Check out the scene from the annual Lancaster Jazz & Arts Festival! It was a beautiful day to see some unbelievable jazz performers, shop and eat from local vendors, and honor members of the community! Stay tuned for more recaps of the day to come.

Presented by HopePHL and the 16th Police District Advisory Council, the 6th Annual Men’s Wellness Day took place over Father's Day weekend. The event celebrated fathers, promoted health, and honored Juneteenth all while fostering community and creating a perfect opportunity to spend the day outside in perfect summer weather. Valuable resources were available for attendees from our partners. The DJ played danceable hits while everyone enjoyed popcorn, cotton candy, and treats from the ice cream truck to cool down. Hot dogs and snacks were generously provided by the Police District. It was a great event that showcased the importance of prioritizing men’s wellness in the community.

Check out this month's edition of the HopePHL Perspective, our Policy newsletter to learn how you can help support getting more funds to support students facing homelessness, why collecting data on infants-toddlers experiencing homelessness is important, and upcoming events!

HopePHL was recently awarded a $150,000 Housing for Everyone grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®. HopePHL is one of 37 non-profit organizations selected from more than 450 applicants to receive a Housing for Everyone grant as part of the TD Charitable Foundation's annual grant program that has helped support organizations providing affordable housing and affordable housing services since 2005. 

The City of Philadelphia Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) invited community partners to provide input on the draft 2022-2023 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report which will be released for public testimony in May. HopePHL’s response was presented by Trish Downey, Senior Director of External Affairs. Eleven other groups provided testimony, including Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, Community Legal Services, and Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia. HopePHL operates several programs in partnership with DHCD, such as:

• 35 units of temporary housing for youth and families experiencing homelessness,
• 120 units of affordable supportive housing,
• 18 units of rapid rehousing services,
• rental assistance,
• small business services and events,
• Neighborhood Advisory Committee programming, and
• tangled title educational events and services.

HopePHL’s testimony can be downloaded using the button in this article. It was submitted to the public record around 2:45pm on March 12, 2024. We are grateful for DHCD’s continued support and for the opportunity to provide recommendations. HopePHL looks forward to partnering with the city to preserve housing stability, prevent homelessness, and offer temporary housing and services to youth and families experiencing homelessness.

The NAC at HopePHL presented the "Getting Your House in Order" brunch at the Enterprise Center for the public and members of the United Block Captains Association. The event included presenters from various organizations and was kicked off with Alice Wright, the President and Founder of the Block Captains Association. Following Alice, speakers from Clarifi, New York Life, and Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania gave general overviews of their work and how they could potentially help members of the community. Senator Hughes also made an appearance at the Enterprise Center and briefly talked about the importance of school funding after mingling and taking some pictures with those in attendance. 

The presentation portion of the event was wrapped up with the main speaker, Dot Goldberger of Community Legal Services, Inc., discussing tangled titles. The remainder of the event was dedicated to the attendees checking out the different organization's tables after hearing what each organization's presentations. The representatives were then able to discuss on a more specific and personal level the help they could provide and the next steps to be taken.

These free events are a great opportunity for community members to get information and access to resources that they may otherwise not know about or are difficult to obtain.

Matthew Heckles, the Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Region III, and his team met with the HopePHL staff. The goal was to provide the HUD representatives with information to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges related to housing instability, homelessness, and community development: particularly concerning families, youth, and other Philadelphia residents. 

The HopePHL team provided a tour of Gloria's Place in West Philadelphia, which is renowned as Pennsylvania's pioneer structure to encompass emergency, transitional, and permanent housing units within a single location. 

Before concluding the meeting, the HopePHL team and HUD representatives engaged in discussions concerning inventive approaches to addressing housing insecurity. These included strategies like proactive prevention and diversion initiatives, aid for rentals, and funding to uphold affordable housing options. ​