1. Kensington’s community members works for revitalization and sustainability
  2. Philadelphia’s long dry-spell raises concerns
  3. Beautification in Philadelphia
  4. Local Legislative policies on affordable housing
  5. EV’s, public eco-friendly infrastructure and a refinery protesting: A conversation with Sophia Schmidt
  6. Elves on Wheels: Creating urban green spaces with Black farmers
  7. Environmental Impact and Immigration: A Conversation with Magybet Mendez
  8. Philadelphia Must Rethink Its Impact on Chester
  9. New Documentary Explores Philadelphia’s Struggle for Land Sovereignty and a Greener Future
  10. Capturing Hope: Power Circle Mentors Inspiring Youth Through Nature and Photography
  11. Roishetta Sibley Ozane and The Vessel Project: A Beacon of Hope in Sulphur, Louisiana
  12. ecoFEST 2023: A Celebration of Environmental Justice
  13. A is for asbestos: The environmental challenges facing Philly schools
  14. The Age of Preparedness: Securing Your Finances in the Face of the Climate Crisis
  15. A Former Sugar Plantation Up in Flames: The Lahaina Wildfires
  16. From Heatwaves to Hydration: Philadelphia’s Water Landscape Explored
  17. A Sizzling Summer: Philly Faces Extreme Temperatures
  18. Get to Know The New Host of ecoWURD: Tamara P.O.C. Russell
  19. Funding the Fight for Climate Justice: Local and Federal Grants Propel Environmental Initiatives
  20. Where There is Fire, There Will Be Smoke
  21. Lessons at Sea: Capitalism, Climate Change and a Path Forward
  22. Investing in Women, Investing in the Future: The Wise Fund’s Vision for a Greener World
  23. HOW DID “NIMBY” SUDDENLY BECOME THE NEW “N-WORD?”
  24. The Gentrification Problem: The Environmental Crisis of Unaffordable Housing
  25. The Roots Run Deep: The Environmental Crisis of Unaffordable Housing
  26. There Is No Cost to Live: The Environmental Crisis of Unaffordable Housing
  27. Fixing Up Philly’s Homes: Charles Ellison for WHYY
  28. Punishment Past Prison Walls: Environmental injustice in the Carceral State
  29. RACISM IN THE WATER
  30. THE “INFLATION REDUCTION ACT” IS NOW LAW. SO, HOW DOES IT HELP BLACK PHILLY?
  31. PHILADELPHIA HAS AN AIR TOXIN PROBLEM. WHAT IS THE CITY GOVERNMENT GOING TO DO TO FIX IT?
  32. Want to end gun violence now? Let’s save Philly block by block
  33. Here are steps Philly could take to cool urban heat islands
  34. The gas prices conversation we should be having
  35. Reclaiming Black land is challenging but not impossible
  36. Black clergy: Churches can sway views on climate crisis
  37. Can old Philadelphia refineries be cleaned up and restored?
  38. Here’s how Black Philadelphia can help in the environmental justice battle
  39. City Launches Environmental Justice Advisory Commission
  40. FIXING THE STRUGGLE SPACE
  41. SOLAR POLICIES ARE FALLING BEHIND – SO, HOW DO WE CATCH UP?
  42. IS PHILLY’S “TAP” WATER PROGRAM WORKING?
  43. Ian Harris
  44. Melissa Ostroff
  45. THE WATER BILLS ARE WAY TOO HIGH
  46. THE KEY TO APPROACHING FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES ON ALL THINGS GREEN
  47. ICYMI: Watch highlights, panels at ecoWURD’s 2021 Environmental Justice Summit
  48. BLACK MOTHERS NEED CLEANER & SAFER ENVIRONMENTS – IT’S A PUBLIC HEALTH IMPERATIVE
  49. USING DANCE TO SAVE A RIVER
  50. TRACKING PHILADELPHIA’S AIR QUALITY
  51. GETTING RELIGIOUS ON CLIMATE CRISIS
  52. WE NEED MORE BLACK PEOPLE IN AGRICULTURE
  53. WHEN THERE’S NO CLEAN ENVIRONMENT, WE HAVE NOTHING
  54. A PREMATURE END TO EVICTION MORATORIUMS
  55. THE LACK OF BELIEF IN CLIMATE CRISIS IS JUST AS MUCH A THREAT
  56. YOU CAN’T HAVE RACIAL JUSTICE WITHOUT FAIR HOUSING
  57. RUN OVER THE SYSTEMS: THE FUTURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM
  58. PENNSYLVANIA IS “WAY BEHIND” ON SOLAR. HOW DOES IT CATCH UP?
