Broke in Philly – Collaborative reporting on economic justice

Comcast must open Wi-Fi networks to get 20,000 Philadelphia students online

About 20,000 Philadelphia students without internet connections have been unable to attend school for months, and yet, when asked directly by Dr. Hite, Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, to open their residential Wi-Fi networks so students could actually use the more than 80,000 laptops distributed by an already fiscally underwater school district, Comcast refused. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

Unlike COVID, there is a cure for homelessness: Housing

coronavirus

May 29, 2020

The COVID-19 crisis has laid bare the deep health, economic and racial disparities in our nation. Nowhere have these disparities been more apparent than with homelessness. It has never been clearer that housing is healthcare. Those who are homeless lack the most fundamental health protections a home provides. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

City clears out airport encampment of people, plans to offer tests for COVID-19

coronavirus

May 29, 2020

City officials began clearing out about 50 homeless individuals from Philadelphia International Airport Tuesday morning, offering COVID-19 tests to anyone who asked to be transported to a shelter. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

coronavirus

The rules for converting PPP loans to grants are complex. Here’s a guide.

May 29, 2020

coronavirus

Dentists may soon charge patients a PPE fee

May 29, 2020

coronavirus

City agrees to test Philly airport homeless for COVID-19 after advocates threaten suit

May 29, 2020

It's hard to get a clear answer on what different policies mean for you, where resources are, or why and how we should do the new things we're now being told to do. Click on any square to open a universe of answers to those questions and more. Information in this FAQ comes from reporting by your local Philly newsrooms, or from official government sites and other verified sources. Don't see your question right away? Use the search bar to find key topics. If your question hasn't been answered yet, text COVID19PHL to 73224 to submit it!

This information collection is curated and maintained by Resolve Philly as part of its Equally Informed project. This work aims to to get real, relevant info and journalism about living and working in Philly during COVID-19 into the hands of all our residents. You can learn more here.

Pennsylvania nonprofits geared towards immigrant rights are imitating California with an immigrant fund of their own. The PA Immigrant Relief Fund started with a $500,000 gift from the Douty Foundation of Philadelphia and now features more than 40 organizations from across the state pooling donations towards the effort. | From: AL DíA (Read more.)

Union drive at Philadelphia Museum of Art

May 28, 2020

Workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art have filed a petition with management with the intent to form a labor union. Organizers claim the petition was filed by a majority of eligible employees across many departments. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

Philly school families get pandemic cash bonus for food, so those who don’t need it plan donation drive

May 26, 2020

Under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Pennsylvania is distributing more than $300 million in SNAP benefits to families whose children are eligible for free lunch. Because all Philadelphia public school students receive free lunch at school, this means all families are eligible to receive an extra $365 in pandemic aid — even those that are financially secure. | From: Billy Penn (Read more.)

City clears out airport encampment of people, plans to offer tests for COVID-19

May 29, 2020

Dentists may soon charge patients a PPE fee

May 29, 2020

Dentists could charge a personal protective equipment fee directly to patients or raise prices to account for the additional expense after two months without any income. Patient advocates worry that rising dental costs will inevitably fall on families who are already struggling financially during the pandemic. | From” The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

The rules for converting PPP loans to grants are complex. Here’s a guide.

May 29, 2020

Trying to figure out how you’ll pay back your small-business loan? Or better yet, get it forgiven? The Small Business Administration last week released a long-awaited request form for business owners who took out Paycheck Protection Program loans and want the debt forgiven. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

Hundreds in Philly could lose coronavirus relief money because stimulus checks aren’t safe from debt collectors

April 30, 2020

Hundreds of Philadelphians may be locked out of their bank accounts and could lose their federal coronavirus stimulus checks to creditors and debt collectors, cutting them off from funds they may need to pay rent and buy groceries during the pandemic. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

Comcast must open Wi-Fi networks to get 20,000 Philadelphia students online

May 29, 2020

The Remote School Year Is Almost Over. Here’s How Philly Schools Fared

May 28, 2020

As the novel coronavirus pandemic wears on, at least 124,000 U.S. schools containing roughly 55.1 million students have been closed. As schools pivot to remote learning as a result, school districts in cities like Washington D.C., Sacramento, and Philadelphia are working to ensure that students can access their digital classes by putting laptops directly in the hands of students. With more than a quarter of residents living below the poverty line and growing gaps between rich and poor school districts across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia’s efforts are particularly important. | From: Next City (Read more.)

