ICYMI: PHILADELPHIA

WITH SO MUCH GOING ON IN THE NEWS, YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED SOME LOCAL STORIES THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITIES DIRECTLY. HERE, BROKE IN PHILLY BREAKS DOWN FIVE IMPORTANT STORIES FOR PHILADELPHIANS. READ MORE AT THE LINKS LISTED.

50,000 PENNSYLVANIANS TO LOSE SNAP BENEFITS UNDER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION POLICY CHANGE

Full story by Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC Philadelphia.

In December, the Trump administration announced a rule that will tighten work requirements for food stamp recipients. Under the new rule about 50,000 Pennsylvanians who rely on the federal food stamp program SNAP stand to lose their benefits, with Philadelphians taking the largest hit. According to Philabundance, about 38,000 Philadelphians who rely on SNAP stand to lose their benefits. The rule, announced in early December, will limit the ability of states to exempt work-eligible adults from having to obtain steady employment in order to receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, which feeds more than 36 million people nationally. Under the plan, states can only issue one year waivers if a city or county has an unemployment rate of 6% or higher. Philadelphia’s unemployment rate was 5.2% in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The city’s poverty rate, however, is approximately 25%, according to U.S. Census data. The US. Department of Agriculture, who manages SNAP, estimates the change would save roughly $5.5 billion over five years and cut benefits for roughly 688,000 SNAP recipients. The Urban Institute in a study released last month estimated that taken together, the three measures would affect roughly 2.2 million households, and 3.7 million individual beneficiaries. LIBRARY CARDHOLDERS CAN NOW ACCESS 11 CULTURAL SITES FOR FREE

Full article by Ellie Rushing, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Free Library of Philadelphia’s new experience pass now gives resident library cardholders the ability to make free reservations at eleven of the city’s top cultural attractions. The experience pass, which launched in December 2019, allows Philadelphians aged 18 and older to use their library cards to reserve tickets to science centers, botanical gardens, art museums, and historical sites that typically charge entry fees, at no cost. Users can make reservations for two to four people at each site once per calendar year. The reservations can be made online using the Free Library card logins up to two months in advance of the reservation date. The tickets are nontransferable, meaning the cardholder must be present at the visit, and only two reservations can be made at once.

MAYOR KENNEY COULD THREATEN TO PULL A WATER BILL DISCOUNT FOR ‘EDS AND MEDS’

Full article by Juliana Feliciano Reyes, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Mayor Jim Kenney gave Penn, Temple, and other universities and hospitals a July 2019 deadline to follow the city’s “prevailing wage” law that requires security guards be paid $15 an hour. Many of the 1,400 security guards covered by the law make $12 to $13 an hour. The deadline came and went with no change. Now, his administration is making moves to ensure it has the authority to pull the city’s 25% water bill discount for nonprofits if they don’t comply. Penn has said it is in compliance with all applicable laws while Temple says it’s working with the Kenney administration to see whether the existing law applies to that institution. HOUSING INITIATIVE FOR LGBTQ YOUNG PEOPLE STRIVES TO CREATE A ‘FAMILY BOND’

Full article by Laura Smyth, Philadelphia Gay News.

The West Philadelphia-based family resources organization Methodist Services offers ten transitional housing units for LGBTQ young people ages 18-21 in its Quads on Lancaster supportive housing program. LGBTQ residents of Philadelphia County who are experiencing homelessness and have a foster placement history with DHS are eligible for the program. They also must qualify for services through the city’s Achieving Independence Center (AIC) which offers social services to people ages 14-21 who are or have been in foster care and demonstrate potential to live independently during interviews with AIC and Methodist Services staff. "Participants learn life skills and receive referrals to other organizations for health services, education resources, and other needs," says Monica Mason, the youth life coach at Methodist Services. Those interested in joining Methodist Services’ LGBTQ Quads on Lancaster program can contact Jonnelle Taylor at jtaylor@methodistservices.com or Monica Mason at mmason@methodistservices.org.

IF YOU ARE HOMELESS, NO MORE FEES FOR BIRTH CERTIFICATES

From the Office of Homeless Services.

Pennsylvania has eliminated the $20 fee for birth certificates, increasing access to vital services. Now, those experiencing hardship, such as homelessness, can obtain this vital document to apply for jobs or qualify for government services. A similar waiver for Pennsylvanians seeking help for substance use disorders has provided free birth certificates to 3,530 people since the start of 2018.

#ICYMI was created by Broke in Philly, a collaborative news initiative among 22 local news organizations to provide in-depth, nuanced, and solutions-oriented reporting on the issues of poverty and the push for economic justice in Philadelphia. This effort is led by Resolve Philadelphia, a new hub for the city’s general interest, community and ethnic news organizations to produce collaborative solutions reporting and community engagement activities that address urgent social challenges. For more details, visit: brokeinphilly.org.

Thank You Ursula for your support!

Dear One Step Away, As a proud supporter since 2011, I purchased my holiday gifts with One Step Away. I love the OSA merchandise, the tote and shirts were perfect. I also regularly go out and support the vendors directly. It’s always nice when they remember me and let me know what page their work can be found on. I recently posted me and Jeff’s photo with the magazine to my social media page to show my support. I would simply reiterate OSA mission statement. For me, it clearly states the purpose and the important mission of OSA and its Vendor Program: One Step Away serves as an important voice of advocacy and source of meaningful income for people working to achieve self-sufficiency and break the cycle of homelessness in their lives. So, when you see an OSA vendor stop and say, "Hello," purchase a magazine and take a moment to learn a little bit more them. You'll be glad you did.

See you in 2020! Ursula