  59. Pandemic Relief For Black Farmers Still Is Not Enough
  60. A BLUEPRINT FOR THE NEXT URBANISM
  61. THAT ELECTRONIC & CLOTHING WASTE PILES UP. SO WHERE TO PUT IT?
  62. THE WOMB IS THE FIRST ENVIRONMENT
  63. WILL THERE BE ANY MASS TRANSIT LEFT AFTER PANDEMIC?
  64. A FRIDGE FOR EVERYONE WHO’S HUNGRY
  65. OLD SCHOOL FOSSIL FUEL ECONOMY VS. NEW SCHOOL CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY
  66. ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE IS THE TOP SOCIAL JUSTICE PRIORITY
  67. IN 2020, DID “BIG GREEN” BECOME LESS WHITE?
  68. CLIMATE ACTION CAN POWER OUR RECOVERY
  69. IN PANDEMIC, AN HBCU DOES IT BETTER
  70. A DANGEROUS LACK OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE PROTECTIONS
  71. HOW FAST CAN A BIDEN PRESIDENCY MOVE ON CLIMATE ISSUES?
  72. CRAFTING A BLACK-DRIVEN CORONAVIRUS AND CLIMATE “STIMULUS” AGENDA
  73. Penn to donate $100 million to Philadelphia school district to help public school children
  74. BLACK ECOLOGIES IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA
  75. WHAT IS “FROM THE SOURCE REPORTING?”
  76. LEADERSHIP IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
  77. THE ECOWURD SUMMIT LAUNCH
  78. National Geographic Virtual Photo Camp: Earth Stories Aimed to Elevate Indigenous Youth Voices
  79. ecoWURD Environmental Justice Summit 2020
  80. THE PLAN FOR A 100 PERCENT CLEAN FUTURE IS SAVING NATURE
  81. WHAT SHOULD A PRESIDENT’S ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AGENDA LOOK LIKE?
  82. THE NEED FOR ABOLITIONIST TEACHING
  83. PUBLIC LANDS & SAVING NATURE
  84. TOO MANY NATURAL GAS SPILLS
  85. GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK
  86. BLACK VOTERS ARE THE ECO-VOTERS CLIMATE ACTIVISTS ARE LOOKING FOR
  87. CANNABIS PROFIT & BLACK ECONOMY
  88. THE NATURE GAP
  89. BLACK PEOPLE NEED NATURE
  90. WHAT IS TREEPHILLY?
  91. IS AN OBSCURE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE IN HARRISBURG DOING ENOUGH?
  92. AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTALISM’S RACIST ROOTS
  93. “THERE’S REALLY A LOT OF QUIET SUFFERING OUT THERE
  94. “WE NEED TO GET INTO THE SUPPLY CHAIN”
  95. “AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW THAT GIVES YOU A VOICE”
  96. URBAN PLANNING AS A TOOL FOR WHITE SUPREMACY
  97. HEAT WAVES REMIND US CLIMATE CHANGE IS STILL HERE
  98. Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land
  99. IN PANDEMIC, MAKING SURE PEOPLE EAT & HOW HBCUs HELP
  100. WE’RE NOT DONE, YET – MORE ACCOUNTABILITY IS NEEDED AT THE PES REFINERY SITE
  101. COVID-19 IS LAYING WASTE TO RECYCLING PROGRAMS
  102. THE PHILADELPHIA HEALTH EQUITY GAPS THAT COVID-19 EXPOSED
  103. THE POWER OF NEW HERBALISM
  104. THERE’S NO RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
  105. ecoWURD Earth Day Summit
  106. ecoWURD Earth Day Summit 2020 Press Release
  107. Too Much Food At Farms, Too Little Food At Stores
  108. THE LINK BETWEEN AIR POLLUTION & COVID-19
  109. CORONAVIRUS REVEALS WHY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IS STILL THE CRITICAL ISSUE OF OUR TIME
  110. FROM KATRINA TO CORONAVIRUS, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
  111. COVID-19 SHOWS A BIGGER IMPACT WHERE BLACK PEOPLE LIVE
  112. THE CORONAVIRUS CONVERSATION HAS GOT TO GET A LOT MORE INCLUSIVE THAN THIS
  113. MEDIA’S CLIMATE CHANGE COVERAGE KEEPS BLACK PEOPLE OUT OF IT
  114. “WE DON’T HAVE A CULTURE OF PREPAREDNESS”
  115. PHILADELPHIA HAS A FOOD ECONOMY
  116. HOW URBAN AGRICULTURE CAN IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY IN U.S. CITIES
  117. MAPPING THE LINK BETWEEN INCARCERATION & FOOD INSECURITY
  118. PHILLY’S JAILS ARE, LITERALLY, MAKING PEOPLE SICK
  119. ecoWURD Environmental Justice Summit 2019
  120. ecoWURD Environmental Justice Summit
