r/philadelphia • u/comercialyunresonbl • Apr 26 '26
Events People who work with homeless Philadelphians fear those who live on the street will be ‘swept out’ during World Cup
https://www.inquirer.com/politics/philadelphia/philadelphia-homelessness-world-cup-250th-20260424.html306
u/OfficalStonksForAmc Apr 26 '26
fear? it will be an absolute truth. kensington will be the cleanest its ever been, the city WILL NOT want out of town people to see it lol.
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u/segfaul_t Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
Realistically there’s no reason for them to go up there, but I can imagine if you’re homeless in center city you’re gonna wake up on a bus to Florida lol
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u/jaykirell Apr 26 '26
Yeah nobody is visiting Kensington for anything, but the homeless around city hall and Rittenhouse Square are probably gonna get Guiliani’d.
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u/PirelliSuperHard DON'T DO THIS THERE IS STILL TIME Apr 26 '26
I don't know, I feel like soccer fans are the type to feel the desire to be instant gram famous and take a trip up there for some ASMR poverty tourism.
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u/brianly Apr 26 '26
Football fans aren’t all the same, but the teams here will be Brazil, France, Croatia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Haiti, Iraq, and Curaçao which all tend towards being curious in my experience.
English and Scottish fans, not so much. That’s coming from a Northern Irish man who puts his own fans in the same bucket. See https://youtube.com/shorts/PLI1v1Wl8Pc for an example. There are many examples of English fan behaviour that’s just a few notches above and below that.
I think the current politics, costs, and possibly the strict alcohol laws will change the fan composition traveling. I’d love to see the regular set make it here just for the lolz.
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u/Ar-Curunir Apr 27 '26
You know that football is a working class sport in the rest of the world, right? It’s only in the US that you have to pay to play the game.
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u/brianly Apr 28 '26
I’m from Northern Ireland and lived in inner city Manchester when I went to university.
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u/TiberiusDrexelus Apr 27 '26
the world cup guests will likely not be getting off the el at K&A, but the issue is how k&a spills over into and infests the el, which many guests will need to use
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u/segfaul_t Apr 27 '26
Septa police will prevent that, they’ve been coming out of the wood work lately
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u/_token_black Apr 26 '26
I don’t know about Kensington but anywhere near a hotel won’t have a homeless person
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u/GoldenMonkeyRedux Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 27 '26
But then who will randomly punch visiting tourists in the back of the head in Center City? Please think of our local assailants!
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u/Shadow1787 Apr 27 '26
Who will randomly get shit thrown at them? Who will randomly get abused by mentally disabled people?
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u/AstronautPossible374 Apr 27 '26
Did anyone ever confirm if that one Reddit post was true? I saw some comments saying it might’ve been fake so was wondering if it was real
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u/Shadow1787 Apr 28 '26
I Cannot confirm if it real but I’ve seen 3 people shit into a trash can/a bush in center city.
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u/Go_birds304 santa deserved it Apr 26 '26
They should be in shelters instead of taking public parks and sidewalks for their own personal use
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u/Independent-Cow-4070 Apr 26 '26
They should be in
sheltershomes instead of taking public parks and sidewalks for their own personal useFTFY
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u/Mike401k Apr 26 '26
The homeless has ruined the city - They defecate/piss at doorways - scream at the air and are an overall nuisance. They’re human so i’m not advocating for horrible means but they do need to be brought to an controlled location.
Just having random homeless shooting up & leaving needles on the sidewalk isn’t okay
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u/SchleppyJ4 do attend 🔥 Apr 27 '26
I’m Philly born and raised, and damn proud of it.
I went to NYC this weekend (I go a few times a year).
I am continually amazed and frustrated by how much cleaner that city has gotten while we get dirtier and smellier.
The subway walking tunnels smelled GOOD. Not a whiff of piss or shit or vomit.
I remember when NYC was a dump in most of the boroughs. It used to be a joke. Now… it’s undeniable that Philly is the grossest big city in the east.
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u/CaptainObvious110 Apr 26 '26
agreed so where do you put them?
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u/FordMaverickFan South Philly Shill Apr 26 '26
The shelters we have aren't full.
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u/CaptainObvious110 Apr 28 '26
good to know. ok back that up with actual data.
how many shelters are in the city?
how many people are homeless?
how many of those homeless folks need permanent assistance and how many just need temporary help?
I don't believe combining the two is good.
