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From YouTube: Sr. Mary Scullion of Project HOME Testifies Before the Special Committee on Poverty 10-10-2019
Description
From the hearing of the Special Committee on Poverty Prevention and Reduction held Thursday, October 10, 2019:
Sr. Mary Scullion of Project Home testifies.
A
A
We
are
really
excited
again
to
be
here
with
you
when
to
see
your
hard
work
and
determination
in
Kensington,
and
you
know
we
hope
soon
to
be
partnering
with
you
there
as
well
and,
of
course,
the
IVA
Gladstein,
who
I
don't
want
to
say
how
many
years
we've
worked
together
and
the
same
with
Charmaine.
But,
let's
just
say
it's
a
little
bit
longer
than
even
council
president
Clark's
out
started
very
very
young
I'm,
really
excited
by
the
report
that
the
City
Council
issued
on
the
poverty
and
the
gap.
A
I've
read
it
I
think
there's
some
really
interesting
and
exciting
ideas
there
and
I'm,
hoping
that
you
can
prioritize
and
you
know,
move
forward
with
those
ideas
they
were.
They
were
great
I,
especially
loved,
and
we
see
it
every
day.
I
think
the
idea
of
really
connecting
philadelphians
who
live
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
who
are
poor
and
unemployed
with
jobs
in
Philadelphia,
is
the
most
strategic
one
that
we're
really
excited
about,
and
we
really
want
to
work
on
and
we'll
get
in
more
detail
not
today,
but
at
a
future
time
to
do
that.
A
So
anyway,
I
was
asked
to
give
a
big
idea
so
I'm
going
to
do
it
and
that
big
idea
is
I
believe
here
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
We
can
end
chronic
street
homelessness
and
the
reason
I
believe
that
we
can
do
it
is
because
of
the
10
largest
cities
in
the
United
States.
We
have
the
highest
poverty
rate
of
the
ten
largest
cities
in
the
United
States.
We
have
the
lowest
number
of
people
living
on
the
streets.
A
That
is
an
incredible
statistic
and
I
invite
anybody
here
that
thinks
really
to
go
to
LA
San,
Francisco,
Seattle,
Washington,
Portland,
Oregon,
New,
York,
City
or
Washington
DC
or
any
other
place.
You
want
to
go
to
and
you'll
come
home
and
Philadelphia
will
look
a
lot
better
than
when
you
went
there
and
I
really
want
to
acknowledge
the
presence
of
Liz.
Her
shoe
leads
our
homeless
work
here
in
Philadelphia,
her
energy
and
determination,
and
really
creativity
in
bringing
new
ideas,
and
efforts
to
this
has
really
made
an
impact
as
well.
A
So
I
am
going
to
talk
a
little
bit
I'm
not
going
to
go
a
big
long
presentation,
because
you
know
it
can
be
boiled
down
into
smaller
and
counterintuitive
things.
So
that's
what
I'm
going
to
do?
First
thing
is
single.
Most
important
thing
tending
homeless
in
our
city
is
affordable.
Housing
single,
most
important
thing
to
ending
homelessness
in
the
long
run
long
run
is
a
quality
education
for
every
single
child
homelessness
is
symptomatic
of
some
of
our
deeper
societal
problems.
It's
only
going
to
be
solved
by
sustained
work.
A
A
Also,
the
three
things
that
I
believe
the
city
needs
to
invest
in
is
affordable
housing
for
everyone
that
needs
it.
Okay,
so,
but
of
course
my
you
know,
my
particular
focus
is
for
the
very
very
poorest
members
of
our
community,
but
I
also
believe
we
need
to
invest
in
affordable
housing
for
people
who
are
working
and
low
income
and
the
way
the
prices
are
raising
rising
in
our
city.
We
need
to
be
able
to
do
something
to
support
the
working.
