HUD Secretary Fudge Joins PHA and the City of Philadelphia to Celebrate New Norris Homes
Philadelphia Housing Authority Becomes First in State to Require Vaccines for Employees
(Philadelphia – August 27, 2021) – The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has become the first housing authority in Pennsylvania to announce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for its approximately 1,200 employees. Under the policy, all employees must show proof of vaccination by October 15th unless they have been exempted to accommodate a medical condition or religious belief.
“PHA has done all it can to protect its residents and employees by offering vaccine and never lifting the mask mandate. We have emphasized the importance of getting the shots, yet our employee vaccination numbers remain low,” PHA President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah said. “Now with Covid cases increasing, we felt compelled to protect our co-workers and the residents we serve, especially our seniors and other vulnerable clients.”
From the beginning of the pandemic, PHA has placed the safety of residents and employees first. The agency has taken proactive measures to provide a safer environment, including the installation of hand sanitizer dispensers, higher cubicle workstations with protective plexiglass barriers, an improved air filtration system at PHA’s headquarters, and temperature monitoring systems. In addition, the housing authority has equipped staff with personal protective gear and strictly enforced deep cleaning and disinfecting protocols as well as appropriate social distancing and mask guidelines.
PHA, the 4th largest housing Authority in the country, has partnered with Temple University’s School of Public Health to hold vaccination clinics at public housing sites to bring the vaccine to residents where they live. Employees were also invited to clinics at housing sites and at PHA’s headquarters building, with many staff members taking advantage.
Temple has a clinic in PHA’s Vaux Community Building, about two blocks from PHA’s headquarters, at which vaccine shots are available from 9:00 – 4:00 Monday – Thursday. All vaccines are available, and no appointments are required. Everyone who has not yet received a shot is welcome, not just PHA employees or residents.
“The road to get the virus under control and life back to normalcy is a team effort. That is why we have made receiving the vaccine extremely convenient, including allowing employees to use their work hours to get the shot,” Jeremiah said.
Employees who do not comply with the vaccination policy by the deadline will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. The requirement applies to PHA job applicants as well and will be a condition of receiving employment.
“I came to this decision, in part, because of the increasing risks posed by the COVID-19 variants, the number of employees that have been vaccinated to date, the need to protect our workforce and the essential services we provide, and equally important, the need to protect our residents as we carry-out our daily responsibilities,” Jeremiah said. “This is a policy I wish we did not have to implement, but we all have a responsibility to protect one another.”
Vaux Community Building Welcomes CVS Pharmacy As a New Partner
(Philadelphia, PA – Aug 2, 2021)–
(Philadelphia, PA Aug. 2, 2021) -At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021,the PHA’s Vaux Community Building at 2300 Master Street in Sharswood will celebrate a new partnership with CVS Health that will help train customer service associates and pharmacy technicians at Vaux.
This new career training program brings another critical resource to the Sharswood Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, which is the largest mixed-income housing project underway in Philadelphia. Ultimately, this revitalization effort will result in the addition of 1,200 housing units including apartment rentals and affordable homes for sale.
PHA established the Vaux Community Building to provide the community with the resources it needs to provide a better quality of life.
“This new partnership with CVS Health shows that PHA is serious about keeping the promises it made in the plan to transform Sharswood,” said PHA President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “In reality, it takes an entire village to revitalize a Philadelphia neighborhood. We can’t do it alone. CVS Health is bringing new energy to our efforts to create an affordable mixed-income community of choice, by offering opportunities for employment and training. As importantly, its investment demonstrates a powerful commitment to neighborhoods that have been underserved.”
On August 4, officials from CVS, PHA will gather together to recognize the first cohort of PHA residents to complete the pharmacy technician program at Vaux. Individuals who complete the pharmacy technician program qualify to apply for a position at CVS Health. “Providing employment and skills training to underserved populations has the power to transform and build healthier communities,” said David Casey, SVP and Chief Diversity Officer, CVS Health. “We’re working with JEVS Human Services and Philadelphia Housing Authority to help break down any employment barriers that may exist and focusing on addressing health disparities that prevail among participants.”
City Council President Darrell L. Clarke said these partnerships are vital to economic growth. “We’re grateful to PHA and CVS for partnering on this job training opportunity for residents of the Sharswood community,” he said. “The health care industry is a growing part of our local economy, and training to become a pharmacy technician is a path towards a job, stability, and opportunity for people in North Philadelphia.”
Pharmacy technicians typically are the first point of contact for patients visiting retail locations. Demand for these workers is growing, as they use their knowledge and skill to help people get the medications to improve their health.
Vaux,a historic building located in the heart of Sharswood, is an EnVision Center demonstration site that hosts a range of services to PHA residents and the broader community seeking self-sufficiency through the housing authority’s Workforce Development Center. PHA’s partners at the site offer services and resources related to better health, financial services, entrepreneurship, job training, creative writing and reading programs for youth, and after school programs. They include include: Temple University Community Health Center; Mighty Writers, which does food and diaper distributions along with a Creative Writing afterschool program; Clarifi, a financial literacy agency; PowerCorps and other employment and entrepreneurship resources.
The Center, the only one in Pennsylvania, is also home to Vaux Big Picture High School that just graduated it first class, about half of whom were PHA residents. Many of Vaux partners will attend the celebration.
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