Philadelphia City Council voted Thursday to ban mobile service units from most of the 7th District, advancing Councilmember Quetcy Lozada’s bill despite pushback from public health advocates.
The ordinance, which will take effect 60 days after it is signed into law by Mayor Cherelle Parker, passed 13-3 with Councilmembers Nicolas O’Rourke, Kendra Brooks, and Rue Landau opposed.
The legislation imposes strict permitting, time, and location limits on medical providers offering wound care, addiction treatment, and other basic services in the district, which includes parts of Kensington.
While supporters say the restrictions will improve quality of life for children and families, critics argue the bill will limit access to life-saving care for people living with addiction.
The vote followed over an hour of emotional public testimony from Kensington residents, students, and educators, who described the toll the opioid crisis has taken on their daily lives.
Students from Gloria Casarez Elementary School in Kensington lined up to testify in support of the legislation, carrying handmade signs that read: “No needles,” “Don’t sell drugs,” “I just want to be a kid,” “We want to be able to play outside,” and “I want to feel safe.”
They described the traumatizing scenes they witness daily on their walks to school and outside their homes. Behind them, residents held enlarged photos of open wounds and trash-strewn streets.
Student Khalil Davis said he often sees discarded needles on the street and groups receiving medical attention in a parking lot near his house.
“Seeing this daily makes me uncomfortable,” Davis said during public comment. “When I’m at school, [I’m] trying to ignore it, but that doesnt work. I want people to receive medical services in a place that is not near my home or school.”
Fifth grader Andrikson De Leon said he sees people “passed out near the corner store” daily on his way to school.
“Some of them look like they need medical attention,” De Leon said. “I feel bad for them because it looks like they didn’t have a good life or get a good education. They shouldn’t be rotting in the streets.”
Erica Green, principal of Conwell Middle School in Kensington, exceeded the one-minute public comment limit to urge Council to “do what is right and fair for the children.”
“They are walking to school and dodging bullets,” Green said. “They are dodging people struggling with addiction.”
Harm reduction advocates and other community members echoed that urgency in testimony opposing the bill. Speakers were met with cheers and interruptions from both supporters and opponents in the crowd.
Critics argued that restricting mobile services would limit access to critical care and worsen conditions in Kensington. Some said supporters and opponents share the same concerns but disagree on the solution.
“I’m not here to pit the community against one another,” said Ivan Vivar, a soccer coach with Kensington Soccer Club. “The bill doesn’t remove litter. The bill will let more addicts fall through the cracks, which will work against the goals of this bill. If there was a house on fire, would you ask how much water is needed? Would you measure where that water is coming from?”
Sergio Cea, political director of Reclaim Philadelphia, called the measure a “false choice” between helping residents and those struggling with addiction.
“There’s another world where we choose to help both and don’t put one group against the other,” Cea said. “This legislation will do nothing to address causes. It will only create more harm, more amputations, more overdoses, more death.”
Some residents urged Council to extend the ban to other districts. For months, members of Somerset Neighbors for Better Living (SNBL), a registered civic organization representing parts of Kensington between Kensington and Aramingo avenues and Lehigh Avenue and Clearfield Street, have advocated for more restrictions in the 1st District.
SNBL member Dominic Chacon criticized groups operating in the area — specifically church groups — who he said are not medically trained and cause more harm than good. He said mobile providers often set up in front of the area’s only affordable housing complex and at major transit stops.
“Residents deal with the aftermath of feces, food, trash, bodies,” Chacon said.
He urged Council to extend the ban to the 1st District, represented by Councilmember Mark Squilla.
In an interview with Kensington Voice, Squilla said he will monitor the rollout of Lozada’s legislation over the next six months. If the pilot “works out” and people retain access to needed services, he said he may support a citywide ban and implementation in his district.
Councilmember Mike Driscoll of the 6th District, which also represents part of Kensington, introduced similar legislation Thursday. His bill would ban mobile units districtwide and require pre-approval from registered community organizations. It would prohibit mobile services in “every lot and public right of way.”
In a written statement, Driscoll said his bill “empowers the local community — through their designated Registered Community Organization — to make the final decision on whether mobile wound care units are permitted in their neighborhood.”
In a related move, Lozada introduced a resolution adopted Thursday that directs the Special Committee on Kensington to hold a hearing on how the opioid crisis has affected “children’s emotional, mental, and behavioral health.”
The resolution also calls for an examination of services and programs that could support affected youth.
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