Philadelphia City Council Passes New Budget With $155 Million For Violence Prevention
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia has passed a new budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The $5.2 billion budget puts additional funds toward anti-violence initiatives.
It includes $155 million for violence prevention, including jobs initiatives.
The budget includes $400 million for neighborhood preservation and $20 million for poverty reduction. $2 million will go to operate a Citizens Police Oversight Commission.
The new budget also adds millions for behavioral health mobile crisis units.
City Council President Darrell Clarke said that it will be directing some of the anti-violence money to community organizations.
"We found that a lot of organizations are doing great work getting no support from the city, literally working out of their basements. We have to give those people resources because they genuinely have connections with individuals on the ground.
About $50 million will be going to community organizations to fight violence.
City Council also overwhelmingly approved a bill today to preserve homes in an area known as "Black Doctors Row."
The bill prevents any homes on a stretch of Christian Street from Broad to 20th Streets from being demolished for one year. The street was home to many prominent African-American Philadelphians starting in the late 19th century.
Supporters hope to ultimately have the street named a historic district.