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From YouTube: City Council Budget Hearings Mayor's Office on Community Empowerment Testimony 4-5-2016
Description
Testimony from the Mayor's Office on Community Empowerment and Opportunity before Philadelphia City Council on April 5, 2016.
Prepared remarks: http://phlcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/CEO-Council-Testimony-April-05-2016.pdf
C
A
C
C
A
Good
evening,
mr.
chairman
and
members
of
City
Council
I'm
Mitchell
little
executive
director
of
the
mayor's
office
of
community
empowerment
and
opportunity,
I'm
pleased
to
provide
testimony
on
the
mayor's
office
of
community
empowerment
and
opportunities
fiscal
year,
2017
operating
budget
in
January
2013
CEO
was
launched
to
align
the
city's
effort
to
lift
individuals
and
communities
out
of
poverty
and
increase
opportunities
for
low-income
individuals
and
families
as
Philadelphia's
Community,
Action
Agency.
A
The
mayor's
office
of
community
empowerment
and
opportunity
is
well
positioned
to
be
the
catalyst
and
serves
as
the
supportive
infrastructure
for
the
city's
cross-sector
efforts
to
fight
poverty.
Persistent
poverty
is
one
of
the
biggest
threats
to
our
city's
prosperity.
As
of
2014,
the
city's
poverty
rate
stands
at
twenty
six
percent
and
includes
30s
thirty-six
percent
of
our
children.
24.5
are
working
age,
adults
and
almost
eighteen
percent
of
our
singers.
While
the
numbers
have
decreased
in
recent
years.
A
It
means
that
about
390
fill
adult
Philadelphia's
live
below
the
federal
poverty
line,
including
about
123,000
young
people
under
the
age
of
18.
So
if
you're
african-american,
Hispanic,
disabled
or
living
in
the
female-headed
households,
the
likelihood
of
you
living
in
poverty
is
about
forty
percent.
There
is
no
single
cause
for
poverty
and
no
single
strategy
that
can
assist
all
those
who
are
living
in
poverty.
Effective
solutions
require
coordinated,
large-scale
and
long-term
social
change.
In
fiscal
year,
2017
CEO
is
focused
on
the
continued
implementation
of
the
shared
prosperity
Philadelphia,
the
city's
plan
to
fight
poverty.
A
This
plan
is
centered
on
five
key
areas:
job
creation
and
job
training
benefit
access,
early
learning,
housing,
security
and
economic
security.
In
addition
to
coordinating
efforts
across
those
goal,
areas
CEO
fund
services
to
over
41,000
residents
through
efforts,
including
the
financial
empowerment,
centers
Betty
benefits,
enters
the
West,
Philadelphia
promise
zone
meals
and
more
and
many
others
through
CEOs
efforts.
A
As
of
the
FY
17
current
projection
from
fifteen
point,
nine
million
in
the
FY
16
original
appropriations
in
fy15,
CEO,
appropriated
general
funds
for
the
reducing
hunger
initiative,
which
was
transferred
from
the
office
of
supportive
housing,
as
well
as
the
childcare
facility
fund,
which
was
transferred
from
the
office
of
housing
and
community
development.
Co
acts
as
the
backbone
organization
in
partnership
with
hundreds
of
organization
and
the
promise
own.
A
To
do
our
work
effectively
does
not
come
without
its
challenges
and
lacks
of
diverse
funding.
Streams
is
our
biggest
obstacle.
Our
funding
comes
primarily
from
the
community
service
block
run
grant
CSBG.
With
these
funds
we
are
limited
to
serving
individuals
who
are
one
hundred
and
twenty-five
percent
below
the
poverty
line.
That
makes
it
more
difficult
to
serve
hundreds
of
thousands
of
residents
and
needs
of
assistance
that
are
above
that
line.
General
fund
resources
also
are
in
CEOs
budget,
which
consists
again
of
grant
funding,
which
has
increased
to
again
about
16.1
million.
A
As
of
the
FY
17
projection
to
do
our
work
effectively
does
not
come
without
its
challenges
and
lack
of
diverse
funding
streams.
It
is
our.
It
is
our
primary
duty
to
help
those
who
are
Denis,
who
are
most
vulnerable
and
who
are
most
in
need
of
assistance
of
the
city
of
Philadelphia
in
our
office.
I'm
happy
to
answer
any
questions
any
you
might
have
to
repeat
them.
Thank.
C
You,
sir
I
know
we
you
and
I
just
talked
yesterday.
Best
gray
and
I
know
Great
Plains
you
have
for
this
office.
