The City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) have announced a second phase of rental assistance for tenants affected by COVID-19. PHDC will begin accepting applications on Monday, July 6.

The first phase of rental assistance was able to assist more than 4,000 tenants. However, nearly 13,000 tenants applied to the program. Phase 2 will allow about 6,300 more renters to get help.

Funding for the program comes from the federal CARES Act. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency is distributing funds to each county in the state. Philadelphia’s share is $28.45 million.  Continue Reading

Masks or facial coverings should now be worn in all indoor public spaces and outdoors if you can’t keep safe distance (at least six feet) from others , according to a new order by Philadelphia officials. This new rule doesn’t have to be followed if you’re around people in your household and is not mandatory for children under 8 years old. Although it is a requirement, it will not be enforced by police, according to Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

Philadelphia was expected to enter the Green coronavirus re-opening phase this Friday (July 3), however, this could now be delayed due to an increase in new COVID-19 cases in the city. Some 143 new cases were reported on Friday. Philadelphia officials said on Friday that there may be a second wave of the epidemic developing in the city and that they’re keeping an eye on it before announcing their plans on the Green re-opening phase this week.  Continue Reading

As an alternative to public pools, the city’s spraygrounds will be allowed to open this summer. Beginning Monday, July 6, 91 public spraygrounds will start to open in Philadelphia on a rolling basis. All spraygrounds will be staffed at all times to make sure that everyone is safe on-site. COVID-19 safety measures at spraygrounds include the following rules:

• Limited capacity based on sprayground size
• Social distancing of at least six feet

To find a sprayground near you and its hours of operation, go here.

Public pools will remain closed this summer due to COVID-19.

As COVID-19 spread in Philadelphia continues to slow down, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf included the region in the list of 12 more counties allowed to move from Yellow to the Green re-opening phase beginning Friday, June 26. The Green phase allows re-opening of all businesses, including limited indoor operations for in-person businesses, such as hair salons, restaurants, and gyms/spas (at 50 percent occupancy and by appointment).

Masks are still required when entering a business and social distancing protocols must be followed.  Continue Reading

Photo by Ken McFarlane; digital rendering by Jeff Sugg.

To celebrate Black Lives and Black Fatherhood an outdoor public art installation by West Philly artist and activist Ken McFarlane will be projected on the façade of the Barnes Foundation this Saturday and Sunday (June 20 & 21) from 8 – 11 p.m.

The project, titled “From the Root to the Fruit: Portraits of Black Fathers and Their Children“, is presented by We Embrace Fatherhood, a coalition of West Philadelphia fathers, activists and artists, as a part of the Black Lives Matter movement for eradicating systemic racial injustice and in response to the COVID-19 health crisis which has dramatically decreased public access to the arts.

The installation will be projected onto the facade of the Barnes and can be viewed from their South East plaza as well as from the streets. Music will provided by DJs from PC Radio Live. This will be a COVID-19-safe environment, with six foot spacing. Attendees must wear masks at all times.  Continue Reading

As the School District of Philadelphia plans for the upcoming academic year, they are asking parents/guardians, students, community members and school and District staff members to participate in an online School Reopening Survey, which should take about 15 minutes to complete. The survey is seeking feedback on remote learning experience and what’s most important for the safe return to school buildings.

A final decision about the 2020-2021 school year is expected to be announced in July. The decision will be based on the following set of principles: the health and safety of students and employees, the consistent delivery of high-quality educational experiences for all students and the engagement of the School District community.  Continue Reading