During each tax season, The Campaign for Working Families (CWF), a non-profit organization, operates free tax preparation sites around the city. On Jan. 30, CWF opened more such sites in West and Southwest Philadelphia for the 2024 tax season. Free services are available for low-to-moderate income individuals and families at the following locations:

CWFI Dornsife at Drexel University
3509 Spring Garden St.

Hours:
Mon-Fri 9am-3pm

CWFI Ebenezer Temple
5649 Christian St.

Hours:
Mon, Tues 12pm-6pm,
Wed, Thurs 10am-2pm,
Sat 9am-3pm

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Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has recently signed a law allowing the installation of automated speed cameras along State Route 13 in West and North Philadelphia, which includes Baltimore Avenue.

“This program is a key part of making Philadelphia safe for all citizens, whether they are traveling by foot, bike, public transportation, or car,” Mayor Parker said. “…Automated Speed Cameras work and they help save lives.”

The bill unanimously passed City Council on December 5, 2024.

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Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), chair of the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless, has introduced the second phase of her “Defying Displacement” campaign, which aims to preserve and create affordable housing.

This phase introduces a series of bills that focus on cutting red tape by speeding up the approval process for affordable housing developments and making it easier for homeowners to turn extra space into bonus units so that they can remain in their homes.

The city can speed up development and reduce costs by reviewing affordable housing quickly and efficiently, ultimately leading to lower prices for prospective tenants, according to a statement by Gauthier. It can take more than nine months and cost thousands of dollars to receive a zoning variance in the current variance process. Gauthier argues that this disproportionately impacts affordable housing because many developers interested in affordable housing rely on extra density to keep the price-per-unit low.

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Hakim’s Bookstore and its historical marker.

Visit Philadelphia has launched a new series celebrating generational Black-owned businesses ahead of Black History Month. A four-part video series, titled Legacy & Love, celebrates the contributions of Black-owned businesses in Philadelphia that have been passed down through generations or built as a tribute to loved ones. The series features two West Philadelphia-based businesses – Hakim’s Bookstore and Arterial Coffee.

The national theme for Black History Month, “African Americans and Labor,” is explored through the stories of four businesses that highlight the perseverance, legacy and entrepreneurial spirit within the city’s Black community. Here are more details about the West Philly-based businesses featured in the series:

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Community members are invited to participate in the Malcolm X Park playground redesign process and are welcome to attend a community meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

Funding, which will help bring improvements to this West Philadelphia park, was recently announced by Philadelphia Parks & Rec in collaboration with 3rd District Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s Office. Improvements include new benches, curb repairs, and a new playground. The first community meeting took place last month to kick off the redesign process.

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Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) is selling multiple properties on and near its University City campus (formerly University of the Sciences), after an unsuccessful bid to find a single buyer for the entire campus, according to reports.

Earlier this month, SJU put up for sale five properties, including the off-campus student housing building, Osol Hall, located at 510 S. 42nd Street. It has now added seven more campus buildings to this list, according to Philadelphia Business Journal, including the Athletic Recreation Center, the main parking lot and green area (the Quad), the Wilson Student Center, the Joseph England Library, Goodman, Hall and Alumni Hall. These properties have a combined assessed value of $58.45 million, according to Philadelphia tax records.

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