I
know
you
have
experience
working
under
miss
gladstein,
so
I
think
a
lot
of
us
are
excited
about
all
the
the
things
that
your
office
has
planned.
It's
just
one
quick
question:
as
far
as
jobs:
what's
do
you
have
it
like
a
specific
target
of
what
you're
you're
looking
particularly
sustainable
jobs?
You
know
that
you
have
planned
over
your
over
the
term.
I
guess
sure.
A
So
I
think
that,
for
the
office
we
have
already
invested
in
several
sort
of
industry
led
job
training
programs
through
11,
99
c
and
west
philadelphia
skills
initiative.
We're
reviewing
the
progress
of
that
work,
we're
looking
how
to
further
sort
of
craft
programs
that
really
get
at
the
most
vulnerable
again,
I
said
industry-led.
So
a
lot
of
times.
A
We
consider
what
the
ploy
yrs
needs
to
make
sure
that
those
connections
happen
and
those
jobs
are
really
both
family,
sustaining
wage
but
long-standing
jobs,
but
also
how
to
provide
the
support
and
what
might
take
an
extended
bridge
programming
or
additional
support
once
those
folks
are
on
the
job
site.
The
other
things
that
we're
doing
is
we
are
invested
in
CEO.
A
You
heard
about
that
program
earlier,
which
connects
folks
from
state
detention
to
both
transitional
work
and
permanent
employment,
and
we
are
also
looking
at
how
to
do
that
both
within
the
city
and
also
in
place
based
strategies
as
well.
So
how
can
we
sort
of
layer
and
complement
our
services,
whether
they
be
the
financial,
empowerment,
centers,
the
benefit
I
centers
and
our
workforce
strategies
to
really
help
lift
both
individuals
and
families
and
I.
C
D
My
colleague
mentioned.
Sometimes
we
spent
a
lot
of
times
when
folk
get
it
wrong,
but
we
don't
spend
enough
time
when
they
get
it
right.
I
want
to
say
on
the
record
that,
when
you
guys
inherited,
this
agency
I
had
a
great
many
concerns
about
its
mission,
its
future
its
focus
its
direction
and
that
basically,
there
was
no
plan.
I
want
to
put
on
a
record
today
for
everybody
that
you
miss
glad
skating
and
mr.
D
When
I
see
you
dealing
with
the
re-entry
issue,
it
lets
me
know
on
that.
You
get
it
and
you
got
it
and
that
you're
moving
you're
not
moving
the
needle
as
well,
because
that's
all
of
our
job
to
eliminate
poverty
but
you're,
using
the
tools
that
you
have
to
create
the
resources
that
are
necessary
and
I
just
want
to.
Personally.
Thank
you
guys
for
your
commitment
to
it.
It's
very
easy
to
run
in
high,
throw
your
hands
up
and
say:
oh
well,
it's
not!
D
We
can't
do
anything
about
it,
but
I
see
the
progress
over
time.
It's
almost
like
still
life
photography,
you
actually,
if
you
go
back
to
old
testimony,
I
can
see
the
progress
that
you
made
and
as
an
elected
official
and
on
behalf
of
my
constituents,
many
of
whom
are
in
that
poverty.
Guideline
I,
think
that's
all
I
have
to
say
Thank.
E
Wonder
if
that's
an
area
that
your
office
might
explore
so
like
spring
break
is
almost
a
week
and
holiday
winter
breaks
are
two
weeks
long
and
that
you
know
for
the
most
part,
rec,
centers
and
other
kinds
of
programs
that
run
great
food
access
and
service
programs
in
the
summertime
are
not
up
and
in
play,
and
is
that
an
area
where
you
might
take
a
look
at?
Is
that
something
that
might
fall
within
your
purview
and
have
has
that
like
come
up?
For
you
know
within
your
scope
of
work,
sure.
A
That
that's
a
very
good
question,
actually
I
think
food
security
is
certainly
in
line
with
our
work
and
in
the
grain
when
the
work
that
we
do
we've
done
work
historically,
as
it
relates
to
what
you
mentioned
about
summer
of
food
opportunities
and
play
streets
and
things
of
that
nature
in
philly
safe
summer.
We
also
create
additional
congregate
meals
with
food
providers
not
only
providing
additional
meals,
but
also
connecting
them
to
services
and
also
building
infrastructure,
with
those
providers
helping
them
work
more
efficiently,
both
as
separate
entities
but
also
as
as
a
group.
C
E
Some
ideas
came
out
of
it,
but
it
seemed
that
there
was
a
lot
of
coordination,
there's
a
lot
of
issues
and
it
would
need
somebody
with
an
office.