  121. “We Can’t Breathe: Zulene Mayfield’s Lifelong War with Waste ‘Managers’”
  122. “Is The Black Press Reporting on Environmental Issues?” by David Love
  123. “The Dangerous Connection Between Climate Change & Food” an interview with Jacqueline Patterson and Adrienne Hollis
  124. “An Oil Refinery Explosion That Was Never Isolated” by Charles Ellison
  125. “Philly Should Be Going ‘Community Solar'” an interview w/ PA Rep. Donna Bullock
  126. “Is The Litter Index Enough?” an interview w/ Nic Esposito
  127. “How Sugarcane Fires in Florida Are Making Black People Sick” an interview w/ Frank Biden
  128. Philly Farm Social – Video and Pictures
  129. #PHILLYFARMSOCIAL GETS REAL IN THE FIELD
  130. THE LACK OF DIVERSE LEADERS IN THE GREEN SPACE Environmental Advocacy Organizations – especially the “Big Green” – Really Need More Black & Brown People in Senior Positions
  131. PLASTIC BAG BANS CAN BACKFIRE … WHEN YOU HAVE OTHER PLASTICS TO CHOOSE FROM
  132. WE REALLY NEED POLITICAL STRATEGISTS LEADING ON CLIMATE CHANGE – NOT ACADEMICS
  133. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IN A MUCH MORE CLIMATIC WORLD
  134. A SMALL GERMANTOWN NON-PROFIT “TRADES FOR A DIFFERENCE”
  135. IS PHILLY BLAMING ITS TRASH & RECYCLING CRISIS ON BLACK PEOPLE?
  136. BUT WHAT DOES THE GREEN NEW DEAL MEAN FOR BLACK PEOPLE?
  137. HOW GREEN IS PHILLY’S “GREENWORKS” PLAN?
  138. The Future of Work in Philly’s Green Economy event recap #ecoWURD #phillyisgreen
  139. Bike-friendly cities should be designed for everyone, not just for wealthy white cyclists
  140. RENAMING “GENTRIFICATION”
  141. FOUR GOVERNORS, ONE URBAN WATERSHED IN NEED OF ACTION
  142. JUST HOW BAD IS THE AIR HURTING PHILLY’S BLACK FAMILIES?
  143. EcoWURD Presents:The Future of Work in Philly’s Green Economy
  144. IF YOU ARE LOW-INCOME OR HOMELESS, THE POLAR VORTEX IS LIKE A FORM OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
  145. NOT JUST FLINT: THE WATER CRISIS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY
  146. DO THE TRAINS STOP RUNNING? THE SHUTDOWN’S IMPACT ON MASS TRANSIT
  147. BLACK WOMEN & THE TROUBLE WITH BABY POWDER
  148. A WHITE COLLAR CRIME VICTIMIZING NICETOWN
  149. IN NORTH CAROLINA, CLIMATE CHANGE & VOTER SUPPRESSION WORKED HAND-IN-HAND
  150. LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD GAIN THE MOST FROM GREEN ROOFS
  151. YOUR OWN HOOD: CLOSING THE GENERATIONAL GREEN DIVIDE IN BLACK PHILADELPHIA
  152. THE PRICE OF WATER: LITERAL & FIGURATIVE THIRST AT WORK
  153. THAT CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT TRUMP DIDN’T WANT YOU TO SEE? YEAH, WELL, IT’S THE LAW
  154. RACIAL & ETHNIC MINORITIES ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO WILDFIRES
  155. NO IFS, ANDS OR BUTTS Philly Has a Cigarette Butt Problem
  156. HOW SUSTAINABLE CAN PHILLY GET?
  157. USING AFROFUTURISM TO BUILD THE KIND OF WORLD YOU WANT
  158. UNCOVERING PHILLY’S HIDDEN TOXIC DANGERS …
  159. WILL THE ENVIRONMENT DRIVE VOTERS TO THE POLLS? (PART I)
  160. ARE PHILLY SCHOOLS READY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE?
  161. 🎧 SEPTA CREATES A GAS PROBLEM IN NORTH PHILLY
  162. 🎧 BREAKING THE GREEN RETAIL CEILING
  163. That’s Nasty: The Cost of Trash in Philly
  164. 🎧 How Can You Solarize Philly?
  165. 🎧 “The Environment Should Be an Active, Living Experience”
  166. Philly’s Lead Crisis Is Larger Than Flint’s
  167. Despite What You Heard, Black Millennials Do Care About the Environment
  168. Hurricanes Always Hurt Black Folks the Most
  169. Are You Going to Drink That?
  170. The Origins of ecoWURD
  171. We Seriously Need More Black Climate Disaster Films
  172. 🎧 Why Should Philly Care About a Pipeline?
  173. 🎧 Not Just Hotter Days Ahead… Costly Ones Too
  174. Philly’s Big and Dangerous Hot Mess
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
