Getting Honest about Houselessness

By Lanaa Dantzler

I go to school on Broad Street, which means that on half-days and rare September late sunsets, the City Hall streets are packed with bored high school students, me included. Large groups of teens are ready to sneak into the Fashion District, where minors aren’t allowed inside after 2 pm, only to end up window shopping and buying overpriced pretzels. Now that I’m in my junior year, I notice these same streets that once seemed so ripe with social opportunity and wealth have become home to a growing number of displaced people. It is a reminder of reality for those we try to cast aside when someone is sleeping outside of the sneaker store without shoes. 

As The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in September of 2024, this observation was not isolated: “Both Center City and Kensington saw a 23% increase in the number of unsheltered people living there compared to the previous year.” Unfortunately, this statistic is affirming something most Philadelphians have already noticed. When asked to comment, local resident Alyssa described homelessness as one of “the biggest problem[s] that Philadelphia has.” As a student, it is especially concerning that many of these individuals are my peers. According to the Philadelphia school district, youth houselessness is up 19% this school year. Knowing that makes it even harder to disassociate myself from the situation, as not much stands between us. 

An individualistic mindset is not helpful when dealing with such a serious predicament. So, whilst checking my biases, I’m also acknowledging responsibility because this issue has much more to do with the country than its citizens. Ben, a  student from New York living in University City, doesn’t think Philly’s larger issues “stem from the city itself” as much as they reflect what “we’re seeing in the nation as a whole, wherein people are really apathetic.” It’s easy to blame drugs or personal decisions on someone’s housing circumstance, but you can’t ignore the statistics. The people suffering from houselessness didn’t just appear out of thin air. They’re our family members, co-workers, schoolmates, made victims of a national housing crisis.

The increasing cost of living is consistently referenced as one of the leading causes for the state of housing today. People are unable to afford meals and medical care, let alone housing. Though we’re living through the effects, this goes beyond Philly. The only way to contribute to change is to get involved right at home. Local organizations are well aware of this, which is why medical assistance and provisioning are two main focuses for the non-profit Philly House. 

Since 1997, Philly House has provided weekly medical services in partnership with Jeff House Clinic. In 2023 alone, they sheltered 30% of Philadelphia’s single men. They are one of many organizations working to address the specific circumstances of those experiencing houselessness. This work is particularly impactful as we improve the situations of those encountering homelessness. Luckily, Philly House is not the only organization extending a hand to those facing housing instability in the city. With 12 locations across Philadelphia, Bethesda Project has served over 1,200 unique individuals. They also participated in the Philly Point in Time (PIT) count, an attempt to estimate populations needing assistance. This data is essential for pursuing assistance from both local and an administrative level. These on-the-ground organizations are key in providing the information that leads to legislation and true impact. 

Combining legislation and impact is community staple: Project HOME, which provides nurse-led mobile services 32 hours a week in neighborhoods across Philly. Project HOME has been operated for 35 years with the mission of ending chronic street homelessness and alleviating poverty in Philadelphia. When asked about their Housing and Street Outreach Project, HOME shares, “We provide permanent housing and support services for people who are or were unsheltered (or at risk of becoming unsheltered).” 

On-the-street work is essential to the organization’s mission and impact on the community, so it should not come as a surprise that Project HOME was staunchly against City Council member Quetcy Lozada’s proposed bill to ban mobile service vehicles. The bill would greatly restrict nonprofit organizations like Project HOME and many others from providing necessary medical and meal services to the communities in the 6th and 7th Districts. Project HOME’s Vice President of Advocacy, Public Policy, and Street Outreach, Candice Player, says this legislation would prevent her teams from responding to calls in the 7th District.

This bill, proposed and passed this December, would affect not only those without houses but also the residents staying in the over 1000 affordable housing units Project HOME operates. The recently infamous labor and dedication of Project HOME is mainly due in part to their previous Senior Vice President, Cheryl Hill. While holding the position, Hill successfully managed 200 staff members and an annual budget of $20 million and strategized new ways to support residents of their numerous properties across Philadelphia.