That's
able
to
move
between
different
agencies
to
be
able
to
do
it,
because
any
one
entity
is
not
assuming
responsibility
for
the
coordination
of
this
issue.
So
that
would
be
helpful.
The
other
issue
that
I
wanted
to
ask
you
about
was
so
I
wanted
to.
E
Thank
you
for
your
attention
to
English
language
learners
and
also
that
immigrant
communities
off
obviously
have
high
rates
of
poverty,
but
have
very
specific
and
kind
of
unique
issues,
particularly
around
language
access.
They
might
face
issues
around
less
awareness
about
consumer
protection
rights
and
that
kind
of
thing,
and
can
you
specifically
address
any
initiatives
that
you're
taking
a
look
at
to
work
with
in
immigrant
communities
within
your
department?
Sure.
A
I
mean
I
think
that's
a
growing
part
of
our
work.
You
just
mentioned
the
trainings
that
we
just
had
I
think
that's
something
that
we
want
to
do.
I
think
diversity
amongst
our
workforce,
especially
our
outreach
efforts
through
the
benefits
centers.
We
try
to
bring
on
staff
that
are
bilingual,
multilingual
and
have
sort
of
strength
of
community
engagement
through
strong
community
engagement
groups.
A
So
that's
something
that
we
are
certainly
working
on
and
we
certainly
have
used
I'm
translation
services
before
we
work
strongly
in
south
philadelphia,
east
part
of
South
Philadelphia
through
United
communities
and
all
of
the
different
community
groups
and
immigrant
groups
that
have
partnerships
both
in
the
building
and
and
through
their
network,
and
so
we've
been
able
to
think
about
even
one
of
our
services
to
benefit
services.
How
does
that
happen
in
that
type
of
environment?
We've
been
talking
to
TOI
about
how
do
we
use
our
mobile
unit
with
a
partnership
with
his
organization?
A
Of
them,
so
we
have
staff
throughout
been
affiliate
who
still
work
at
the
mini
city
hall
on
twenty-second
street.
So
we
do
community
services
there,
but
also
that
unit
does
pop
up
sites
what
we
call,
and
so
we
do
engagements
with
less
what
what
might
be
considered
less
sophisticated
shops,
civic
groups
who
don't
have
the
infrastructure
or
we
can
come
in
for
six
months.
A
Four
months-
help
them
with
the
outreach
do
the
additional
services
there,
because
we
already
know
that
they
have
the
trust
of
the
community
right
and
they
all
already
offer
a
valuable
service,
and
then
they
get
the
experience
of
what
it
is
like
to
have
layered
services
and
I
think
that's
what
we're
trying
to
push
both
in
neighborhoods
and
between
departments.
Ok,
let's
lay
our
services
complement
each
other
yeah
and
provide
not
a
safety
net,
but
a
safety
trampoline
folks,
don't
fall,
they
just
bounce
right.
So.
F
F
A
F
A
B
A
F
A
F
F
A
Use
our
funding
through
community
service
block
grant,
which
is
the
funding
for
all
community
action
associations.
All
anti-poverty
agencies
over
out
the
nation,
and
so
it
is,
though,
is
the
work
of
our
office
to
look
at
even
larger
departments
like
health
like
wreck
and
saying
how
can
we
leverage
what
we
think
to
be
seven
hundred
million
dollars
to
look
at
our
same
client
base
along
a
continuum
and
leverage
those
additional
dollars
to
look
at
it
at
the
anti-poverty
glens?
A
F
Are
you
at
the
table
of
this
task
force?
That's
been
pulled
together
around
this
capital
improvement
initiative
so
that
the
folks
that
you're
touching
are
represented
at
that
table
for
this
capital
program
initiative
that
the
administration
is
proposing
so
that
we're
linking
these
departments
together.
I
am.
A
Not
I
would
love
to
be
at
that
table,
but
I
what
we
do.
What
table
I
am
a
part
of
is
sort
of
working
within
my
cluster
first
and
foremost,
and
again,
I
would
love
to
be
at
that
table,
but
I
think
working
within
the
new
construct
of
the
managing
director's
office
working
side
by
side
with
all
of
these
commissioners
DHS
health
wreck-
oh
Sh,
and
starting
there
because
of
the
health
and
Human
Services
piece.
A
F
C
You
so
you
don't
get,
not
everybody
sits
up.
There
gets
this
much
praise
there
be
no
further
questions
again.
Thank
you
for
all
you
do
Thank
there'll,
be
no
further.
Questions
committee
will
stand
in
recess
until
wednesday
april
6
2016
at
ten
a.m.
at
which
we
will
reconvene
right.
I
hear
room
400
city.