City of Philadelphia - File #: 120285

• File #: 120285
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 4/12/2012
• In control: Committee on Public Health and Human Services
• Title: Authorizing the joint committees on Public Health and Human Services and Housing Neighborhood Development and the Homeless to examine the progress anti-poverty organizations and agencies such as the Mayor's Office of Community Services are making in the alleviation of poverty in the City of Philadelphia and, in furtherance of such investigation, authorizing the issuance of subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under Section 2-401 of the Home Rule Charter.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Henon, Councilmember Blackwell, Council President Clarke, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember Green

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
4/19/2012	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED & REFERRED
4/12/2012	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed On Next Week's Final Passage Calendar	Pass

Title
Authorizing the joint committees on Public Health and Human Services and Housing Neighborhood Development and the Homeless to examine the progress anti-poverty organizations and agencies such as the Mayor's Office of Community Services are making in the alleviation of poverty in the City of Philadelphia and, in furtherance of such investigation, authorizing the issuance of subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under Section 2-401 of the Home Rule Charter.
Body
WHEREAS, In the 1960's, poverty threatened to ravish the nation. A federal mandate was passed in 1964 to fight the war against poverty. As a result, the Mayor's Office of Community Services (MOCS) was established; and
WHEREAS, For over 45 years, the Mayor's Office of Community Services (MOCS) has been working to combat poverty in our City, help Philadelphia's low-income residents realize economic security, and move into the middle class; and
WHEREAS, With more Philadelphians struggling to find work, make ends meet, and provide for their families, MOCS needs to play a critical role in not only providing a safety net for families across the City, but in stabilizing communities and keeping our neighborhoods safe and vibrant; and
WHEREAS, According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the City's unemployment rate as of January 2012 was 10.7% and since January 2007 the average unemployment has been 8.9%; and
WHEREAS, According to data collected by the Philadelphia Research Initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts, the poverty rate shows no sign of declining and in over half of Philadelphia's neighborhoods, the poverty rate is at least 20 percent; and
WHEREAS, Unemployment for Philadelphia's youth aged 18 to 24 is 19.4 %, almost double the overall unemployment rate in the City. Furthermore, since 2010, just 54% of young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have been employed, the lowest since 1948, when the government...