Adjunct professors in fear due to coronavirus hitting higher-ed

May 28, 2020

As an adjunct professor, Anderson has no guarantee of work this fall. That’s always been the case. But this summer — with dire enrollment predictions circulating — there’s added uncertainty. Fewer students means fewer classes. And fewer classes likely means fewer adjuncts. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

Unlike COVID, there is a cure for homelessness: Housing

May 29, 2020

City clears out airport encampment of people, plans to offer tests for COVID-19

May 29, 2020

City agrees to test Philly airport homeless for COVID-19 after advocates threaten suit

May 29, 2020

Capitulating to pressure from advocates for the homeless, the Kenney administration agreed Thursday to test people living in an encampment at Philadelphia International Airport for the coronavirus before placing them in shelters. City officials had planned to break up the group of 50 to 100 individuals on Friday morning without testing. But after advocates and those who provide housing and services for the homeless threatened a lawsuit, the city decided to hold off on dispersing the encampment until Tuesday, after what it described as “rapid testing” is completed. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

Helping Tenants and Landlords Resolve Issues — Before Going to Court

May 28, 2020

Last fall, the city funded a two-month pilot of the pre-filing mediation program, which was carried out by the Good Shepherd Mediation Program, a 35-year-old nonprofit focused on neighborhood conflict resolution. Since the pandemic began, the group has begun offering virtual mediation through Zoom. | From: Next City (Read more.)

Homeless People Being Moved From Philadelphia International Airport, Tested for Coronavirus

May 28, 2020

Officials at Philadelphia International Airport had initially planned Friday to remove the between 50 and 100 homeless people who have been sleeping at a baggage claim area underutilized during stay-at-home orders. But airport and city officials agreed to wait until Tuesday after homeless advocates threatened to file a lawsuit if the people were moved to shelters without being tested. | From: NBC 10 Philadelphia (Read more.)

Grupos de derechos de los inmigrantes de Pennsylvania lanzan un fondo para los inmigrantes en medio de COVID-19

May 29, 2020

Las organizaciones sin fines de lucro de Pensilvania orientadas a los derechos de los inmigrantes están imitando a California con un fondo propio para inmigrantes. El Fondo de Ayuda al Inmigrante de PA comenzó con una donación de 500.000 dólares de la Fundación Douty de Filadelfia y ahora cuenta con más de 40 organizaciones de todo el estado que reúnen donaciones para el esfuerzo. | Para: AL DíA (Read more.)

Heat adds deadly risks to coronavirus pandemic in Philly

May 28, 2020

As with heat, low-wage workers and communities of color have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Without safeguards against the heat in place, the compounding risk factors could lead to an increase of fatalities within these vulnerable communities, epidemiologists say. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

SEPTA plans to move forward on free transfer, reduced child fare in July, postpone increases amid coronavirus

May 15, 2020

If its board approves next month, SEPTA will offer one free transfer for SEPTA Key Travel Wallet users and reduce the child fare to $1 on July 1. Also if approved, the authority will postpone a 50-cent increase to the SEPTA Key base fare until at least January. | From: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Read more.)

SEPTA to close stations, dramatically reduce service as coronavirus death toll rises

April 13, 2020

Less than 24 hours after a third SEPTA employee died of coronavirus-related causes, SEPTA announced a dramatic reduction of transit service. The new “Lifeline Service Schedule,” intended to increase safety for riders and operators while discouraging nonessential trips, will take effect April 9. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

Housing activists stop Rittenhouse encampment cleanup, likening it to ‘eviction’

May 7, 2020

Activists interrupted a “service day” planned by the city’s homeless outreach office that aimed to clean a Center City sidestreet where several people experiencing had been living. | From: Plan Philly (Read more.)

Philly’s immigrant-led orgs step up to fight COVID hunger with comfort food

May 7, 2020

The City of Philadelphia is giving away free food to those in need during the coronavirus pandemic, but standard food pantry fare isn’t comfort food for all. So, local immigrant-led organizations and businesses are branching out with efforts to give away the food their communities crave. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

¿Necesita dinero para mantener su pequeño negocio a flote? Aquí está una guía de cómo hacerlo.

May 6, 2020

Aquí hay algunos consejos de expertos financieros locales y de algunos dueños de negocios. | Por: WHYY (Read more.)

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