H.O.M.E. Word – A blog from Project H.O.M.E.

On a recent Saturday morning, our neighbors in the Rowan/Judson section of the city walked to the signtuare gazebo on the grounds of the St. Elizabeth's Recovery Residence to do something that usually requires far more effort: buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

This accessibility to fresh produce and the existence of a farmer's market in North Central Philadelphia — a community located in a federal district recently named the second hungriest in the nation — has been a success thus far. "We are meeting our goal to serve healthy, affordable fresh fruits and vegetables to those who need them," said Michelle McFarland, a resident at our Rowan Judson residence who is working the farmer's market for her second consecutive year. The market is made possible by a partnership between Project H.O.M.E., Temple University's School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Fresh Grocer, and is the brainchild of Steve Korman, a staunch advocate for alleviating food scarcity in Philadelphia.

The market is just one aspect of the larger sustainability initiatives that we have incorporated into our 2011-2016 Strategic Plan. Project H.O.M.E. is committed to ensuring that "all developments reflect the shared values of economic, social and, to the greatest extent possible, environmental sustainability.”

By adhering to the United Nations' strict definition of sustainability as the ability "to meet “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," one of our first steps has been to develop an Environmental Sustainability Plan, which has 8 main goals that fall under 3 categories: manage resources, reduce waste, and build community. 

We commit to examining the resources we use and bring into our organization, as well as the waste that we create. 

Finally, we know that the only way to be a more sustainable organization is to engage in this process as a whole community.

We have taken many first steps to do this, participating in neighborhood cleanups, changing our electricity supply to 100 percent renewable energy, expanding our gardens, building our new residences to be LEED-certified, participating in nutrition education, and more.

We know that there is much work to be done and we are excited to tackle the next steps of our work. We are creating committees that will take on different pieces of the Environmental Sustainability Plan, to help Project HOME define more specifically our goals for moving forward.

Here are a few sustainability resources with a local feel:

• Sustainable 19125: A sustainability project in Kensington.
• Mayor’s Office of Sustainability 
• The Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia: Great resource for low-income homeowners.
• Grid Magazine: A free, monthly print publication focused on sustainability issues and initiatives in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Erika Slaymaker is Project H.O.M.E.'s Environmental Sustainability Coordinator.

In the eleventh hour before a draconian state budget is passed, polls indicate that most Pennsylvanians oppose cuts in human services.

In a few days, the Pennsylvania State legislature must finish its deliberations on Governor Tom Corbett’s proposed state budget, and pass a budget by the July 1 deadline.  Recent years have seen long delays in the budgetary process, but all indications are that the Governor and legislature are committed to meeting the deadline this year.

And as you probably know from previous Project H.O.M.E. communications, this is a very troubling budget, with deep cuts in human services, including the elimination of the General Assistance program, which serves many of Pennsylvania’s poorest citizens.  Programs to reduce and prevent homelessness in Philadelphia will also take big hits, which could mean increases in the numbers of persons and families forced onto the streets.

Despite enormous opposition, including thousands of emails messages to legislators from Project H.O.M.E. friends and allies, at this eleventh hour, prospects for any significant changes in the Governor’s proposed budget are slim.  The Governor and legislators seem fiercely committed to what they consider a “fiscally responsible” budget that does not include any new taxes or revenue, and decreases taxes for many large corporations.  (Relatedly, Governor Corbett has proposed a $1.7 bil­lion tax break for Royal Dutch Shell, one of the world’s wealthiest companies, as an inventive for building a facility in western Pennsylvania.)

What makes this policy push more disturbing is that recent polls show that a significant majority of Pennsylvanians have very different feelings about state budget priorities.  Recent public opinion surveys conducted by Franklin & Marshall College's Center for Opinion Research reveal some dramatic and important findings:

• - Nearly six in 10 Pennsylvanians think the state is moving in the wrong direction,
• - More than 70 percent supported raising taxes on natural-gas producers and on smokeless tobacco and cigars as ways to balance the state budget.

And most importantly, we think:

• - 79 percent oppose balancing the budget by cutting human services

Other recent polls suggest similar discontent among Pennsylvanians:

• - According to the United Way of the Capitol Region, more than 80 percent of registered voters in three central counties supported taxing cigars and smokeless tobacco in order to ensure adequate funding for human services. Fifty-five percent said the state spends too little on human services.
• - Meanwhile, a Quinnipiac College poll found the 53 percent of the public disapprove of Governor Corbett's handling of the budget, versus 33 percent approving.

These results are hopeful, but it indicates we have work to do:  We need to expand the public dialogue about budget priorities, and lift up the voices and concerns of those Pennsylvanians – those struggling with poverty and others as well – who believe in a caring society.  Even as Americans face tough times, there is a deep reservoir of concern for fairness, justice, and the common good.  Despite the tidal wave of negative political rhetoric, the majority of citizens recognize that public investment in meeting the needs of vulnerable persons is healthy for the whole society.  Our elected officials must hear that message. 

To help advocate for a more humane budget for all Pennsylvanians, go to www.pacaresforall.org/. 

The relationship of gambling to homelessness is a critical one, which deserve serious attention as Philadelphia and other cities continue to promote casinos as a way to raise revenue.  This article by Paul Davies in The Philly Post does a fine job of exploring the issues.

Several years ago, when the casinos were first being developed in Philadelphia, Project H.O.M.E. developed a statement of opposition, which is worth revisiting.  Please feel free to add your own thoughts and perspectives.

Why We Oppose Casinos in Philadelphia (2007)

Project H.O.M.E. is opposed to the development of slots casinos in Philadelphia.  We are convinced that the proposed casinos will have an overall negative impact on the lives of many Philadelphians and their families and on the City of Philadelphia as a whole.

Numerous studies show that the expansion of gambling opportunities leads to significant increases in the number of persons with serious gambling addictions.  With increased addictions come greater financial stresses and crises for individuals and families.   Studies also make it clear that the negative economic impact of gambling is most severe for low-income persons and communities.  In one study, between 18 and 33 percent of people who were homeless cited gambling addictions as a contributing factor or cause of their homelessness (National Gambling Impact Study Commission based on surveys in Atlantic City).

We believe that opening the two proposed casinos in Philadelphia will inevitably create more addictions, poverty, and homelessness in our city.  While there are economic benefits associated with the development of the casinos, the costs are greater.  Many Philadelphians, particularly our poorest and most vulnerable citizens, will suffer.

We support Casino-Free Philadelphia and other community groups who are actively opposing the casinos.  In the event that casinos are opened, we believe the casino operators have a responsibility to respond to the social crises which they will aggravate.  We believe the casinos, if opened, should allocate a portion of their profits to fund new resources for treatment of serious addictions and new units of supportive housing for persons who find themselves homeless.  We also believe that the City and State governments should work to ensure that the economic benefit from proposed casinos be fairly shared, especially with low-income communities who are in desperate need of affordable housing and economic opportunities.

If the casinos are opened, Project H.O.M.E. will join with community groups to advocate for casinos to allocate profits for treatment, housing, and jobs.  Either way, we remain committed to the idea that working to end homelessness and poverty enhances the quality of life for everyone in our community.