City Council forms Special Committee on Poverty Reduction and Prevention

Posted by Philadelphia City Council on October 22, 2019

Despite a recent reduction in Philadelphia’s official poverty rate, the city continues to see the highest rate of concentrated poverty of any major U.S. city. Earlier this year, Council issued Narrowing the Gap, a report identifying strategies to alleviate poverty. Now, City Council has established a Special Committee on Poverty Reduction and Prevention to identify policy solutions to help lift 100,000 people out of poverty. The Special Committee’s first hearing, which took place at City Hall, featured testimony from a number of experts who research poverty and who provide direct services to people living below the poverty line. Each of the Committee’s Subcommittees will hold a hearing in a different neighborhood across the City. The Subcommittees are focused on housing, jobs and education, and the social safety net. The final recommendations should be released at a final hearing before the end of the year.

Read more about the Special Committee: http://phlcouncil.com/poverty/

Read the Narrowing the Gap report: http://phlcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/NarrowingTheGapReport.pdf