Philadelphia, PA – Housing advocates have revealed that they’ve facilitated moving previously-unhoused city residents into “vacant, viable” homes in North Philly owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). According to those who are helping families move in, a large number of usable residences are being intentionally left vacant by the PHA so that they can be sold to developers.

The process of finding empty PHA-owned homes, fixing them up, and helping to move people in is a collaboration between ‘Occupy PHA’ and the Revolutionary Workers Collective.

The ‘move-in’ process began during the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, but now has a sense of added urgency against the backdrop of nationwide unrest and struggles for justice during uprisings after the police murder of George Floyd in May.

Watch our live stream below:

Jennifer Bennetch, who is making today’s announcement revealing the multiple occupations of city-owned homes, previously undertook an extended protest vigil outside PHA’s headquarters under the banner of ‘Occupy PHA’ in 2019.

Unicorn Riot also recently streamed a press conference from a homeless encampment on the Ben Franklin parkway near Center City, Philadelphia. Bennetch and others are working to support Philadelphia residents who self-organized the parkway camp via the Revolutionary Workers Collective.

See the stream from June 17 below:

Stay tuned for more reporting from Unicorn Riot regarding the housing crisis in Philadelphia.

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