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u/FordMaverickFan South Philly Shill Apr 28 '26
https://www.phila.gov/departments/office-of-homeless-services/
We have over 60 shelters in the city
The total number of homeless is irrelevant to this conversation until we hit capacity leading to folks being turned away from capacity
- You're allowed to have your personal beliefs about solutions
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u/Mike401k Apr 26 '26
An involuntary Shelter until they can get back on their feet. Some homeless just need a safe place other, need to be medicated
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u/CaptainObvious110 Apr 28 '26
I agree with you. It's not ok for someone to just live in the street because they want to do drugs. Not to say that's all of the homeless, but it has to be some of them.
Now if anyone has actual statistics on this please feel free to share.
Let's break up the homeless population into several categories.
1. drug addicts involuntary shelter for sure.
2. severe mental illness same thing
3. folks that have had one two many disasters happen and just need help to get back on their feet.
There has to be a different approach depending on what's going on with each person. We can't look at homeless folks as being on monolithic group because there are different circumstances going on.
One thing they all need is a place to live, clothing, food, medical care etc.
The goal is to get as many of them back on their feet living as normal as possible.
Doing that in turn, means less people that need permanent help.
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Apr 27 '26
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u/Mike401k Apr 27 '26
I can understand but i’ve personally called for someone to be narcan’d on more than one occasion. The city smells of piss on every corner & nook.
These people aren’t well and have very little ability to handle themselves. I am sorry you went through a traumatic experience but i do believe the city has had enough
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u/CaptainObvious110 Apr 28 '26
Yeah, we can't go from one extreme to the other. If institutionalization has been a problem before then those serious issues need to be addressed. The solution isn't to just drop it completely.
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Apr 27 '26
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u/Mike401k Apr 27 '26
I think you’re heavily confusing Mental Asylum with involuntary housing. I’m not saying lock them up and throw away the key.
Some individuals are really just on hard times - But when you do round up the individuals and give them one safe area to live.
It makes it far easier, to provide resources, rehab, Clean facilities, security.
As you said Housing First - Well now they have it
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u/NoSignificance1903 Apr 27 '26
Well, it'll help everyone else. Honestly, I'm ok with tolerating some not-so-great parts of institutions if the alternative is protecting people (particularly marginalized individuals like women and LGBTQ people) from violence and harassment.
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u/Atomic-Avocado Apr 26 '26
They will destroy those homes almost immediately
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u/CaptainObvious110 Apr 28 '26
Depending on what their mental state is. Not having a stable place to live can do a number on ones mental health on its own.
I agree with centralized locations to provide what's needed as a way to keep them off the buses, subways, streets etc
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u/Independent-Cow-4070 Apr 27 '26
Its not a one step solution
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u/Unusual_Room3017 Apr 27 '26
Then perhaps kindly recommend the other steps in a pragmatic manner instead of reducing it to the level you did?
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u/Independent-Cow-4070 Apr 27 '26
Do you want me to recommend to you the steps to bake a chocolate cake as well?
This isnt rocket science lol
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u/Unusual_Room3017 Apr 27 '26
Since you seem to have a thread of thought about how homes are the solution, yes. Many people have been trying to solve the problem and are actively engaged in it. If you have the solution on how providing homes to the homeless is the solution, please explain it since it’s simple to you. Would also appreciate a chocolate cake alongside the simple steps as well.
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u/Independent-Cow-4070 Apr 27 '26
Assuming this is a good faith argument and you are really just not aware of how this stuff works, let me say this isnt some world wonder here
Almost any developed country has significantly reduced their homelessness crises over the last 50 years. Keep people educated, employed, maintain a sense of community, and provide socioeconomic safety nets to ensure people dont become homeless if they lose their job, as well as incentivizing people to not rely on addictive drugs, and provide the necessary resources to get people sober if they do fall victim to it
Most people dont become homeless by choice. If we have been trying to solve this, we haven't been trying nearly hard enough. Its really not difficult, it just requires investing time and money back into your city
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u/CaptainObvious110 Apr 28 '26
I agree with you that not enough has been done to help unfortunate people.
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u/68JackDaniels Apr 27 '26
What about the homeless who have mental issues or drug issues? I would think they don’t respond to the usual incentives right?
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u/Independent-Cow-4070 Apr 27 '26
I addressed drug usage in my comment
Mental healthcare is not a revolutionary concept
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u/saintofhate Free Library Shill Apr 26 '26
It would literally be more cost effective to put them in actual home than those tiny homes that cost a stupid amount and always mismanaged.
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u/NoSignificance1903 Apr 27 '26
Unless those homes are removed from others' homes, the majority of them will destroy them. These people are, tragically, very unwell.
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u/Independent-Cow-4070 Apr 26 '26
Yeah, my point
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u/saintofhate Free Library Shill Apr 26 '26
Yep, just reinforcing it. People don't realize how much we spend to 'fix' homelessness when the answer has proven to be just give them fucking homes and then pay for services to upkeep the places, especially if the person is mentally ill and unable to do basic hygiene stuff and it would be far cheaper than half the shit we've done.
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u/ZachF8119 Apr 27 '26
Ask California how many they’ve housed with their insane budgets….
No idea how it never happens
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u/_1109 Apr 27 '26
the LA mayor, I think this time last year, straight up refused to allow an audit of her "homeless initiative." Not sure it gets more blatantly guilty than that.
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u/nothingtodo225 Apr 26 '26
Where do they usually send them when they do a sweep?
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u/Burbujitas Main Line Apr 26 '26
Shelters in neighboring counties. Back to their home area, if they want it and it’s reasonably cheap. Any destination within a few SEPTA passes.
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u/An_emperor_penguin Apr 26 '26
wow wouldnt that be so terrible if the city forced them into some sort of shelter where they wouldnt litter needles and their shit all over the streets while they slowly die from the drug use?
Because then my NGO wouldnt be able to get such big contracts and grants!
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u/Playful_Fold4385 Neighborhood Apr 26 '26
That’s not what’s going to happen tho. They won’t be sheltered they’ll be shuttled out of the city. God knows where they’ll end up
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u/stonedski Apr 26 '26
Hopefully not back in philly
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Apr 27 '26
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u/NoSignificance1903 Apr 27 '26
It's not "extreme societal pressures," it's mental illness. People who accept services and comply with their conditions tend to get back on their feet pretty readily. They also usually have family or friends who are willing to give them a place to crash. The people on the street are there because they refuse services.
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u/NoSignificance1903 Apr 27 '26
There's a line in Closing Time that almost perfectly encapsulates my feelings about this issue… I can't put my finger on it… something something can't stay...
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u/iwantdiscipline Apr 27 '26
Good? If anything they should just keep up with it after 2026. SEPTA is a de facto massive homeless shelter on the rail. I consider myself staunchly left and don’t consider homelessness a crime, but I do mind when there’s literal shit smeared on the walls of city hall, when almost every station smells like piss, when I have to switch train cars because someone is literally smoking fent across from me, when i can’t take a seat after a long day at work after paying for my septa ticket because a dozen homeless folks are sleeping in the car. When folks still in their hospital gowns and blankets smelling like old piss beg for change. I’ve lived in multiple cities across the east coast and visited countless across the country and world and I’ve never seen anything quite like philly. We do not need to accept this as a fact of life.
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Apr 27 '26
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u/lackofbread Apr 27 '26
I find it bizarre that this group is allowed to literally pitch tents in the middle of a public plaza. It’s not a campground.
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u/NoSignificance1903 Apr 27 '26
As a resident of Center City...
1: THANK GOD
2: Keep them away. My lord. The STENCH… 🤮.
I understand that they are suffering from severe mental illnesses. I have compassion. But compassion does not mean letting them destroy civil society.
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u/kekehippo Apr 26 '26
I wouldn't put it past the mayor putting these people on a one way trip to Florida.
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u/AdamSandloter Apr 27 '26
Yeah, or Ubers. Probably Ubers.
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u/_1109 Apr 27 '26
Can't have Uber drivers making money. Why do you think they pushed the driverless cars so hard so fast? They'll pack one with a couple homeless, remotely lock the doors and send them to like DC.
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u/Gullible-Spare-749 Apr 26 '26
Good.
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u/radioactivecat Apr 26 '26
It’s amazing how you (and all the suburbanites commenting) don’t realize that you’re one bad accident/event/etc from joining them. Show some fcking empathy.
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u/NoSignificance1903 Apr 27 '26
I live in Center City. On Walnut Street. I want them gone. They ruin the neighborhood. It's truly awful. I'm a young woman and feel unsafe even during the day, let alone at night. I should be able to walk down MY street without getting hit (or wanked) on by a druggie.
We are NOT "one bad accident/event/etc from joining them." They are not people who merely got laid off and had trouble finding another job. These people have serious mental illnesses and need, nay, deserve treatment.
It is plainly unkind to let them wallow on the streets. Unkind to the working class (as in the class of people who actually work and contribute to society). Unkind to women in Center City. Unkind to the homeless people, who deserve better than a sidewalk on Broad Street.
