For individuals making less than $32,200 or a family of four making less than $66,250 (up to 250% of the federal poverty level), utilities must offer repayment plans of at least five years, although a customer can request a shorter timespan if able to pay each month. | From: WHYY (Read more.)
Tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians like McCreary have or will reach the end of their state unemployment benefits this month and next, as they approach their one-year anniversaries of the date they first lost work as a result of the pandemic and the government shutdown.
Initially, in mid-March, the state said this would mean hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians would need to file new claims to continue receiving benefits. Now, it says only people who worked and earned over a certain amount last year, based on their equation, have to reapply because the amount of benefits has likely changed. | From: WHYY (Read more.)
CLS’s “COVID-19’s Impact on Race and Housing Security Across Philadelphia: Philadelphia Renters Report” shows that pre-existing housing insecurity and failures to address structural housing inequities left Black and brown communities more exposed to the virus.
Recently, Pennsylvania has specifically expanded some of these regulations, which may make it easier for people with criminal records to get licenses for specific jobs, or even have their records sealed or expunged. So what are your rights when you’re looking for work and you have a criminal record, and how should prospective employers handle your application? | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)
But depending on the charges or convictions on your record, and the length of time since your legal trouble began, you may be able to fully or partially clear your criminal record. But it’s not necessarily a straightforward process. Who is eligible, and how can you apply? Here is what you need to know. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)
Philadelphia legal aid organizations and worker advocates say they’ve fielded nonstop calls from unemployed workers about PUA. The finer details of their situations vary, but their issue is the same: They can’t get their benefits, they’re running out of money, and they don’t know where to turn. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)
Many landlords perform criminal background checks as part of the application process, and having a criminal record can legally be grounds for denial. In large part, that’s due to people with criminal records not being considered a protected class under the Fair Housing Act, which federally outlaws discrimination against housing applicants based on race, age, religion, and other factors. There are, however, some limited protections. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)
Under the law, such speculators who secure real estate for themselves with the aim of selling it for a quick profit would be required to obtain a license and adhere to ethics constraints similar to those binding state-accredited real estate agents. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)
The program, funded by the city’s Department of Human Services, provides a small number of Philadelphia parents involved in the child welfare system with wraparound services — an attorney, social workers, and Lee, who is currently the only peer advocate. | From: Kensington Voice (Read more.)
The legislative body is mulling an extension of a raft of COVID-era tenant assistance bills from Councilmembers Helen Gym, Jamie Gauthier and Kendra Brooks known as the Emergency Housing Protection Act. Citing resurgent viral case counts, the new legislation would extend elements of these bills that contained sunset provisions while also reinstating a now-expired local eviction moratorium through the end of the year. | From: PlanPhilly (Read more.)
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