Kensington Revival Plan

Started:

Progress Updates

(Impacto) In her 2025 State of the City address, Mayor Cherelle Parker highlighted her administration's progress on public safety, education, the environment and economic opportunity. 

Her highlights included: A decline in homicides and shootings, bringing Philadelphia close to a 50-year low; funding for before- and after-school programs that covers 40 public and charter schools through the Extended Day, Extended Year initiative; and city-wide cleaning efforts such as block cleanups, vacant lot maintenance, and expanded twice-a-week trash collection.

Parker also signed Executive Order No. 7-25, formally committing the City to ending street homelessness. The order directs the Office of Homeless Services to facilitate and financially support the operation of 1,000 new shelter beds by January 31, 2026. 

Not long after taking office in 2024, Mayor Parker walked the streets of Kensington, a neighborhood that has long suffered from crime, blight and open-air drug activity. The visit, which wasn't her last, was part of a broader Kensington Community Revival plan. Here are some of the steps Mayor Parker has taken related to the neighborhood thus far:

Related News

A mural in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood on April 12, 2025. Caroline Gutman for The Trace
Last year, Philadelphia’s record-breaking decline in shootings outpaced that of every other large U.S. city. That progress hasn’t slowed down violence...
external shot of Kensington Wellness Center (Phila Citizen)
The Philadelphia Citizen

Does The Kensington Wellness Court Work?

The $5.5 million pilot program is a key part of Mayor Parker’s plan to address the addiction and homelessness issues in the ravaged neighborhood. Nine...
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA downtown city skyline at dusk.

Solutions Progress Report

The Solutions Progress Report tracks updates on the key issues and initiatives of Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration.