PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Council is planning to set aside $500,000 to relocate people that feel directly threatened by violence in their neighborhoods.
The money is included in the mid-year budget reshuffling known as the “transfer ordinance,” at the request of Councilmembers David Oh and Maria Quinones Sanchez.
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They point to the recent arson at the home of a community activist in Kensington, and threats to mothers of children who’ve cooperated in homicide investigations, to show the need to relocate some residents for their safety.
The transfer ordinance also includes an additional $12 million for prisons, $4 million for police and $5 million for the fire department.
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Council President Darrell Clarke says the increased funding will cover spending during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We had a significant number of employees in those particular departments that contracted COVID, which required overtime by current staffers," said Clarke.
The bill must still go through the hearing process, which had not been scheduled as of late Friday afternoon.
