to bring in conflict resolution specialists. There'll be mobile therapy, job readiness. We need
to prepare our children so home economics will be something that they will learn. Our transfer
receptacles will be stored in the back. We'll also have our children learn how to recycle and let them
know how important it is to keep up the beautification of the home inside and out and I
believe that also connecting with our community police officers they will also bring much needed
light to to the block because our goal is to have them always remember to check up on us
and stay in contact so that they understand we need them and they need us bringing a much needed
resource to our community. And I just know that if people are part of the solution, they're helping
with the problem. Our tribe is here and they are ready. We have Melissa Diggs, who has been the
director of care, who is a director of care management, an education consultant, a former
core supervisor for over eight years, and a former foster parent program director. Dr. Willie Cannon
Brown will offer therapeutic services. She will also bring in people who offer breathing
specialists and conflict resolution. Alexis Brown, a Temple graduate, will be a nutritionist and
life skills development. And we have Mr. Charles Austin, who will enrich the children's with
career development, culture arts coordination, and offer financial consultant to help us.
that was my presentation
there and just to
shape that our
Ms. Brown do you have pictures of
your property? Yes I do
Can you show the photos please?
Yes I will right now
Hopefully
am I still sharing?
You're sharing but we see your
original presentation. Okay let
me see if I can
Okay close that
Did I stop?
did i stop sharing i'm sorry okay i'm back you did you did all right now i'm here
so this is the exterior of the property
with dimensions listed is a four bedroom one and a half bath
these are the bedrooms the most that we would like to do is cosmetics
there are no leaks in the property their roof had been repaired so there was some staining to
the drop ceiling which we want to replace
one of the rooms which is a smaller room was served as a quiet area for young people they
may just want some time to their self outside of the bedroom they can go into the quiet area
where we would advocate for some, excuse me,
we would like them to practice their breathing skills
or writing, journaling, or arts there.
This is a downstairs area of the home.
This is also the downstairs powder room,
the kitchen, the upstairs bathroom, and the hallway.
will there be any um usage in the basement no absolutely no use in the basement
besides anything that would need to be stored in the house maybe if it's a can of paint or
christmas decoration so something of that nature but nothing
no use for um the youth would not have access to the basement
questions from the board
yes um question uh washer and dryer is there yes in the back shed there's a washer and dryer i'm
sorry i do not have a picture that behind the kitchen there's a back shed with a washer and
dryer there on site yes it will be functional washer and dryer at all times all right and then
upstairs there's one bathroom one bathroom yes okay four bedrooms one bathroom one and a half
yes oh one and a half yes that's upstairs one bathroom upstairs and one downstairs
no just just upstairs so upstairs there are the four bedrooms and one bath yes ma'am yes okay
your intention to have co-ed no no the intention is to have females
yes how many youth are you planning to host in the group home at one time
And then how is it staffed?
So it's a maximum of six, one to six youth.
It is 24-hour staff.
The other staff that will come in
will come in based off of how we rotate the program.
All of our youth will, of course, have to attend school.
And again, with that age, if they're 17, 18,
and they're working, they may be excused
for some of the programs that will happen in the house,
but there is 24-hour supervision for the home.
and because the number is low there's only six there will always be one staff member on at all
times the ratios for one to six so the way this works the youth are in the bedrooms there's no
staff that permanently lives at the property they're just work they're on shifts they're working
yes yeah and is there a space for the staff in the in the property like they have a office or
any type of secured location that the youth don't have access to so the downstairs that was the
conversation we had like as far as if they're the downstairs we have locked file cabinets that will
come into place and the downstairs area will be where the staff is where we'll set up our makeshift
office but we won't have bedding so it's like in the i guess what would be now the living room or
the dining room of the property yes so is there a public space that the that the youth are able to
access on the first floor of the house so they do have access to the living room they will have
access to the dining room kitchen as well yes and they have that mutual space which will be on the
second floor is the den room where they have if they want to go in there together they have that
space as well and then are the staff handling most of the I guess like general house upkeep
maintenance things for the youth that live there I'm thinking like who's taking the trash out on
things for the youth that live there i'm thinking like who's taking the trash out on trash day
trash day
who's dealing with the snow or if like a regular home maintenance or cleaning issue comes up is
that handled completely by staff no the goal is to make sure that our young people are prepared
for when they have to live on their own so if this is a teaching home you will learn how to do that
and they will have chores as well as they will have curfew.
So they will be assigned those things.
We also think about if they have work,
there are times where, okay,
we'll have to pick this up to help out.
So it's a place where everyone is helping each other,
but you have assigned tasks.
So when you leave and you're on your own,
you can say, I learned how to manage a home.
I learned the skills on, there'll be cooking classes.
They will learn how to cook,
but that's it will definitely be regulated where staff is overseeing this is the meal we're
providing but we want you to know how to cook we want you to help and it also fosters a relationship
of family when you're home and it's hey i prepared this meal and now we sit down and eat this meal
as a family and then where are the referrals like how are you finding the youth are they coming from
the city's homeless outreach list or like how are how are you identifying youth and then qualifying
them for the program so there's a great need with DHS so we are we're trying to do this in order
because the the conversation is don't put the cart before the horse so it's get your zoning
and we have youth so there's city and state contracts where they need people and we already
We had these conversations that once we're prepared and we can do this, we want to contact
with them.
Definitely the city has a great need.
Even with being a foster parent, the phone rings often where it's, can you take these
Can you take more kids?
And it's like, no, but well, we need kids and they'll call you often.