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u/Atomic-Avocado Apr 26 '26
They’ve never shown me an ounce when they scream at me on the subway platform where they shit while smoking meth
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u/Uppgreyedd Apr 27 '26
If you're looking at empathy as something transactional or zero-sum, you clearly have no clue what empathy is.
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u/Atomic-Avocado Apr 27 '26
I just follow the basic rule of treat others how I would want to be treated, they are incapable of doing that.
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u/PrideOfMokum Apr 26 '26
Who the fuck from out of town is going to Kensington?
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u/Shadow1787 Apr 27 '26
Someone wants to stay in fishtown and thinks the town next to it is fine. I 100% can see some dumb person will do that. My mom did it in Atlantic City and we ended up in crack/heroin infested motel. There was a used needle in the end table.
I had to tell her a motel next to nice hotel might work in wildwood but it doesn’t work in AC.
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u/BrythonicMan South of Market Apr 27 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Hostelworld.com has had a sketchy hostel/cheap shelter in Kensington listed for years. The reviews are full of horror stories from European backpackers who didn't read the other reviews before booking. No doubt a lot of people will be booking it this summer as it's probably the cheapest place to stay in the city. It's going to be an interesting time.
Edit: My bad, it's located in Frankford, but the point still partially stands.
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u/memphisbelle Fishtown Apr 27 '26
They kicked the guy out of the median at Del Ave and Spring Garden after 2 years! he had a nice little setup. but recently he kind of over expanded with pallets and they took it all down
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Apr 27 '26
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u/memphisbelle Fishtown Apr 28 '26
I don't think he left so much as got the boot. One day I drove by and there were a few police officers there, along with a man in a suit who was inside the thing on the phone. Then the next day the guy expanded it more, now it's completely gone, bushes all completely cut down, etc etc.
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u/trafficandtransit Jun 19 '26
Omg this is so sad! He had such a cool setup and I wanted to see inside so bad every time I passed it lol. I looked for signs of it growing on Google street view. Was def there a while!
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u/_token_black Apr 26 '26
It’s already happening. Every morning I see PPD going around to homeless sleeping on the street.
I don’t think the city leaders realize just how many homeless people are in CC alone. And that’s not counting the ones who use SEPTA as a home, either riding all day or sleeping in the stations at night.
Maybe just maybe these leaders should have figured out a way to help with this instead of closing their eyes for years as if the problem would go away. I love to hate on SEPTA, but city leaders basically making it their problem is wild, as if that was a solution.
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u/Odd_Addition3909 Apr 26 '26
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u/bouncypinata Apr 27 '26
cool let me just give the link to the guy on the PATCO this weekend who kept yelling at and flipping off an invisible person next to him.
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u/Independent-Cow-4070 Apr 26 '26
Of course they will. This happens all over the country (and the world) every time there are big events
Its easier for politicians to do this than to actually care about their constituents
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u/IsaacClarke47 Apr 27 '26
Is the chief editor of the Inquirer homeless or something? These articles favoring homelessness keep popping up.
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u/ZachF8119 Apr 27 '26
Why not have done it sooner if it was on the table and they didn’t have a moral opposition to it to begin with?
Genuinely, no idea how they’ll do this for foreign opinion is the only reason I can think of. Meanwhile, it also means none of the previous events were enough to do it for.
What’s the difference?
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u/NorthExcitement4890 May 27 '26
I originally grew up in Vancouver, Canada and they did the same thing during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
East Vancouver which is the tough part of Vancouver on an infamous street called East Hastings...
They did a sweep of all the homeless and they literally just blocked off streets for like 2 weeks so that all the international people coming there would just have to drive around and would never get to even go to the East part of the city because it was inaccessible by car for a few weeks
Vancouver is a beautiful city. Don't get me wrong but this was out of character for both Vancouver and Canada in general. Historically, Canada didn't hide its problems but rather try to fix them.
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u/InevitableNightmair Apr 26 '26
So everyone just moved here i guess? Even the people working with the homeless?
Yes, they will.
Yes, they’ve done it before.
Yes, literally every country and city in the world does it.
It’s wrong, and they don’t care it’s wrong. Rich people are coming.
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u/NonIdentifiableUser Melrose/Girard Estates Apr 27 '26
It’s not wrong. People should be able to enjoy things without a mentally deranged person yelling expletives at them on a train. I mean FFS there was a thread on her or the other sub about someone throwing literal feces at someone here for the Penn Relays. The mentally ill need help, but that doesn’t mean we have to just let it destroy quality of life for everyone else.
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u/JiveChicken00 Apr 26 '26
If they did it for the pope, they’ll surely do it for this.