Philadelphia extends eviction moratorium

PHL extends eviction moratorium through June 30
Laura McCrystal, Phildelphia Inquirer

The ban on evictions and lockouts has been extended several times during the coronavirus pandemic. In an order issued Thursday, Philadelphia Municipal Court President Judge Patrick F. Dugan extended the ban on evictions and lockouts through June 30. Dugan’s order said the court would resume considering cases on June 30 but noted that it “will depend on conditions at the time … in terms of the global pandemic.” Philadelphia is set to lift all of its coronavirus restrictions on businesses and events, with the exception of the mask mandate, on June 11 — which officials and business leaders hope will jump-start the city’s economic recovery.

Read here.

Pennsylvania's new unemployment compensation system

Transition to Pennsylvania's new unemployment compensation system begins May 30
Tom Lehman WGAL News 8

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry is getting ready to launch a new unemployment compensation system that officials hope will shorten the time it takes to resolve claims.
The new system will go live June 8, but the current system will be taken offline before that so data can be transferred.

Read here.

SKCP COMMUNITY ZONING VIRTUAL MEETING

Wednesday, May 26th at 6.30 pm.

To register for the meeting click here

You may also sign up by calling South Kensington Community Partners’ office at 215-427-3463 and leaving a message with your name and number. SKCP will provide reasonable accommodation to any neighbor that requests additional assistance with joining the meeting or otherwise submitting feedback on the project.

The sites to be discussed at the meeting are the following:

• 6.30pm 1605-07 N 4th Street (view here the plan).

• 7.30pm 533 W Montgomery Ave (view here the plan).

We will have limited time for questions during the virtual meeting. To ensure your question is answered, please review project materials in advance of the meeting and submit any questions to rco@southkensingtoncommunity.org and include the project name in the email subject line.

SKCP Virtual Community Meeting

Here's the link for the upcoming NAC meeting: http://bit.ly/SKCPNAC

LOVE YOUR PARK ACTIVITIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The Friends of Hart Park
1315 North 4th St
Saturday, May 8th (Rain date is Saturday May 15th)
12pm to 3pm

Join us for Love Your Park activities like raking, sweeping, and bagging leaves.
All ages Welcome. Gloves and tools provided. Some refreshments to take home. Details.

Please register here. All protocols will be observed. 25 person limit.

May 15th LOVE Your Park with the Friends of Benson Park
1442 N 4th St.

Volunteer with the Friends of Benson Park
for Spring LOVE Your Park
Saturday, May 15th
10 am to 1 pm
(LYP prep meeting in the park: 05/13 @ 6pm)
General Clean Up -- Perennial Gardening -- Tree Care

All ages welcome!
Gloves and Tools provided
Safety protocols will be observed

LUDLOW Kindergarten Open House Virtual

Ludlow Virtual Kindergarten Open House

Monday, May 3rd

1:00 - 3:00 PM.

Click here to download the invitation with the links for the meeting

THE FRIENDS OF BENSON PARK

Friends of Benson Park Spring Meeting.

In Person & In the Park!
1442 N 4th Street

Thursday, April 29th
@ 6 pm

Get ready for
LOVE Your Park weekend
Plan for the 2021 Season!

All are welcome

2021 PRIMARY VOTE

Important Dates to Remember!

Visit votespa.com for more information and to register

SKCP COMMUNITY ZONING VIRTUAL MEETING

Click here to register

Virtual Service Briefing: Home Health & Environment

Click here to register

Strategic Plan for Philly's Trees, Survey

The City is developing a strategic plan for Philly's trees. The plan will identify long-term goals and interests with a roadmap to achieving them. Before this can be done we need to understand how this plan can meet the needs of neighborhoods and benefit you and your neighbors. You can help us by sharing how trees impact you in any or all of the ways detailed here.

Take the survey here. (Available In several languages)

La Esquina Garden Meeting

La Esquina Garden invites you to an IMPORTANT INFORMATION and ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING

In-Person at the Garden
Sunday April 18 afternoon at 1pm
438 Jefferson Street (Orkney & Jeff) or
Virtually on Zoom
Wednesday April 21 evening at 5:30pm (Zoom link will be supplied)

Click here to view the AGENDA (at both meetings)

Please reply to laesquinagarden@gmail.com to RSVP; or, your interest, not able to attend, specific area of interest, and/or would like a recording.

FREE FOOD PICKUP

Get the flyer here
Looking for Volunteers: If you have a car or truck and want to help with Saturday deliveries, please call and leave a message @ 215-427-3463

Bilingual Tree Tenders Spring Basic Training Series

At the heart of SKCP's tree program is the work the Old/South Kensington Tree Tenders, neighbors who have been trained by our partners at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) in the biology, care, and planting of trees. As the City of Philadelphia undertakes its first ever Urban Forest Strategic Plan, O/SK Tree Tenders are looking forward to the renewed interest and commitment to the planting and care of our neighborhood treescape.

