Housing Authorities in a dozen communities will receive funding under Jobs Plus

(Philadelphia, PA – April 28, 2021) – The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has received $2,979,543 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help families increase their earned incomes and improve economic mobility.

Awarded through HUD’s Jobs Plus program, the grant supports work readiness and connects public housing residents with employment, education, and financial empowerment services — part of an evidence-based model proven to help public housing residents find and keep jobs.

The grant is part of HUD’s broader $28 million investment in 12 public housing agencies to support employment opportunities.

“Providing resources so that public housing residents can achieve economic and housing stability is an important part of HUD’s mission,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “HUD is committed to empowering and working with our local partners to help residents reach their goals and uplift their families.”

“Today’s rapidly changing economic landscape makes it essential for workers to be job-ready and have the in-demand skills employers seek,” said Kelvin A. Jeremiah, President and CEO of PHA. “With this new grant, we can prepare residents for entry-level jobs in a number of priority sectors so they remain competitive, along with these vital industries.”

This latest phase of Sharswood Transformation Plan is in partnership with Hunt and Pennrose

(Philadelphia, PA – April 21, 2021) – The pandemic is not slowing down the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (PHA) construction as the agency continues to transform the Sharswood community. PHA, along with partners Hunt Companies and Pennrose, LLC, broke ground today on 60 new affordable rental apartments and homes.

“Each new groundbreaking in Sharswood builds on the promise we made to this community in our meetings with residents five years ago,” said PHA President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “We are grateful to have committed partners like Hunt and ennrose on this and future phases of our transformation plan, helping to ensure that even as gentrification goes on all around us, we preserve and provide housing for low- and moderate-income families.”

The new construction signals the dramatic changes on the horizon for Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney said.
“We have all endured difficult times over the past year, but through it all there has been one constant: PHA’s work to rebuild this once forgotten neighborhood has continued.

The city is poised to make a very big comeback, and developments like this one and others currently underway in Sharswood will be a big part of that bright future.”

(Philadelphia – April 15, 2021) —The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to purchase and install a security camera monitoring system at the Raymond Rosen Apartments.

The award is part of a broader $13.7 million award to public housing authorities throughout the country to make needed capital improvements that serve to enhance safety and security for residents.

“Keeping families who live in public housing safe in their homes is important to their health and everyday well-being,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “These grants go a long way to ensure that public housing residents are protected and have peace of mind as they go about their lives.”

Kelvin Jeremiah, President and CEO of PHA, said the cameras are part of a new strategy that integrates trauma-informed interventions into public safety policies and practices.

PHA is developing a new Department of Public Safety, which will take a more proactive problem-solving approach in ensuring residents’ quality of life and safety.

As part of this mission, PHA is hiring a Community Engagement Manager and Community Engagement Associates (CEAs) who will be assigned to a number of PHA housing developments as part of a new pilot. CEAs will establish a rapport with residents that allows for an open dialogue on community issues and challenges. They will coordinate with PHA Police when enforcement action is required and review repeat calls for police service to identify underlying causes and situations.

Philadelphia, PA- March 22, 2021 – The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) and Temple University’s College of Public Health have launched a ground-breaking initiative to vaccinate residents in high-risk, lower-income neighborhoods against COVID-19.

In recent weeks, faculty and fully trained nursing student volunteers from Temple University’s College of Public Health and the School of Pharmacy have participated in clinics set up to vaccinate residents at PHA’s senior living locations.

“We are grateful to Temple for the resources invested in our PHA communities,” said, PHA president and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare inequities in the healthcare system.

Working alongside PHA residents, PHA and Temple are developing strategies for culturally responsive healthcare that centers on a community’s unique needs. This new model makes residents and healthcare workers partners in improving health outcomes and ensuring all residents have access and opportunity to convenient care that best suits their needs.”

“We are the agents that put the needle in the arm, but what makes this successful is the collaboration with the residents of the community,” says Temple Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Interprofessional Education Susan VonNessen-Scanlin. “Service to the community is central to the College of Public Health’s mission, and we feel so honored to be able to partner with PHA, be welcomed into our local communities, and be part of the solution to ending this pandemic.”

Agreement means students at 8 PHA communities will continue to get vital learning supports

(Philadelphia – March 1, 2021) — The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has extended its agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia through the end of the school year to continue to provide remote learning support for school-aged children at eight PHA developments.

PHA adapted the Out of School Programming model at the start of the school year, so that the Boys and Girls Club would provide programming five days per week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Abbotsford, Raymond Rosen, Spring Garden, Wilson Park, Johnson Homes, Harrison Plaza and Bartram Village.

The programming being provided by the Boys and Girls Club includes learning support, internet access, access to materials and supplies, and oversight of children as they engage in remote learning. Staff members ensure that students are accessing their schoolwork in a quiet and nurturing environment. They distribute meals to the students during their school day and offer assistance with their assignments when needed. They also oversee adherence to COVID-19 rules and regulations, ensuring that students and staff are safe.

“Based upon the work performed to date, especially adapting to the challenges created by the public health crisis, the PHA board made the decision to continue these vital services,” said PHA President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “Students living at these sites are depending on this programming, and we cannot let them fall behind in their studies. We wanted to assure their families that this support will continue until July 1.”