Mayor Cherelle Parker addresses Kensington cleanup during town hall on proposed $6.29 billion budget
PHILADELPHIA - During a town hall Tuesday, Mayor Cherelle Parker briefly spoke out about her plans to clean up Kensington just hours before her administration plans to remove a homeless encampment in the area.
"I think it’s a good thing that they’re at least trying to do something about it," said Shakiya Smith. She’s hopeful about Mayor Cherelle Parker’s plans to clean up homeless encampments and drug use in Kensington.
"When I come out my house I gotta move them from in front of the door," she said. This evening, just doors away from her home, Mayor Parker held a town hall at Rock Ministries.
"I am here today because you matter to me," said Mayor Parker.
It focused on dissecting her $6.29 billion budget proposal, but she began briefly with the work leading up to the change that will begin here tomorrow.
"I came down, you didn’t see it on television, and you didn’t see it on social media because when I did it, it wasn’t for show," she said.
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Mayor Parker detailed plans to do something different from others in the past. "That’s long-term care, treatment and housing," she said as the crowd applauded.
Rosalind Pichardo of Operation Save Our City and founder of the Sunshine House has concerns about what’s expected to happen here.
"I support quality of life. I support being able to walk through these streets and not walk through syringes. But I also support giving people a right to whether they want to go into treatment and not forcefully. But I also support people doing it in a humane way," she said.
Mike Flood says he’s been in recovery for 60 days since leaving the streets of Kensington. He left on his own but thinks what the mayor is doing will help others if done the right way.
"I think they’re going to be unhappy because they’re going to have to move out of their comfort zone. But I think once they start getting a place where they can sleep at night and have a roof over their head it’ll start settling them," said Flood.
City officials say the cleanup will begin at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning on the 3000-3100 block of Kensington Avenue.