Philadelphia, PA – To transform Kensington, Philadelphia, four dedicated lawmakers have joined forces to address the pressing issues faced by this community. In a recent Fox 29 interview Kensington Caucus Councilmember Quetcy Lozada from the Seventh Council District, Councilmember Mike Driscoll from the Sixth Council District, Councilmember-at-large Jim Harrity, and Councilmember Mark Squilla from the 1st Council District lead the charge for change.
Councilmember Lozada highlighted, “I think for us, it was important to come up with ideas together, strategize, create policies. This has never happened before; legislators are coming together and agree to better improve the quality of life in Kensington.»
The Kensington Caucus, formed by these lawmakers, marks a historic collaboration. Councilmember Squilla emphasized the significance of working together, stating, «Council members work in silos. We thought, why not join forces and coordinate efforts to ensure we’re all on the same page in Kensington.»
Discussing the challenges faced by the community, Councilmember Harrity says, «There are 32,000 taxpayers, citizens that live here. They can’t leave their house. Kids, they’ve got to walk there. Addressing the issue of addiction, long-term recovery is the way, first off. And once they get recovery, a criminal record enhances their ability not to be able to get a job. The focus is on helping individuals reintegrate into society.”
For Councilmember Driscoll the priority is to put the community first. «Look, the status quo is not okay. A lot of people want everything to continue, like injection sites, but something else is going to work. The four of us have put our names on the Kensington Caucus and will be judged on what we do in the next three years. The status quo is not okay.»
Councilmember Harrity emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach: «We’re working with our state legislators right now. This is a collaborative effort.» The lawmakers are actively seeking funding to support six months of long-term care and treatment centers for those battling addiction. Everyone wants to see Kensington succeed.»
Councilmember Lozada addressed the misconception about the Kensington Caucus, clarifying that people tend to forget when they talk about the Kensington Caucus, they talk about just wanting to arrest people and put them away. That’s far from the truth. Their goal is to break up concentrations and connect people, and how to connect people with recovery programs, not merely resources to temporal measures. “Some people are living on the streets of Kensington, who are living in pain every single day. How do you think about prevention and recovery when you can’t even take the situation from your body and think that? You can’t take the eye of that person. And so, for us to get them to the step where they will be able to choose themselves again, we must do what we can to make them right physically.” Councilmember Lozada says.
As they embark on this path, the Kensington Caucus is backed by Mayor Parker’s administration. Councilmember Driscoll expressed confidence, stating, «United, we’ll make a difference there, and you will see a positive change. Mayor Parker made a promise during the campaign, and after she was elected, she kept that promise and hired Deputy Rosario to be the head of that mission. He is an expert in the field. With all of us working together, we will make a difference.»
This collaborative effort reflects a unified approach to tackling the multifaceted challenges the Kensington community faces, offering hope for many residents in the area. For the first time, you are going to see three branches of government working together: the legislative’ branch, the administrative, the judicial branch, and us.
With so many residents counting on their city to implement change, will the Kensington Caucus be able to meet the moment?