  1. Kensington’s community members works for revitalization and sustainability
  2. Philadelphia’s long dry-spell raises concerns
  3. Beautification in Philadelphia
  4. Local Legislative policies on affordable housing
  5. EV’s, public eco-friendly infrastructure and a refinery protesting: A conversation with Sophia Schmidt
  6. Elves on Wheels: Creating urban green spaces with Black farmers
  7. Environmental Impact and Immigration: A Conversation with Magybet Mendez
  8. Philadelphia Must Rethink Its Impact on Chester
  9. New Documentary Explores Philadelphia’s Struggle for Land Sovereignty and a Greener Future
  10. Capturing Hope: Power Circle Mentors Inspiring Youth Through Nature and Photography
  11. Roishetta Sibley Ozane and The Vessel Project: A Beacon of Hope in Sulphur, Louisiana
  12. ecoFEST 2023: A Celebration of Environmental Justice
  13. A is for asbestos: The environmental challenges facing Philly schools
  14. The Age of Preparedness: Securing Your Finances in the Face of the Climate Crisis
  15. A Former Sugar Plantation Up in Flames: The Lahaina Wildfires
  16. From Heatwaves to Hydration: Philadelphia’s Water Landscape Explored
  17. A Sizzling Summer: Philly Faces Extreme Temperatures
  18. Get to Know The New Host of ecoWURD: Tamara P.O.C. Russell
  19. Funding the Fight for Climate Justice: Local and Federal Grants Propel Environmental Initiatives
  20. Where There is Fire, There Will Be Smoke
  21. Lessons at Sea: Capitalism, Climate Change and a Path Forward
  22. Investing in Women, Investing in the Future: The Wise Fund’s Vision for a Greener World
  23. HOW DID “NIMBY” SUDDENLY BECOME THE NEW “N-WORD?”
  24. The Gentrification Problem: The Environmental Crisis of Unaffordable Housing
  25. The Roots Run Deep: The Environmental Crisis of Unaffordable Housing
  26. There Is No Cost to Live: The Environmental Crisis of Unaffordable Housing
  27. Fixing Up Philly’s Homes: Charles Ellison for WHYY
  28. Punishment Past Prison Walls: Environmental injustice in the Carceral State
  29. RACISM IN THE WATER
  30. THE “INFLATION REDUCTION ACT” IS NOW LAW. SO, HOW DOES IT HELP BLACK PHILLY?
  31. PHILADELPHIA HAS AN AIR TOXIN PROBLEM. WHAT IS THE CITY GOVERNMENT GOING TO DO TO FIX IT?
  32. Want to end gun violence now? Let’s save Philly block by block
  33. Here are steps Philly could take to cool urban heat islands
  34. The gas prices conversation we should be having
  35. Reclaiming Black land is challenging but not impossible
  36. Black clergy: Churches can sway views on climate crisis
  37. Can old Philadelphia refineries be cleaned up and restored?
  38. Here’s how Black Philadelphia can help in the environmental justice battle
  39. City Launches Environmental Justice Advisory Commission
  40. FIXING THE STRUGGLE SPACE
  41. SOLAR POLICIES ARE FALLING BEHIND – SO, HOW DO WE CATCH UP?
  42. IS PHILLY’S “TAP” WATER PROGRAM WORKING?
  43. Ian Harris
  44. Melissa Ostroff
  45. THE WATER BILLS ARE WAY TOO HIGH
  46. THE KEY TO APPROACHING FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES ON ALL THINGS GREEN
  47. ICYMI: Watch highlights, panels at ecoWURD’s 2021 Environmental Justice Summit
  48. BLACK MOTHERS NEED CLEANER & SAFER ENVIRONMENTS – IT’S A PUBLIC HEALTH IMPERATIVE
  49. USING DANCE TO SAVE A RIVER
  50. TRACKING PHILADELPHIA’S AIR QUALITY
  51. GETTING RELIGIOUS ON CLIMATE CRISIS
  52. WE NEED MORE BLACK PEOPLE IN AGRICULTURE
  53. WHEN THERE’S NO CLEAN ENVIRONMENT, WE HAVE NOTHING
  54. A PREMATURE END TO EVICTION MORATORIUMS
  55. THE LACK OF BELIEF IN CLIMATE CRISIS IS JUST AS MUCH A THREAT
  56. YOU CAN’T HAVE RACIAL JUSTICE WITHOUT FAIR HOUSING
  57. RUN OVER THE SYSTEMS: THE FUTURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM
  58. PENNSYLVANIA IS “WAY BEHIND” ON SOLAR. HOW DOES IT CATCH UP?
  59. Pandemic Relief For Black Farmers Still Is Not Enough
  60. A BLUEPRINT FOR THE NEXT URBANISM
  61. THAT ELECTRONIC & CLOTHING WASTE PILES UP. SO WHERE TO PUT IT?
  62. THE WOMB IS THE FIRST ENVIRONMENT
  63. WILL THERE BE ANY MASS TRANSIT LEFT AFTER PANDEMIC?
  64. A FRIDGE FOR EVERYONE WHO’S HUNGRY
  65. OLD SCHOOL FOSSIL FUEL ECONOMY VS. NEW SCHOOL CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY
  66. ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE IS THE TOP SOCIAL JUSTICE PRIORITY
  67. IN 2020, DID “BIG GREEN” BECOME LESS WHITE?
  68. CLIMATE ACTION CAN POWER OUR RECOVERY
  69. IN PANDEMIC, AN HBCU DOES IT BETTER
  70. A DANGEROUS LACK OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE PROTECTIONS
  71. HOW FAST CAN A BIDEN PRESIDENCY MOVE ON CLIMATE ISSUES?
  72. CRAFTING A BLACK-DRIVEN CORONAVIRUS AND CLIMATE “STIMULUS” AGENDA
  73. Penn to donate $100 million to Philadelphia school district to help public school children
  74. BLACK ECOLOGIES IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA
  75. WHAT IS “FROM THE SOURCE REPORTING?”
  76. LEADERSHIP IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
  77. THE ECOWURD SUMMIT LAUNCH
  78. National Geographic Virtual Photo Camp: Earth Stories Aimed to Elevate Indigenous Youth Voices
  79. ecoWURD Environmental Justice Summit 2020
  80. THE PLAN FOR A 100 PERCENT CLEAN FUTURE IS SAVING NATURE
  81. WHAT SHOULD A PRESIDENT’S ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AGENDA LOOK LIKE?
  82. THE NEED FOR ABOLITIONIST TEACHING
  83. PUBLIC LANDS & SAVING NATURE
  84. TOO MANY NATURAL GAS SPILLS
  85. GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK
  86. BLACK VOTERS ARE THE ECO-VOTERS CLIMATE ACTIVISTS ARE LOOKING FOR
  87. CANNABIS PROFIT & BLACK ECONOMY
  88. THE NATURE GAP
  89. BLACK PEOPLE NEED NATURE
  90. WHAT IS TREEPHILLY?
  91. IS AN OBSCURE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE IN HARRISBURG DOING ENOUGH?
  92. AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTALISM’S RACIST ROOTS
  93. “THERE’S REALLY A LOT OF QUIET SUFFERING OUT THERE
  94. “WE NEED TO GET INTO THE SUPPLY CHAIN”
  95. “AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW THAT GIVES YOU A VOICE”
  96. URBAN PLANNING AS A TOOL FOR WHITE SUPREMACY
  97. HEAT WAVES REMIND US CLIMATE CHANGE IS STILL HERE
  98. Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land
  99. IN PANDEMIC, MAKING SURE PEOPLE EAT & HOW HBCUs HELP
  100. WE’RE NOT DONE, YET – MORE ACCOUNTABILITY IS NEEDED AT THE PES REFINERY SITE
  101. COVID-19 IS LAYING WASTE TO RECYCLING PROGRAMS
  102. THE PHILADELPHIA HEALTH EQUITY GAPS THAT COVID-19 EXPOSED
  103. THE POWER OF NEW HERBALISM
  104. THERE’S NO RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
  105. ecoWURD Earth Day Summit
  106. ecoWURD Earth Day Summit 2020 Press Release
  107. Too Much Food At Farms, Too Little Food At Stores
  108. THE LINK BETWEEN AIR POLLUTION & COVID-19
  109. CORONAVIRUS REVEALS WHY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IS STILL THE CRITICAL ISSUE OF OUR TIME
  110. FROM KATRINA TO CORONAVIRUS, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
  111. COVID-19 SHOWS A BIGGER IMPACT WHERE BLACK PEOPLE LIVE
  112. THE CORONAVIRUS CONVERSATION HAS GOT TO GET A LOT MORE INCLUSIVE THAN THIS
  113. MEDIA’S CLIMATE CHANGE COVERAGE KEEPS BLACK PEOPLE OUT OF IT
  114. “WE DON’T HAVE A CULTURE OF PREPAREDNESS”
  115. PHILADELPHIA HAS A FOOD ECONOMY
  116. HOW URBAN AGRICULTURE CAN IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY IN U.S. CITIES
  117. MAPPING THE LINK BETWEEN INCARCERATION & FOOD INSECURITY
  118. PHILLY’S JAILS ARE, LITERALLY, MAKING PEOPLE SICK
  119. ecoWURD Environmental Justice Summit 2019
  120. ecoWURD Environmental Justice Summit
  121. “We Can’t Breathe: Zulene Mayfield’s Lifelong War with Waste ‘Managers’”
  122. “Is The Black Press Reporting on Environmental Issues?” by David Love
  123. “The Dangerous Connection Between Climate Change & Food” an interview with Jacqueline Patterson and Adrienne Hollis
  124. “An Oil Refinery Explosion That Was Never Isolated” by Charles Ellison
  125. “Philly Should Be Going ‘Community Solar'” an interview w/ PA Rep. Donna Bullock
  126. “Is The Litter Index Enough?” an interview w/ Nic Esposito
  127. “How Sugarcane Fires in Florida Are Making Black People Sick” an interview w/ Frank Biden
  128. Philly Farm Social – Video and Pictures
  129. #PHILLYFARMSOCIAL GETS REAL IN THE FIELD
  130. THE LACK OF DIVERSE LEADERS IN THE GREEN SPACE Environmental Advocacy Organizations – especially the “Big Green” – Really Need More Black & Brown People in Senior Positions
  131. PLASTIC BAG BANS CAN BACKFIRE … WHEN YOU HAVE OTHER PLASTICS TO CHOOSE FROM
  132. WE REALLY NEED POLITICAL STRATEGISTS LEADING ON CLIMATE CHANGE – NOT ACADEMICS
  133. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IN A MUCH MORE CLIMATIC WORLD
  134. A SMALL GERMANTOWN NON-PROFIT “TRADES FOR A DIFFERENCE”
  135. IS PHILLY BLAMING ITS TRASH & RECYCLING CRISIS ON BLACK PEOPLE?
  136. BUT WHAT DOES THE GREEN NEW DEAL MEAN FOR BLACK PEOPLE?
  137. HOW GREEN IS PHILLY’S “GREENWORKS” PLAN?
  138. The Future of Work in Philly’s Green Economy event recap #ecoWURD #phillyisgreen
  139. Bike-friendly cities should be designed for everyone, not just for wealthy white cyclists
  140. RENAMING “GENTRIFICATION”
  141. FOUR GOVERNORS, ONE URBAN WATERSHED IN NEED OF ACTION
  142. JUST HOW BAD IS THE AIR HURTING PHILLY’S BLACK FAMILIES?
  143. EcoWURD Presents:The Future of Work in Philly’s Green Economy
  144. IF YOU ARE LOW-INCOME OR HOMELESS, THE POLAR VORTEX IS LIKE A FORM OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
  145. NOT JUST FLINT: THE WATER CRISIS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY
  146. DO THE TRAINS STOP RUNNING? THE SHUTDOWN’S IMPACT ON MASS TRANSIT
  147. BLACK WOMEN & THE TROUBLE WITH BABY POWDER
  148. A WHITE COLLAR CRIME VICTIMIZING NICETOWN
  149. IN NORTH CAROLINA, CLIMATE CHANGE & VOTER SUPPRESSION WORKED HAND-IN-HAND
  150. LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD GAIN THE MOST FROM GREEN ROOFS
  151. YOUR OWN HOOD: CLOSING THE GENERATIONAL GREEN DIVIDE IN BLACK PHILADELPHIA
  152. THE PRICE OF WATER: LITERAL & FIGURATIVE THIRST AT WORK
  153. THAT CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT TRUMP DIDN’T WANT YOU TO SEE? YEAH, WELL, IT’S THE LAW
  154. RACIAL & ETHNIC MINORITIES ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO WILDFIRES
  155. NO IFS, ANDS OR BUTTS Philly Has a Cigarette Butt Problem
  156. HOW SUSTAINABLE CAN PHILLY GET?
  157. USING AFROFUTURISM TO BUILD THE KIND OF WORLD YOU WANT
  158. UNCOVERING PHILLY’S HIDDEN TOXIC DANGERS …
  159. WILL THE ENVIRONMENT DRIVE VOTERS TO THE POLLS? (PART I)
  160. ARE PHILLY SCHOOLS READY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE?
  161. 🎧 SEPTA CREATES A GAS PROBLEM IN NORTH PHILLY
  162. 🎧 BREAKING THE GREEN RETAIL CEILING
  163. That’s Nasty: The Cost of Trash in Philly
  164. 🎧 How Can You Solarize Philly?
  165. 🎧 “The Environment Should Be an Active, Living Experience”
  166. Philly’s Lead Crisis Is Larger Than Flint’s
  167. Despite What You Heard, Black Millennials Do Care About the Environment
  168. Hurricanes Always Hurt Black Folks the Most
  169. Are You Going to Drink That?
  170. The Origins of ecoWURD
  171. We Seriously Need More Black Climate Disaster Films
  172. 🎧 Why Should Philly Care About a Pipeline?
  173. 🎧 Not Just Hotter Days Ahead… Costly Ones Too
  174. Philly’s Big and Dangerous Hot Mess

Part III in a series by Dylan Lewis, ecoWURD Senior Producer

We can’t talk about affordable housing without talking about gentrification. The Urban Displacement Project describes gentrification as “a process of neighborhood change that includes economic change in a historically disinvested neighborhood —by means of real estate investment and new higher-income residents moving in – as well as demographic change – not only in terms of income level, but also in terms of changes in the education level or racial make-up of residents.”

Gentrification, similar to “affordable housing,” has transformed into a type of jargon where corporate landlords can claim to care about it – yet, meanwhile, they are fundamentally furthering the displacement of neighborhood residents. Gentrification is not a mythology, it’s not some tall tale. It has real human consequences that rupture neighborhoods and destroy communities. Ty Brown illustrates it best …

 

“We grew up in our neighborhoods, vibrant, sitting on our front steps with our friends, with our neighbors and what happened? When you move out of your neighborhood–you might be forced out of your neighborhood–you move for whatever reason and you go back to your old block where your grandparents lived or where you were or are still in and it’s not the same anymore. Now there are signs that say “no loitering” and you’re sitting there on your neighbor’s steps that you sat on for your entire life. And suddenly a police officer rolls up and says, “I need to see your ID” and then it’s like “Well, you can’t be loitering right here.” You can’t be standing in front of this corner store. You can’t. It’s like those things that are cultural staples of ours that make us maintain community and maintain community bonds are being stripped from us. And it’s still being done in a structural way. It’s changing the face of our neighborhoods and changing our ability to organize holistically in a way that we’re not just joining organizations, but we’re also just talking to our neighbors. Because that is happening, the exchange of information and our ability to build bonds and really build a self-determination model for our communities is evaporating right before us, along with the practice of gentrification and actual bodies being displaced out of our neighborhoods.”

 

The story Brown told is one that many Philadelphians know all too well. In 2019, The Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities reported that between 2000 and 2016, North, West and South Philadelphia all saw a decrease in the number of Black residents while seeing an influx of white residents. In West Philadelphia, there was a 35 percent decrease in Black residents and a sharp increase of 74 percent in white residents. These statistics are just a snapshot of how gentrification plagues our city. While we can see the numbers, we can also see the dissolution of community institutions and values.

The Path Forward

The unaffordable housing crisis is an environmental crisis. EcoWURD magazine is about solving problems related to environmental injustice. Here were some of the solutions that our guests provided …

 

New Housing Models

There are other ways to create affordable housing outside the model of building more rentals. Some of the panelists proposed other models that would allow people to control their housing versus being subject to the control of the state or landlords.

I think we have to also broaden our definition of home ownership of not just thinking about kind of the one one family home with a white picket fence, but look at co-op and condo models as well and figure out how do we expand the notion of equity within the context of housing and making sure that all classes and races of people get access to to those homeownership opportunities,” said Sen, Parker. The housing cooperative (co-op) model that Parker proposes is promising. The corporation consists of individual shareholders who own the real estate, and each shareholder possesses a unit within the building. Another model for affordable housing includes community land trusts where a non-profit organization develops land on behalf of the community. The Community Justice Land Trust in Philadelphia has built several rent-to-own properties in Port Richmond and has plans to build more in other neighborhoods.

 

New Policy Tools

Policy innovation would allow for a full-on approach where the government would play a crucial role in helping citizens obtain housing.

 

During the pandemic, we developed a lot of innovative policy tools that were emergency solutions, such as the rental assistance program here in Philadelphia,” said Sen. Saval. “There was a pioneering effort to combine rental assistance with eviction diversion so that no one who was facing an eviction could be evicted without having exhausted every attempt at applying for rental assistance. This cut evictions by 75 percent in the fourth highest evicting city in the country, basically pointing to a model in which you could end poverty-based eviction.” The free Eviction Diversion Program that Saval describes operates out of the city’s Department of Planning and Development and allows landlords and tenants to go through mediation to avoid eviction and create sustainable agreements.

 

Communities will also, simply, need to find ways to fight back. “Localities haven’t been able to articulate and replicate legislative packages that effectively counter gentrification at the city and state levels, let alone nationwide,” argues Dr. G.S. Potter. “There have been wins, but they have not been scaled. Community leaders working at the city and state levels need to unify and share best practices to organize communities and pass protective policies.

 

Home Ownership

Affordable rent is only a temporary solution to a systemic problem. For a more permanent solution, there must be a conversation about home ownership.

 

I think we need to be clear about, especially in my work with the Black Homeownership Project, are we trying to get individual people rich off their housing by using it as an investment and speculative asset? Or are we trying to house everyone long term, affordably, permanently?” asked Bazile. “Is the answer to correct this injustice then getting more Black and Hispanic households into the traditional market-based homeownership? Or is the answer to change the rules of the housing market game fundamentally and to make it more just? And so when I’m thinking about solutions, I’m thinking about not just tweaking on the edges of the market-based system to make it incrementally better for a select few individuals.

