Experts: Poverty ranking may kick Phila. into gear

Philadelphia just got a major wake-up call: It was ranked the most impoverished of the nation's 10 largest cities.

But experts say the reaction to the news may give the city a needed boost out of bed.

In 2005, 24.5 percent of Philadelphians lived below the poverty line, compared to 13.3 percent of all Americans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey.

And while this information is not surprising, experts say they hope it will spring city institutions - especially universities like Penn - into action.

"People knew that Philly was among the poorest, but what this does is to make it inescapable," said Ira Harvaky, director of Penn's Center for Community Partnerships. "It's in your face."

But simply recognizing the problem is not enough, Harvaky said, adding that a strong Penn response is crucial to the future of the city and the University.

Urban poverty "should have an impact on the way universities function because very often the quality of a university is intertwined with its city," Harvaky said.

So what exactly should be done?

Harkavy said more partnerships between the city, aid organizations and universities are a solid first step.

Additionally, both Harkavy and City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, who represents Penn's district, said that existing Penn programs like the Sayre Beacon School and academically based community service courses must continue and intensify.

"There are many people who need all that students at Penn can give," Blackwell said.

And plans may soon form in city government to address the issue - though they are vague at the moment.

Blackwell said she thinks the survey will be mentioned in City Council soon after its new year begins on Thursday - a year that she said will include a strong anti-violence agenda.

"You solve problems by working on them," she said. "They don't go away, and they don't disappear by osmosis."

Blackwell added that she hopes the ranking will prompt the city to commit to job training and transitional housing programs for the homeless through the Philadelphia Housing Authority and local nonprofit groups.

Such nonprofit groups may actually have better luck getting funding now, given the city's newly demonstrated need.

Mary Mariner, director of grants and program management at the mayor's Office of Community Service, predicted that the data could turn heads at the state and federal level, where politicians might be unaware of the scope of the city's poverty. New information could attract federal money and prevent cuts to social services, she said.

But Beth Palubinsky, director of development for the Bethesda Project, a Philadelphia housing and support services nonprofit group, said that while census data are useful for grant applications, it does not affect her group's daily work because the organization is already acutely aware of the problem.

"We are every minute of every day painfully aware of how much poverty there is in this city," she said.

Still, aid groups may benefit from the survey in other ways. Because it provides annual statistics, the data should help aid organizations find emerging trends and need, said Sharon Stern, chief of the U.S. Census Bureau's Poverty and Health Statistics Branch.

Mariner says all Philadelphians can help by drawing attention to the poverty statistics.

"People should keep [information about poverty] on the forefront and let people know it really exists and not let it be a one-time shot in the newspaper or a one-time conversation," Mariner said. "People who are in poverty don't have a voice unless people like universities and public service agencies and politicians give them a voice."

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