was some tension, there were also moments of empathy, vulnerability, and shared struggle. The conversation was not black and white, with many landing somewhere in the middle.
Accountability
The city’s new Kensington “wellness court” has led to nine arrests since its launch last week, but questions about its effectiveness remain as two participants left treatment and outreach workers are now searching for them.
Accountability
The fast-track court initiative targets people who use drugs by arresting them for summary offenses.
Accountability
Mayor Cherelle Parker signed an executive order Tuesday allowing police to take people into custody for certain summary offenses that were decriminalized under former Mayor Jim Kenney.
Accountability
Those arrested will face same-day adjudication and be given a choice between entering a drug treatment program or facing criminal penalties.
Community Life
La crisis que enfrentan las escuelas del vecindario y que intentan corregir está traumatizando a los estudiantes.
Accountability
As of Dec. 19, Joey Gabor's family said the city has shared little information about his death.
Accountability
The arrests come as Philadelphia jails face increased scrutiny over staffing shortages, healthcare delays, and unsafe conditions.
Accountability
This marks at least the second death this year of a person arrested for drug possession in Kensington and held in a Philadelphia jail.
Accountability
The clinic provides HIV and Hepatitis-C testing and treatment, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), wound care, STI testing and treatment, and more.
Accountability
Residents are questioning whether the increased enforcement has improved quality of life in their neighborhood.
Accountability
Educators hope money from a legal settlement will provide students and families more support and opportunities.
Accountability
The legislation will proceed to a full City Council reading and, if passed, will require Mayor Cherelle Parker’s approval.
Accountability
The City of Philadelphia is challenging a state trust’s decision to disapprove $3.4 million in opioid settlement funds earmarked for Kensington.
Accountability
City officials cleared two encampments near Interstate 95 on Friday, along Allegheny and Westmoreland avenues.
Public Space
From Fairhill to Harrowgate to Hunting Park to Juniata to Kensington, poll workers reported increased turnout during Tuesday's election.
Accountability
The drones will respond to 911 calls and can arrive at a scene faster to give officers perspective, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
Accountability
Louis Jung Jr. died after he was allegedly denied insulin inside a Philly prison. His family claims the city and its prison healthcare company showed “deliberate indifference” to his need for emergency medical care.
Accountability
The trust ruled in favor of funding for Kensington schools, parks, and housing, but against home repairs and small business support.
Accountability
Community leaders and residents believe funding environmental conditions that will improve the lives of families and children is a step toward repairing the harms the open-air drug market has caused the neighborhood.
Accountability
The Office of Prison Oversight would amend Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter, which is like the city’s constitution.
