Resolution 010562

..Title Authorizing the Committee of the Whole to conduct hearings to examine why Philadelphia continues to lose population, and to examine possible courses of action to reverse that trend, including a Neighborhood Transformation Initiative focusing on blight removal, improvements to City schools, job development, anti-crime initiatives, or other measures. ..Body WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia continues to lose population, with the 2000 Census showing the City's population at 1,517,550; and WHEREAS, Philadelphia's future depends upon the creation of a city in which people will want to continue to live and work, a city which will educate and provide employment opportunities for our children, and which will encourage the influx of new residents; and WHEREAS, Philadelphia's failure to keep its population is the result of many factors, only one of which, neighborhood blight, is the focus of the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative proposed by the Mayor. Other reasons include the state of the City's schools, lack of job opportunities; and the level of crime in the City; and WHEREAS, Given limited resources, it is not possible for the City government to address all the reasons for population loss in the City. Therefore, it is appropriate for City Council to examine the various reasons for population loss to determine priorities and where limited resources may best be spent; now, therefore, RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Committee of the Whole is authorized to hold hearings to examine why Philadelphia continues to lose population, and to examine possible courses of action to reverse that trend, including a Neighborhood Transformation Initiative focusing on blight removal, improvements to City schools, job development, anti-crime initiatives, and other measures. ..End