WHEREAS, Regulation 769785 stipulates that public feedings will not be permitted in any public park within the City of Philadelphia, regardless of its affiliation with the Fairmount Parks System; and
WHEREAS, It has been suggested that the Regulation is intended to target Philadelphia's adult population that is homeless, but could have a negative impact on children, the disabled, and veterans; and
WHEREAS, No statistical data has been provided to support the necessity of such a Regulation; and
WHEREAS, Between 2009 and 2012, flexible human service dollars to support a variety of health and social services have been cut fifty-seven percent and state dollars used to purchase food for the hungry were reduced by thirteen percent; and
WHEREAS, The Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's projected budget for 2013 proposes an additional forty-one million dollars in cuts to social service funding; and
WHEREAS, On Tuesday, March 20, 2012, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity testified before the Committee on Public Health that as a result of the proposed state budget cuts, the City will expect to see an increase in the population that is homeless, including individuals and families and those living on the streets; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia students, such as those that attend Veronica Joyner's Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School of Philadelphia, learn core values, civic engagement, compassion and tolerance through feeding individuals and families who are homeless, will be inadvertently negatively impacted by the implementation of Regulation 769785; and
WHEREAS, Many organizations, including, but not limited to schools, religious groups, and community groups that participate in feeding those that are homeless as part of their mission will be severely adversely effected by the implementation of Regulation 769785; and
WHEREAS, Those who currently benefit from public feedings for the basic necessity of food will inadvertently place an increased strain on our City's hospitals, healthcare practitioners, and shelters, whose funding is already being cut; and
WHEREAS, Neither the Department of Parks and Recreation nor the Mayor's Administration has provided any viable alternatives for those who regularly benefit from public feedings in the City's parks; and
WHEREAS, It is of great concern that Parks and Recreation's Regulation 769785, as it pertains to public feedings will have a severe negative impact on individuals and families that are homeless, service providers, other at-risk populations and on the City as a whole; now therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL, Calls for the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless hold hearings to investigate the impact of Parks and Recreation's Regulation 769785 as it pertains to public feedings in Philadelphia.
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