IRS Releases Tool to Help Non-Filers Access Economic Impact Payments
The IRS released a new tool to allow non-filers to register to receive their Economic Impact Payments. This tool is strictly for individuals who do not make enough to file (not people who have not filed but are planning to file). Access the tool at the link below:
https://www.freefilefillableforms.com/#/fd/EconomicImpactPayment
To view the full press release, please see the link below:
Get help resolving COVID-19 related rental issues with a virtual mediation session!
Good Shepherd Mediation Program, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia, is offering virtual landlord-tenant mediation sessions to help Philadelphia landlords and tenants resolve issues related to COVID-19 disruptions or other challenges. Anyone interested in scheduling a session with a neutral, third party mediator should contact Good Shepherd Mediation Program directly. Please have the contact information for both parties (landlord and tenant) available before speaking with the intake staff. See the links below for more information:
Good Shepherd Mediation Program: Virtual Landlord-Tenant Mediation Flyer
http://www.sharedprosperityphila.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/philarentersandlandlords.pdf
For more information about mediation, follow the link below
http://www.sharedprosperityphila.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LLTMediation_detail.pdf
CEO is seeking consulting services for a public education campaign on eviction prevention
The City of Philadelphia, Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) is seeking proposals from qualified and experienced firms to support the implementation of a public education campaign to increase awareness of the problems of eviction and sub-standard housing, as well as the resources available to help tenants and landlords. In 2017, Mayor Jim Kenney convened a cross-sector Task Force on Eviction Prevention and Response, which spent a year analyzing the causes, scale, and impact of evictions in Philadelphia and developing a plan of action. Launching a public education campaign about eviction and safe, habitable housing is a key strategy that arose during the taskforce’s term. The consultant selected through this request for proposals (RFP) process will be expected to provide the following services during the project period: market research, strategic communications planning, and graphic design. Additional details about the project’s scope of work, expected outcomes, proposal submission requirements, and the consultant selection process are provided in the Request for Proposals, which can be downloaded at the link below.
The deadline for submission of proposals is Monday, November 18, 2019, 5:00 pm.
Click HERE to download Public Education Campaign RFP.
CEO releases a new strategic framework for 2020-2024
CEO is releasing a new strategic framework to guide its activities, programs, and investments over the next five years. The plan calls for CEO to provide leadership on issues of economic justice by advancing racial equity and economic inclusion. It describes how CEO can be most effective in promoting economic mobility out of poverty, given the current economic context and Mayor Kenney’s inclusive growth agenda, which recognizes that all City Departments share a role in the work of equitable economic development and poverty alleviation. The strategic framework can be downloaded at the link below.
Click link to download: CEO Strategic Framework
CEO issues RFP to Train Peer Advocates for Landlord-Tenant Mediation
The Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) seeks proposals from qualified organizations for professional services in support of a Community Based Landlord-Tenant Mediation Pilot Program, which will prevent eviction and promote long-term, stable tenancies via mediation, financial assistance, information, and referrals. The contractor selected through this RFP will be responsible for recruiting and training volunteer tenant advocates, who will coach tenants prior to, or during, landlord-tenant mediation sessions.
The RFP can be downloaded at the link provided below. CEO’s responses to questions submitted by prospective applicants will be available at the second link provided below. The deadline for responses is Friday, August 23, 2019, 5:00 pm.
Link to download RFP: Tenant-Advocates Training RFP
Link to Questions and Answers: (forthcoming)
Contracting Opportunity – Surveyor and Data Analyst for Community Needs Assessment
The Philadelphia Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to provide consulting services in support of the development of a community needs assessment (CNA). The selected firm will be expected to: (1) administer 1,000 to 1,500 surveys to collect information from Philadelphia residents on community needs, targeting specific geographic areas and populations; (2) compile data collected through the survey and transmit to CEO in an agreed upon file format; (3) analyze survey data and prepare a report summarizing key findings.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) provides detail on the services solicited under this contracting opportunity as well as submission requirements. The RFP can be downloaded at the link provided below. CEO’s responses to questions submitted by prospective applicants will be available at the second link provided below. The deadline for responses is Monday, August 19, 2019, 5:00 pm.
Link to download RFP: CEO Survey-Data Analysis RFP FINAL
Link to Questions and Answers: (forthcoming)
CEO issues RFP for Landlord-Tenant Mediation Pilot Program
The City of Philadelphia, Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) is seeking proposals from qualified firms and organizations to operate a landlord-tenant mediation pilot program. In August 2019, CEO will launch a Community-Based Pre-Filing Mediation Pilot Program (“mediation pilot”) to prevent eviction and promote long-term, stable tenancies via mediation, financial assistance, information, and referrals. The RFP can be downloaded at the link provided below. CEO’s responses to questions submitted by prospective applicants will be available at the second link provided below. The deadline for responses is Friday, August 16, 2019, 5:00 pm.
Link to download RFP: Pre-Filing Mediation Pilot RFP
Link to Questions and Answers: Q&A
July 2019 Roundtable: Barriers to Re-Entry — Fines, Fees and the Criminalization of Poverty
Fines and fees imposed by the criminal justice system can be a huge burden on low-income individuals and families. That was the focus of Barriers to Re-entry: Fines, Fees, and the Criminalization of Poverty, the most recent event in our Economic Mobility: Earn, Keep, Grow series. Held on July 19 and sponsored by CEO and Penn Law, the conversation featured Sharon Dietrich, an attorney at Community Legal Services; Mary Catherine Roper, the Deputy Legal Director at the ACLU of Pennsylvania; Lisa Foster and Joanna Weiss, the co-Directors of the Fines and Fees Justice Center, and Malik Bandy who talked about his own experience with these fines and fees.
To download the presentations shared at this event, follow the link below:
July 19, 2019 Roundtable Presentations
CEO receives AARP Livable Cities Grant for Eviction Prevention Work
We are very pleased to share that we are one of the 159 awardees of the 2019 AARP Community Challenge Grant program from @AARPLivable and AARP! The awardees of this “quick action” grant program come from every state Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Through this grant CEO and partners on the Housing Security Working Group will launch a landlord-tenant mediation program that will utilize third-party mediation, financial assistance, information, and referrals to:
- reach mutually agreeable solutions in landlord-tenant disputes,
- reduce eviction and displacement, and
- foster vibrant, inclusive communities for residents of all income levels.
To find out more about the program and the other grantees check out www.aarp.org/CommunityChallenge.
Hire Hahnemann Job Fair – July 25th!
Philadelphia Works Inc. is hosting a job fair for workers who are impacted by the planned closures of Hahnemann Hospital and the Sunoco Refinery. Details are provided below:
- Date: Thursday, July 25, 2019
- Location: Pennsylvania Convention Center – Philadelphia, 1101 Arch Street, Ballroom B, Philadelphia, PA 19107
- Doors Open (Public): 1:00 PM
- End Time: 6:00 PM
Click HERE to download a flyer with more details
Click HERE to register for the job fair