Under the plan, the vacant structures and empty lots will be transferred to area nonprofit groups committed to housing longtime community residents, as they increasingly struggle against rising rents and home prices, officials said in a news conference Tuesday. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)
The North Philadelphia councilmember last week killed a bill that would have legalized plans for a 20-story apartment tower on the vacant site of Morris Iron and Steel on N. American Street between Berks and Norris Streets and 40 rowhouses on nearby city-owned land. This week, she said she is working with developers Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, or APM, and Scannapieco Development Corporation on a public-private partnership to enable the project. | From: WHYY (Read more.)
Two decades ago, nothing was more emblematic of blight in West Kensington and Norris Square than the abundance of trash-strewn vacant lots, havens for drug use and prostitution. Claiming the lots as yards and gardens began as a way to create some security, recalled Patricia DeCarlo, a 30-year Norris Square resident. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)
Latinos make up nearly 15 percent of Philadelphia’s population and form its poorest minority group — 38 percent live in poverty, according to census data. But step inside a city homeless shelter and there are few Latinos. Nationally, and in Philadelphia, they represent a small fraction of people in shelters. | From: Philadelphia Media Network (Read more.)
From Billy Penn: Despite the unfortunate nickname, “Schuylkill Punch” has been proven plenty safe to drink, but the myth that it’s not has an unfortunate effect. In the poorest big city in the country, many people are unnecessarily spending their money on more expensive water. And Water Dept. surveys sent out this spring showed the phenomenon touches specific groups of people more than others. (Read more.)
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