A
The
good
news
is
last
year
we
got
a
hundred
and
eighty
three
people,
jobs
and
some
of
those
men
and
women
had
lived
on
our
streets
for
10
and
20
years
and
are
now
working
ending
homelessness.
This
is
the
first
counterintuitive
thing.
Ending
homelessness
saves
lives,
but
it
also
saves
money.
Our
prisons
are
our
largest
mental
hospitals.
Our
prisons
are
our
largest,
hopefully
recovering
communities
as
well,
but
about
70.
Some
percent
of
all
the
people
incarcerated
have
histories
of
addiction.
Let's
be
preventative.
Let's.
A
You
know
work
with
men
and
women
and
families
with
special
needs
to
get
the
same
thing
that
we
all
need
a
safe
place
to
live
employment
opportunities
and
a
quality
education
and
a
project
tone
any
day
of
the
week.
They
you
know,
you
feel.
Maybe
this
can't
work.
You
just
come
and
we'll
show
you,
people
that
are
working
all
throughout
the
city
of
Philadelphia
that
have
been
homeless,
that
have
been
homeless
for
many
many
years
and
now
are
paying
taxes
are
paying
rent
with
no
subsidy.
A
They
may
have
needed
a
subsidy
at
one
time,
but
now
no
subsidy
are
voting
and
our
you
know,
leaders
in
our
community
I
have
so
much
hope
that
we
can
do
this
because
of
years
of
experience
and
thousands
of
lives
that
are
out
there
that
have
overcome
homelessness
with
a
hand
up
not
a
hand
out.
Okay.
So
second
thing
is
that
we
need
affordable
housing
and
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
we
about
5,000
units
of
supportive
housing
to
end
chronic
street
homelessness.
A
In
our
city
we
need
another
2,500
units
of
housing
dedicated
to
people
with
special
needs.
People
that
are
on
the
street
is
the
prophetic
present
saying:
hey,
there's
something
radically
wrong
here:
it's
a
smaller
percentage
of
people
that
are
homeless,
but
it's
the
most
visible.
The
people
who
live
on
the
streets
mainly
have
special
needs,
mental
health
or
addiction
or
both
or
physical
disabilities.
A
2,500
units
would
give
us
the
capacity
in
the
city
to
address
the
needs,
as
people
become
homeless,
who
are
new
that
year
and
people
who
leave
homelessness,
which
again
is
the
best
news.
People
leave
homelessness,
leave
subsidies
when
they
get
employment
so
to
build
that
capacity
is
what
we
need
to
do
to
end
chronic
street
homelessness.
We're
two-thirds
of
the
way
there
many
cities,
the
United
States,
would
die
to
be
as
far
along
as
we
are,
and
we
just
have
to
finish
the
job.
A
It's
not
that
hard
subsidies
and
permanent
supportive
housing,
safe
havens
and
recovery,
housing
and
there's
it's
the
power
of
way,
there's
so
many
collaborators,
ODOT
housing,
first
pathways
to
housing,
mental
health
partnership.
You
know
self,
so
many
organizations,
but
it's
the
power
of
way.
So
that's
that's
one
thing.
The
second
thing
is
I
just
want
to
talk
about
is
another
okay,
and
this
is
counterintuitive,
but,
as
I
said,
saving
lives
and
saving
money,
a
project
home.
We
do
a
lot
of
development.
A
You
know
of
of
housing,
that's
affordable
according
to
E
consult,
if
you
in
in
all
the
zip
codes
of
project
home
works
with
now,
this
study
is
going
to
come
out
soon.
It's
this
is
a
draft.
This
is
a
preview
you're,
the
first
to
hear
that's
okay,
but
of
all
the
zip
codes
of
project
home
works
with.
If
you
look
at
the
property
values
and
how
they've
risen
in
those
zip
codes-
and
they
all
brizl
thats
one
number.
A
But
if
you
look
at
the
properties
that
are
located
a
quarter
of
a
mile
from
project
home
sites,
the
property
values
have
risen
greater
than
what
they
have
in
the
general
zip
code.
