Housing & Shelter
Against Mayor Parker’s wishes, Council advances version of her housing plan
Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, whose 7th District covers Kensington, said the vast majority of her constituents earn less than 60% AMI.
Housing & Shelter
Housing and homelessness in Kensington, Philadelphia. Reporting on affordability, evictions, encampments, gentrification and shelter access in the neighborhood.
Housing & Shelter
Some Kensington residents may qualify for up to $1,000 in tax, rent rebates
Applications are open to eligible older Pennsylvanians and people with disabilities.
Housing & Shelter
Guides & Resources
Housing workshops aim to empower Kensington owners and renters
A free series includes weekly workshops running through December 13th, covering a range of housing topics–from local organizing to statewide housing policy–focused on creating “affordable and accessible” housing. All workshops are held at the Kensington Engagement Center.
Accountability
New Kensington ‘fast-track court’ lands most with warrants, back into the cycle of addiction and homelessness
Kensington Voice collected and verified data on 87 people who were arrested during the first months of the program and tracked their journeys through the court. Most ended up with Wellness Court bench warrants after the city lost contact with them.
Kids in Kensington
Community conversation marks first of many to inform citywide 25-year plan
Klean Kensington is one of eight organizations citywide selected for the Department of Planning and Development’s “Philadelphia 2050: Planning Together” initiative.
Neighborhood Voices
Cuts to SNAP and SNAP-Ed: A war on Kensington families
. Cutting both direct assistance and evidence-based education is like declaring war on the people of Kensington. Food security means more than just access to food.
Neighborhood Voices
You can rise again: Recovery is possible for those who are ready
September was National Recovery Month. Luis Soto shares his journey to sobriety and how working with others has helped him heal.
Arts & Culture
Harrowgate area to see art, improvements as part of citywide celebration for America’s 250th birthday
The Harrowgate area will see increased funding as part of the City of Philadelphia's celebration of America's 250th birthday.
Housing & Shelter
Are you exempt from the new SNAP work requirements? Here’s how to find out.
As of September 1st, people receiving SNAP benefits are required to work, volunteer, or be in an employment training program a minimum of 20 hours a week in order to continue receiving assistance. If they don’t comply and aren’t exempt, their benefits will terminate December 1st.
Accountability
Most of Philly’s opioid settlement money to go to Riverview Wellness Village recovery housing facility
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration plans to allocate more to Riverview than to all other opioid settlement money initiatives combined.
Housing & Shelter
A mother told us about her agonizing journey with Pa.'s mental health care system. What happened next?
The ongoing story of one mother's agonizing journey with Pa.'s mental health care system
Small Business
In Kensington, Botanica San Expedito offers candles, counsel and compassion
Longtime Kensington resident Ligia Rodriguez runs San Expedito Botánica — a neighborhood shop offering spiritual healing, warm meals and community care.
Accountability
What the mayor's new affordable housing plan could mean for Kensington
Mayor Cherelle Parker’s sweeping $2 billion housing plan—the Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) initiative aims to preserve and create 30,000 housing units over four years in response to the city’s housing crisis.
Arts & Culture
Opinion | Ending drug tourism in Kensington starts with calling the drugs what they are: poison
Real progress starts with branding Kensington’s drug supply for what it is: a source of brutal withdrawal and suffering.
Kids in Kensington
Norris Square Resource List: Where to find jobs, health, housing support
The Norris Square Neighborhood Profile, released in July, explored rising housing costs and other shifts in the neighborhood. This resource list points residents to support.
Housing & Shelter
Rising costs threaten Latino cultural fabric in Norris Square, new community survey finds
The 2025 Norris Square Neighborhood Profile sought to capture information on the area’s population, quality of life, and economic status and spark dialogue among community leaders and residents.
Clean Streets
Trash piles, dumpster overflow worsens in Kensington amid sanitation strike as residents back union
In Kensington, a neighborhood already grappling with public health challenges related to the decades-old open-air drug market and opioid crisis, residents say the AFSCME District Council 33 strike exposes longstanding problems including illegal dumping, homelessness and a lack of city support.
Health & Wellness
City Council passes budget, Parker’s housing plan
The budget – totaling about $13.4 billion across operating and capital expenses – invests in establishing a “wellness” system to address Kensington’s opioid crisis.
Accountability
City budget including housing plan, Kensington Wellness Court expansion, set for final passage
Funding is allocated to expand the administration’s Kensington Wellness Court pilot from one to five days a week.
Arts & Culture
Kensington committee members suggest “removing” people who use drugs, SEPTA pauses social service contracts
The Special Committee on Kensington, made up of council members Quetcy Lozada, Mark Squilla, Mike Driscoll, Nina Ahmad, Curtis Jones
Accountability
Amid praise and pushback, Philly mayor signs bill restricting Kensington mobile services
The bill imposes strict permitting, time, and location limits on medical providers offering wound care and addiction treatment as well as any organization offering basic necessities like food, water, and clothes.
Accountability
‘Kind of a heartbreaker’: Kensington gun violence prevention group takes funding hit following federal cuts
The national loss of funding for violence intervention programs will drastically impact local anti-violence initiatives and the communities they serve.
Accountability
Port Richmond streetlight outages draw more than 75 complaints, residents frustrated by 'no results'
Around 2 a.m. on March 13, Frank Trout’s son was walking home from his boxing club when a car struck him near Richmond Street and Indiana Avenue. The driver fled the scene, so Trout turned to security footage for answers. But the street was pitch dark.
Accountability
City Council presses for data on Kensington Wellness Court, city leaves key questions unanswered
As Philadelphia City Council considered Mayor Cherelle Parker’s $3.7 million request to expand the new Kensington Wellness Court