Over the last year in the Kensington neighborhood, at the epicenter of Philadelphia’s opioid crisis, elected officials cut funding for a syringe exchange, urged a landlord to stop renting space to a harm-reduction program, and advocated for restrictions on how and where medical providers operate. Amid intense debate during a new mayor’s first term, Kensington politicians have argued that some neighborhood programs for people with addiction are not “good neighbors” and place undue burdens on permanent residents.
Others providing services to people in addiction see a concerted effort to curtail their work, and say City Hall’s approach will only worsen the crisis and further harm the neighborhood, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Prevention Point, the Kensington-based public health organization, is in the crosshairs of the new restrictions. This summer, it lost about $1 million in city funding to provide sterile syringes. Recently, the city zoning board ruled that the nonprofit could host only one medical provider at a time at its Kensington offices, which would effectively change how it has long operated. Another harm-reduction group, Savage Sisters, is now operating from a van after losing its storefront in Kensington. This spring, City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, who represents parts of the neighborhood, urged a landlord not to renew the lease. Now the council is considering new limits on outreach operations that provide medical care and distribute supplies from vehicles. Providers who serve people with addiction, including Temple Health and Project HOME, utilize mobile clinics to reach people who wouldn’t otherwise seek medical care at a traditional doctor’s office. Mayor Cherelle Parker said she supports comprehensive public health strategies to address the overdose epidemic, and has committed $100 million toward a drug treatment center and shelter to be built near the city's jail complex.
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