Now,
what
eConsult
estimates
and
I'm
just
saying
this,
because
it
is
counterintuitive-
and
you
know
people's
you're
gonna
just
think-
are
really
you
know,
but
I'm
going
to
tell
you
anyway.
A
In
total,
the
presence
of
project
home
sites
are
estimated
to
add
around
one
point:
four
billion
dollars
in
values
to
the
house:
housing
prices
of
the
properties
around
project
tune;
that's
1.4
billion
dollars
in
homeowners,
pockets
and
maybe
even
in
Dom
real
estate's
pockets,
because
we
have
some
in
in
Center
City.
But
that's
ok,
I'm
T
I'm,
just
easing,
but
it's
it's
really
true.
It's
also
true.
Ok,
ok,
but
apply
if
you
apply
the
city's
mileage
rate
of
one
point.
It's
almost
two
percent
to
this
additional
one
point:
four
billion
dollars
in
housing
values.
A
So
again,
that
is
counterintuitive,
but
the
reason
I'm
bringing
that
up.
These
numbers
would
also
be
true
for
the
Philadelphia
housing
authority
for
other
developers,
cdc's
Pennsylvania
CDC's,
the
great
CDC's
in
Kensington
by
doing
affordable
housing
in
neighborhoods
you're,
adding
value
to
the
existing
homeowners.
So
that
is
a
real.
You
know
amazing
thing.
The
second
thing
is
that
I,
just
wanted
to
say
is
I
also
think
that,
as
part
of
the
strategy
to
ending
poverty
and
ending
homelessness
like
the
earned
income,
housing,
tax,
credit
and
I
think
councilman
Dom
was
the
one
who
recommended
it.
A
While
the
city
is
getting
a
surplus.
So
now
we're
talking
about
when
the
city's
fiscal
year
ends,
and
you
look
at
the
surplus
that
the
city
has
in
those
years
where
there's
a
surplus
I
think
we
should
give
a
rebate.
You
know
to
the
earning
an
earned
income
tax
credit
here
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
to
anybody
making
thirty
or
forty
thousand
dollars
or
less
yeah.
I
know
you
said
twenty
four
thousand
I
take
it
up
a
little
bit.
A
You
know
others
to
join
in
this
very,
very,
very
important
effort.
I
also
wanted
to
talk
about
benefit.
We
love
benefit.
It's
such
a
great
program
and
I
think
in
our
big
idea
of
ending
chronic
street
homelessness,
which
we
definitely
think
is
doable
and
definitely
think
can
be
done
when
we
do
benefit.
We
think
we
should
add,
registering
to
vote
right
like
in
any
program
that
we
do.
We
should
register
poor
and
homeless
people
to
vote
so
that
their
voice
will
be
heard,
as,
as
you
know,
as
we
move
forward
with
building
and
agenda.
A
I
also
believe
in
our
in
our
effort
to
end
and
prevent
chronic
street
homelessness.
One
of
the
things
that
I
think
is
is
critically
important
is
that
we
do
it
with
the
people
that
are
experiencing
homeless
through
focus
groups
through
other
ways
of
engaging
them
as
leaders
and
being
part
of
envisioning
how
this
can
be
done,
because
they
know
the
best
way
out
of
homelessness
and
poverty,
because
they're
the
ones
that
are
directly
experiencing
it
so
I
think
that
that
has
to
be
critically
important
as
well.
A
I
also
think
for
the
benefit,
for
the
benefit
I
think
to
include
tax
services
and
links
to
financial
and
homeownership
counseling,
as
well
as
to
career
counseling
through
benefit.
Again,
you
know,
Pauline's,
absolutely
right.
People
don't
realize
the
opportunities
that
are
out
there
for
them
and
the
more
that
we
can
connect
and
talk
to
people
who
are
actually
experiencing
poverty
and
homelessness
and
get
them
educated
and
involved
and
being
part
of
the
solution.
