…For A Neighborhood In Despair…
Ending the opioid crisis is even more complicated than the gun violence epidemic we are having. So I’m not going to tackle the elephant in the room. Then what else can we do? One simple step is to clean Kensington & Allegheny(K & A). Extra hands on making sure that every street is clean and bright, every car is functional, and every house is occupied.
First, clean the streets biweekly and the major roads weekly. Clutter eats equity; not just in homes for sale, in neighborhoods as well. Dirty streets, especially in this neighborhood cause all sorts of dangers, including “syringes and human feces” (Moselle, 2019) and the threat of Hepatitis A per WHYY. It’s important to manually sweep up the streets and El platforms. Also, better PPE is a must to keep workers safe. If cleaning the streets is dangerous, actually walking the streets must be as well. Let’s tackle that further.
Secondly, keeping streets well-lit can assist in reducing crime. According to KOLD, “93 percent of Tucson’s violent assaults took place after dark” (Tucson News Now, 2017) in 2016. Per the Natural Resources Defense Council, “Even if streetlights have no effect on crime, they make people feel safe” (Palmer, 2015). Feeling safer hopefully means more people are out on foot and fewer people are out commiting crime.
Thirdly, move the cars every week or two to remove abandoned cars. These cars attract less desirable activities and are an eyesore. Per the Arizona State University Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, “Abandoned vehicles attract vandals, may be used for drug drops or prostitution, accumulate refuse, and may be used as shelters by the homeless” (Maxfield, 2021). Not what K & A, or any other neighborhood needs.
Lastly, vacant and abandoned houses and lots have to be addressed. Vacant properties “become dumping grounds for trash and havens for drug dealers” (Scott, 2020) according to Marketplace. Perhaps an agency like the PHDC could purchase, rehab, and rent affordable housing units with subsidies from HUD. There may be other options available. Of course, affordable housing is a key issue. Philadelphia needs 30,000 affordable housing units in six years (Williams, 2022). Many of those units may well come from K & A.
What I am suggesting is making the neighborhood better. Cleaning streets, removing cars, changing light bulbs and fixing up houses are not direct solutions to the opiod crisis. They are helping hands to folks who live, work and run businesses in the neighborhood.
SOURCES:
Moselle, A. (2019, October 24). Feces and needles ‘jumping in the air’: City street cleaners want better safety gear. WHYY. https://whyy.org/articles/feces-and-needles-jumping-in-the-air-city-street-cleaners-want-better-safety-gear/
Maxfield, M. (2021, February 8). Abandoned vehicles. ASU Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. https://popcenter.asu.edu/content/abandoned-vehicles-0
Tucson News Now. (2017, February 22). Dark sky dangers: Are Tucson streets safe at night? https://www.kold.com. https://www.kold.com/story/34570624/dark-sky-dangers-are-tucson-streets-safe-at-night/
Palmer, B. (2015, July 30). Are dark alleys really more dangerous? NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/are-dark-alleys-really-more-dangerous
Scott, A. (2020, July 10). Why can’t Baltimore solve its vacant housing problem? Marketplace. https://www.marketplace.org/2020/07/08/why-cant-baltimore-solve-vacant-housing-problem/
Williams, S. (2022, May 26). 10M fund to help Black, Brown, small developers build affordable homes. The Philadelphia Tribune. https://www.phillytrib.com/news/business/10m-fund-to-help-black-brown-small-developers-build-affordable-homes/article_702c7326-e5a1-57b7-8d00-88c815cbccd6.html