If you want to become a trained Tree Tender and join the effort . . . Register (here) for the upcoming PHS Bilingual Tree Tenders Basic Training series, Wednesdays, May 5, 12, 19, and 26 at 6 p.m. The eight-hour virtual course will teach tree biology, identification, planting, and proper care. Scholarships available to those interested in participating in neighborhood tree care, contact: greening@southkensingtoncommunity.org na traducción al español con todos los detalles sobre la clase está disponible aqui,

Old/South Kensington Tree Tenders Application & Community Tree Planting coming up!

Old/South Kensington Tree Tenders are taking applications for trees to be planted in the Fall.
If you or your neighbors would like to see trees planted on your block please let us know. You can fill out the form at https://pg-cloud.com/phs/?openform=request-a-tree or call 215-370-0099 or click here for a paper application or call/text 215-370-0099 for assistance in applying.

Community Tree Planting coming up: Earth Day weekend. Old/South Kensington Tree Tenders will be planting trees on Saturday, April 24th
If you would like to volunteer on planting day, please let us know by calling/texting 215-370-0099 or emailing greening@southkensingtoncommunity.org
We will still be observing COVID protocols including making volunteer assignments ahead of time.

SKCP Virtual Community Meeting

Click the link: http://ow.ly/Qcu850E9GCB to register.

SKCP Spring Clean-UP

You can sign-up as a project site or volunteer by visiting bit.ly/oldesouthcleanup or calling (215) 427-3463

Free Library Launches New Job Seeker Resources

The Free Library is pleased to "announce the launch" of a number of new resources for Philadelphians in search of a new job or career! "Workshops", "career fairs", and a "new website" are part of the Free Library’s expansion of services focused on the needs of job seekers, emerging literacy-level adults, and those who lack the digital access and digital literacy skills required to obtain stable, reliable employment. With support secured by the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation from Citizens Charitable Foundation, Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and PECO, these new and renewed initiatives for job seekers will ramp up throughout April.

Read here.

PHASE 4 PHLRentAssist is now open!!

Phase 4 Facts:

• Landlords and tenants can apply. If a landlord applies, their tenant must be eligible, and they must get written consent from their tenant. If a landlord does not wish to participate, the rental assistance can be paid directly to the tenant.

• Applicants who received funds in Phases 1-3 of PHLRentAssist are eligible to apply for Phase 4, however, applicants may not receive funds for any months which they have previously been paid.

• Tenants are eligible if they meet all three of these criteria:

  1- Have a household income at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). View income guidelines here.

  2- Qualify for unemployment benefits; or have experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced some other financial hardship due to COVID-19.

  3- Demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Tenants can meet this criterion if they have any past-due rent, past due utilities, received an eviction notice, or are paying over one-third of their household income on rent.

• Assistance for both rent and utilities is available:

  1- Rent assistance can be provided for up to 18 months total, including back rent and forward rent. However, no more than 3 months of forward rent can be provided at one time. Tenants who receive 3 months of forward rent and have not exceeded the 18 months of total assistance, may reapply for another 3 months of forward rent.

  2- Applicants with rent arrears must satisfy at least one month of those arrears before applying for forward rent.

  3- Assistance may only be provided for months of rent after April 2020.

  4- The total amount of rent assistance cannot exceed $2,000 per month, and that amount may include late fees or other charges passed on by the landlord.

  5- Utility payments can be provided for up to 18 months total.

  6- Utility payments must have been accrued on or after March 12, 2020.

  7-Utility payments can only be for the current month and past-due utility payments (assistance is not available for future months’ utility bills).

• Utility payments can only be for the current month and past-due utility payments (assistance is not available for future months’ utility bills).

Visit PHLRentAssist for more details and Questions? Call 311 or visit our HELP Portal.

PHILLY COUNTS News!!

Join Philly Counts for an Upcoming Vaccine Information Champion Training!

If you didn’t have the chance to join us last week, we are excited to share the registration links for upcoming Vaccine Information Champion training sessions in English on April 5th at 1:00pm, and in Spanish on April 8th at 1:00pm. We understand that there are many questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, how to sign up for it, and what to expect when you go for your appointment. We hope this 90 minute training empowers you with the information you need to have meaningful conversations with your friends and neighbors.

Philly Counts is Hiring!

Philly Counts is hiring! We are seeking organizers to help coordinate and conduct outreach and education around the COVID-19 vaccine throughout Philadelphia.

We are hiring organizers to assist with building coalitions, coordinating meetings and collective engagement activities, and general administrative duties in the African and Caribbean communities, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and throughout our city’s neighborhoods. We have already filled a position that will work with the Latino community. Click on the job postings below to learn more about the roles we’re seeking to fill, and please share with your networks. We would like to hire Neighborhood Organizers that are from Philadelphia.

Coalition Organizer, African and Caribbean communities

Coalition Organizer, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities

Neighborhood Organizer