We're
going
to
have
a
stronger
solution
in
a
stronger
City.
A
A
You
know
the
Franklin
Institute,
the
Free
Library,
so
another
great
example
of
really
connecting
with
people
that
are
on
the
streets
that
maybe
on
some
given
day,
you
may
pass
and
think
this
is
a
hopeless
situation
with
the
restroom
attendant
program.
Now
we
hired
19
people
who
are
living
on
the
streets
to
be
restroom,
attendants
and
msb
and
in
the
libraries
it's
a
win-win
situation
for
everybody.
The
bathrooms
are
cleaner.
You
know
safer
people
are
working.
A
There
are
the
kinds
of
innovative
partnerships
that
you
know:
Charmaine
and
Eva,
and
the
Councilwoman
and
the
council
president
have
come
up
with,
along
with
others
in
this
room
that
I
just
think
we
have
to
keep
expanding
I
have
so
much
hope
and
I
think
this
is
a
great
opportunity,
I'm,
so
excited
about
your
leadership,
we're
willing
to
work.
You
know,
shoulder-to-shoulder
with
you
in
any
way.
We
can
I
think
we
are
poised
in
this
city
to
make
a
big
leap
forward.
A
A
B
So
much
your
willingness
to
really
have
helped
us
in
Kensington.
You
know
in
addressing
a
very
complicated
issue
and
we
really
look
forward
to
you
being.
There
are
boots
on
the
ground
at
this
particular
time.
As
everybody
knows,
with
everything
that's
going
on
in
Kensington
real
quickly,
you
talked
about
the
183
clients
who
got
jobs.
I
know
you
have
your
own
store
that
you
run
and
some
of
the
other
things
one
or
two
things
that
I
know
which
are
main
is
leading
the
education
jobs
piece.
B
A
A
Certified
peer
specialist
training,
a
plus
certification,
safe,
serve
safe,
serve
supervision,
customer
service
and
we're
working
with
an
organization
from
New
York
purse,
colas
on
more
technology
skills
and
by
the
training
and
working
right,
and
it
includes
internships
and
apprenticeships.
So
you
have
to
work
at
the
places
and-
and
sometimes
it
takes
two
or
three
times
for
it
to
stick.
But
the
issue
is
it
eventually
does
stick
and
that's
what
you
have
to
do
to
continue
the
opportunities
for
employment
in
in
various
different
ways.
A
That
makes
it
possible
for
people
to
succeed
and
companies
like
even
Amazon
UPS
the
gap,
other
bigger
companies
will
come
and
do
job
fairs,
and
then
you
know
if
we
can
continue
to
work
the
training
piece
and
the
technology
piece.
You
know
Microsoft
Office
and
all
that
they
really
get
the
jobs.
They
might
start
part-time,
but
eventually
get
full-time
jobs,
though
you
know
just
because
you
say
at
septa,
where
we've
been
pretty
successful
there.
A
One
of
the
the
people
who
work
there
and
now
is
vested
just
bought
us
in
whom
you
know
it's.
It's
wonderful,
it's
so
much.
It's
so
excited
to
someone
who
once
lived
on
our
streets
ten
years
later
again,
it's
not
like,
there's
no
instant,
you
know
things,
but
if
there
has
to
be
a
pathways
forward,
there
has
to
be
opportunities.
It
can't
be
sheltering
sobbing
door
that
leads
nowhere.
Only
back
to
the
street.
A
B
C
B
C
That's
my
question:
we're
sort
of
sitting
here
now
saying
we
think
we
have
a
blueprint
and
poverty.
What
about
that
movement?
That
gets
us
to
the
place
where
we
are
the
best
city
on
really
creating
space
and
place
and
dignity
for
those
that
are
homeless?
What
what?
What?
What
can
you
share
with
us?
As
we
start
this
I.
A
Can
it
you
know
so
I
think
it
consists
of
to
a
couple
things.
