Philadelphia businesses fear status quo after Kensington sweep
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The Parker administration wants to restore Kensington as a "beacon of hope." Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
In the back streets of Kensington, "Do not sit" signs are spray-painted on boarded-up buildings warning those seeking shelter they're not welcome.
The big picture: Roughly three weeks after Philadelphia police cleared an encampment in the neighborhood — the epicenter of the region's opioid crisis — Kensington is changing, but plagued by many of the same problems.
Catch up quick: The May 8 sweep, focusing on a stretch of Kensington Avenue between East Orleans Street and Allegheny Avenue, is part of Mayor Cherelle Parker's new multi-phase plan to shut down deeply entrenched open-air drug markets and address poverty and disinvestment.
- The city has estimated about 675 people are experiencing homelessness in Kensington. Under Parker's approach, the administration is working to expand shelter and addiction treatment options in the city.
Meanwhile, Parker has vowed to ramp up police operations targeting drug dealers and individuals openly injecting drugs.
By the numbers: Since May 8, police have made 102 drug and 17 other arrests for "quality-of-life" violations along Kensington Avenue, such as carrying open containers and disorderly conduct, per data shared with Axios.
- So far this year, drug arrests are up 6% across the city, compared to this period in 2023.
State of play: On a recent visit, parts of the avenue's main business corridor were mostly clear of people. Business owners and some residents tell Axios police have been maintaining a heavier presence, with officers patrolling via cruisers, bikes and on foot.
Yes, but, dozens of people are congregating on side streets — and under bridges and overpasses on the main drag — areas where they're less likely to attract attention.
- Some business owners say they've noticed that more people experiencing homelessness are settling in an area south of Allegheny Avenue; they've also seen little overall improvement to the area's conditions.
What they're saying: "[Police] clean up in the morning and people are back in the afternoon," says Harris Steinberg, who owns an auto shop in Kensington south of the area that was swept.
- Steinberg says he's seen "more of a surge" of people congregating by his business since the sweep. He's also recently caught people defecating and urinating in the shop's back parking lot.
Nearby, more than two dozen people were camped outside of Prevention Point, an organization that provides addiction treatment, shelter, clean syringes and other social services.
- Others took up residence under an overpass near Lehigh Avenue, outside McPherson Square Library, and on sidewalks along the main street.
One man experiencing homelessness tells Axios he spends most of his days finding new spots to hang out for a few minutes before police arrive and clear the area.
- "You can't get comfortable anywhere," he says. "They tell you to leave."
The Parker administration tells Axios it's committed to restoring Kensington as a "beacon of hope," but a city spokesperson says the transformation "won't happen overnight."
Rock Ministries' pastor Buddy Osborn, whose local faith-based organization helps connect people with services, urged people to be patient with Parker's plan.
- "I think there's hope. It's going to take a while."
What we're watching: The administration has pledged to keep the pressure up over the coming weeks with a multi-day arrest operation to include warrant sweeps — all to restore and sustain public spaces and businesses.