 

Zoning reform

Inclusionary zoning/zoning reform is another way for the government to solve the current housing problem. Local governments could regulate the landscape of affordable and inclusionary housing by controlling the zoning of specific areas. Lauren Bealore broke it down …

 

Zoning allows local governments to regulate which areas under their jurisdiction may have real estate or land use for particular purposes. Some zoning classifications include residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial or hospitality, among other specific designations. Those zoning laws can be changed by local government, and this is where policymakers are so important and vital to drive this conversation around inclusionary zoning, also known as inclusionary housing. These policies that mandate or encourage developments to dedicate a share of homes to low or moderate-income families are inclusionary housing strategies. The most common method is inclusionary zoning, which creates specific affordability targets.

 

Despite several attempts from different members of City Council, Philadelphia still needs widespread inclusionary zoning laws. As of right now, there is a bonus for mixed-income house zoning. Developers can add more space in exchange for allotting some of the units in their projects to affordable housing or paying into a fund that goes to affordable housing.

 

Restrictions

One huge thing city and state governments can do is restrict developers.

 

They can tell developers that they can’t build in certain areas. They can put caps on rental and home prices. All they have to do is want to do so. “We can tell builders they can’t build in communities of color. We can do that. We can pass rent control. We can renegotiate landlord agreements to make sure they’re longer and that they benefit renters. We can do protections legislatively to make sure people stay in their homes.” The system that we currently have in place does not benefit renters, but rather it serves the landlords. However, we should place restrictions on developers. In that case, we can change the landscape to benefit the majority instead of the wealthy minority.

 

Starting with the Money

One significant issue brought up during the panel discussion was the structural barriers of banking.

 

Looking to alternative models for individual housing would open up opportunities for people who currently face barriers to obtaining loans or mortgages. “Other things that are needed to address this would be looking at CDFIs or community development; these are financial institutions that can help communities address these gaps […] So this model involves providing loans, training and technical assistance to resident organizations,” said Bealore. Community First Fund is a regional example of one of the community development financial institutions (CDFI) described by Bealore. CDFIs serve low-income communities and help them build capital and create affordable housing.

 

Organize

While affordable housing seems like an issue concerning physical space, it is about the people and community.

 

The UC Townhomes situation in West Philadelphia is a prime example of the community mobilizing to protect their homes and their neighborhood. “The first thing is what we’re doing now, which is expanding the conversation about housing and organizing ourselves and getting people who are like minded and see housing as a fundamental right to work together and organize,” said Sen. Parker. A broader example of organizing is the Philadelphia Tenants Union: an organization dedicated to empowering tenants and organizing against gentrification. Another great example of organizing is the Philadelphia Rent Control Coalition, which advocates for capping rental prices and increases.

 

Voting

The people hold power when it comes to voting. Now is a prime time to take advantage of democracy and elect city officials who will prioritize creating inclusive housing for the people of Philadelphia.

 

The upcoming Democratic primary for mayor is May 16, 2023. That primary will, presumably, pick the next mayor given the city’s current political composition. Each candidate is vested in obtaining the vote from the people of Philadelphia. Before casting your vote, research candidates’ positions on fair housing practices.”If developers have pieces that support certain candidates you’re going to want to be wary of that because you have to protect yourself. That’s where everything has to be rooted in protecting the vulnerable communities,” said Dr. G.S. Potter. Some candidates with connections to the real estate industry include “Condo King” Allen Domb and former state rep. Amen Brown. This mayoral race will be instrumental in determining the future of affordable housing in our city. Brown described it best when he said, “We need a city that is determined for us by people that are us. Also people that are principled may not look like us, but they’re principled enough to know that the way that we build this movement is through people power, and we have to cultivate that.

 

The problem of unaffordable housing is a complex one. To tackle the crisis, a multi-pronged approach – where all actors cooperate to make housing equitable for the people – would have to be adopted. A long-term solution would require a massive paradigm shift where we treat housing as a universal right. “For me, it comes back to do we want to keep continuing to work and maintain and exist in this broken system–a market-based system–that continues to produce discriminatory outcomes?” Said Bazile, “Or do we want to separate ourselves from it? Untangle ourselves from it, and remove ourselves from the speculative market. Create alternative models, public housing, community land trusts and cooperatives, again that increase governance and ownership or stewardship that allow for people to control their own self-determination, destiny and autonomy.

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Dylan Lewis (she/they) is an interdisciplinary artist and environmentalist from Philadelphia, PA. Her plays include small planet and the untitled missing museum play. She was a 2018 Delaware River Watershed fellow based out of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education and in undergrad worked as a program coordinator for The Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University. She is currently the project manager of ecoWURD at WURD Radio.