The
first
thing
is
I
think
under
Liz
leader
Liz's
leadership,
with
a
lot
of
support
from
Eva
and
David
Jones.
You
know
at
the
Department
of
Behavioral
Health,
there
is
a
plan
and
they
know
what
needs
to
be
done,
which
is
there's
no
one
way.
So
it's
housing.
A
First,
it's
recovery
housing,
but
not
you
know
certified
or
dignified
recovery
housing
because
there's
some
differences:
okay,
so
recovery
housing,
some
safe
havens
for
people
that
are
mentally
ill
and
a
lot
of
permanent
housing
in
with
both
with
subsidies
and
with
through
development.
So
that's
that's
the
housing
picture
every
day,
and
this
has
been
another
really
great
process
with
CCD.
That's
the
Center
City
District,
the
Philadelphia
Police
Department
project
home
Reading
Terminal
in
the
fashion
district.
A
During
the
day
when
people
are
most
visible,
we
work
as
a
team
and
engage
people
during
the
day
and
with
dedicated
placement
for
people
to
go,
meaning
that
we,
you
know
if
someone
says
I
want
to
come
in,
we
can
get
them
in
and
then
we
follow
them.
So
there's
employment
opportunities
and
actually
a
pathway
out
of
homelessness,
we'd
like
to
bring
that
more
to
scale-
and
you
know,
I
know
that
not
I'm
using
the
ambassador's
of
hope
as
one
example,
but
that's
not
the
only
example.
Bethesda
one-day-at-a-time
has
been
phenomenal.
A
You
know
with
the
encampment
beds
and
the
they're
a
strong
partner
in
this
whole
effort.
So
again
it's
just
understanding
who
the
people
are
that
are
out
there
and
then
having
the
appropriate
placements
for
them
where
they
can
move
forward.
Sometimes
it's
a
shelter
actually
most
of
the
people
that
are
on
the
street
come
and
go.
We
don't
know
where
they
came
from.
We
don't
know
where
they
went.
They
don't
need
that
heavy
intervention,
but
for
the
chronically
homeless
were
seriously
mentally
ill.
You
know
and
seriously
long-term
addicted.
A
They
need
an
intervention
with
support
based
one
they're
like
no
one
can
do
it
for
you,
but
when
they're
ready
to
make
those
changes,
you
have
to
have
the
opportunity
and
the
support
there
where
they
can
continue
on
the
journey
home
and
they
were
you
know
and
now
they're
working
and
you
know,
they're,
that's
uncontroverted
payers,
they're.
Voters.
C
So
it
seems
like
to
me
sort
of
keeping
the
community
involved
engaged
sharing
information
around
success
and
then
challenging
us
around
the
challenges
to
say,
there's
more
that
we
can
do
but
really
saying
that
we
can
solve
this
problem.
It
won't
get
done
tomorrow,
but
we
absolutely
can
solve
this
problem.
Correct.
A
And
I
think
Charmaine
I,
think
with
council
president
Clark's
leadership
along
with
Maria
quinones,
Sanchez
and
Alan
Tom,
and
all
the
other
council
people
to
really
put
some
resources
and
challenges
out
there
that
need
to
be
matched.
You
know
not
that
the
city
can't
do
it
alone,
but
to
give
some
leadership
and
incentives
for
others
to
get
involved,
I
think
we
could
make
a
lot
more
progress
and
I
think
to
do
it
in
years
when
there's
a
surplus,
you
have
a
surplus
this
year.
A
Let's
you
know
and
I
mean
I
know
the
city
has
a
lot
of
needs
and
and
I
like
the
common
good
kind
of
you
know
person,
but
you
know
a
little
bit.
You
know
we
need
a
nice
chunk
for
poverty,
because
again
it
has
a
return
on
its
investment.
If
you
look
at
the
eConsult
report
that
we're
that
we're
looking
at
right
now,
thank
you.