Income and Wages

Income and Wages

Philly Navy Yard developers promise $1 billion for diversity

July 19, 2021

The developers pursuing a $2.6 billion project at the South Philadelphia Navy Yard said they are committing $1 billion of that money to hiring workers and contractors from underrepresented groups and taking other diversity measures over the next two decades.

Mosaic Development Partners and Ensemble Real Estate Investments will open the project to underrepresented investors and put $1 million into a charitable foundation to support the development of minority- and women-owned firms. Executives also promised to make available a quarter of the retail sites to women, minority, veteran, and disabled business owners with subsidized leases, the team said Tuesday. | From The Inquirer (Read more.)

Health

West Philly business owners have lost faith in the City to keep them safe | Opinion

July 19, 2021

Visit one of our historic commercial corridors in West Philadelphia or any predominantly diverse community after sundown, and the sight is the same: silver shutter gates, dark storefronts, and empty businesses that have closed for the day.

Now, on that same day, visit Center City after dark. Bars and restaurants are thriving, people of all ages stroll by storefronts, and everyone is open for business.

The reason for the difference? Public safety. | From The Inquirer (Read more.)

Income and Wages

What you need to know about work search requirements for Pa. unemployment benefits

July 19, 2021

If you’re getting unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania, there’s been an important change you need to know about: you will now need to show you’re looking for work in order to continue receiving payments.

Known as a “work search requirement,” that requirement — which had been suspended during the pandemic — resumed this week. Starting on Sunday, July 18, you will need to show that you are actively looking for work, and track your job search in order to prove it, should the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry ask.

What exactly are the work search requirements, and how do you keep track of them? Here is what you need to know. | From The Inquirer (Read more.)

Income and Wages

Color Me Back: The program using art to brighten public spaces in Philly

July 13, 2021

Philadelphia’s art scene is one of the most prominent in the country. One nonprofit organization coloring the city and changing lives in the process is Color Me Back, which is bringing local, struggling artists the opportunity to create murals at SEPTA stations and other areas in Philly.

The program was initially founded in April 2019 as a 28-week starting project. However, Color Me Back became a major hit, and has built a strong following since. | From AL DÍA (Read more.)

Income and Wages

Philadelphia woman directing $100k in grant funding dedicated to boosting Black biz

July 13, 2021

Helping Black-owned social enterprises thrive is Chelsey Lowe’s passion.

Lowe is one of two people running the Well City Challenge, a citywide quest to develop new ventures that boost the health of millennial Philadelphians, which studies show is generally worse than generations before them.

Raised in Pittsburgh, Lowe said she’s realized how her childhood surrounded by Black, community-based entrepreneurship helps guide the work she does today. | From Billy Penn (Read more.)