So the city, the state, we're looking what other people, not coolest, but there are names
just escaped me i'm so sorry but there are people that house older youth that also are looking
sometimes to place youth as well um i don't know i'm so sorry the name is completely completely
escaped me valley youth house these type of programs there go valley youth house these places
they need places to place older youth and would also partner with them as well okay so to be clear
like you would get the zoning first and then you would go file and register the house with dhs and
and the kids are coming from various programs in the city but you're getting direct referrals from
those programs yes ma'am and your contract would be with dhs to operate as a facility and cool yes
i don't have any other questions do you um have you have any any experience you have other houses
that you operate? Youth houses? My own house. Just in regards to being a foster parent, but I
have not done group living, but I have done foster care for over eight years and have had a working
relationship with KUWA, with DHS, and also have seen some of my youth go on to Valley Youth House,
and they've also been able to get their own housing after staying with us.
so under this company this would be the first the first youth house youth house yes ma'am and my
other question is how do you um the 14 and 21 is a big difference like in ages so like you know
there's a range you have some you know it's young adult and adult influence um how do how do you
kind of is there an intent to kind of maybe focus on like the younger younger adults or
it's just whoever whosoever gets an opportunity to come to the home um you'll navigate that in
terms of programming how would you deal with that disparity in ages the reason why i left that open
is just because in it in the in the chance so 14 to 18 is the group that i work with the most
that's the group that i love i work with the teens i love them so the thing is if someone was 18 and
they turn 19 they would still be able to receive help to transition to independent living so that's
why i didn't just want to take it off we don't we don't want if you're 21 you know you're at the
place where you're possibly got to age out of the system so we wouldn't be a good fit for you but
you've already 18 turning 19 if you're with us we would like to continue to help you until you can
go on and to get independent living so our focal point will be 14 to 18 just want to leave a cushion
for anybody that may turn 19 and they're just not hey you gotta go
turn 19 and they're just not, hey, you got to go.
If they answered the question.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Your comments from our attorney, Hillary Emerson.
I just wanted to note that we did, we do have a copy of the deed.
It was found from an earlier submission.
And while we did not obtain, receive the updated proof of tax compliance,
the city website indicates the property is in compliance. So this matter can move forward for
vote today unless the board would like to hold to deliberate. Thank you. Questions or comments
from the virtual audience? Chair, we have Strawberry Benchart Community Organization.
They have been muted and allowed to speak. Morning, could you please state your name
is spelled for the stenographer? Yes, Bonita Cummings.
Ms. Cummings, you've already been sworn, so you can start your testimony.
Okay, as the coordinating RVCO, we did a hand-delivered notice and
met with some good results because some of the closest neighbors did attend the meeting and we
have been several elders who live in that block who have been there for 70 years. And they were
adamantly opposed for various reasons as was demonstrated in our communication.
The experience that the group of Strawberry Mage community concern has is we are certified through the Department of Intellectual Disabilities Services through many of the trauma programs that have been brought to our communities.
I sit on the board of the CUA, CUA 7 for North Philadelphia, and I'm also the representative to NET Community Care from our CUA 7 board.
So there is a great deal of active family trauma work that we're doing as an organization.
So we are very aware of the needs of traumatized youth.
So these assessments and community meeting were not done without deep consideration and vetting of this process.
the city already has a process by which it allows three unrelated youth or individuals
to a household. And this particular organization or person, because it's really not like an LLC,
just a person, and some of the information that was given with another person's name added was
not mentioned at all in the community meeting. So the three unrelated persons is what we recommend
because this is a really heavy lift for the neighborhood, for the block, to put six at the
maximum, unrelated, traumatized youth. These are not just
regular families where
there may not be any traumatization. So we're dealing with traumatized
families and we're dealing with a range.
So it wasn't really clear exactly what the
range really, the range is from 14 years of age to 21
years of age. And that's a lot of inbreeding or commingling of age groups. And we wanted to be
able to be more clear, like there is really no plan. Like the sheet that was showed to you today
with several members of association to different organizational structure was not a part of any
packet that we received, any material that we received. So maybe it was just thought of and
put it in the packet for today. But the block position was opposition because they too are
residents who have been single family homeowners in a block that the designation change could very
well jeopardize the quality of life for those residents in that block and particularly our
seniors who've lived there for 70 years so we give a designation change and she goes from tiana brown
So we give a designation change, and she goes from Tiana Brown to some LLC that that property doesn't presently have, and she's no longer associated with it.
And now we have a property in a stable block of single-family homes that is now in a drug rehab or some other treatment facility that the community actually would have no input.
so it's not like this process can't take place we can't we can be considerate of um care for
our children uh i'm in that business i'm in that work but we cannot or should not um do it where
we further traumatizing um the youth and or adults that we would be trying to place in that
property because this is a neighborhood block. It's a house. It's not like a real group living
environment where therapy and the type of resources that it really takes to be successful
with the outcome of these individuals is not happening in this environment.
So to be fair to the neighborhood, to have gradual progress, to allow that block to grow with this program, if it is granted, it would be best to do it from what is already allowed.
We talked with the DHS Office of Administration. We spoke with CUA representatives on the administrative level, and they looked at this process and did not see a plan.
They felt that this is just a packet of what you would like to see happen, but it was no real individuals present, particularly at the meeting with any information, to show that there could be success.
So I would ask that we not further traumatize the block and or any individuals that could be in this facility and that we would consider what is by right, which is three unrelated.
And if Ms. Brown is working with that block and working with that community, that they can grow to that level of more and more and more individuals.
Those, again, those, you know, ages are vast, you know, varied rather across, you know, ages.
And we don't want to bring a process to that neighborhood that could overwhelm them and or place their own properties, you know, the comfortability of being in their own properties at risk.
So we were hoping today that you would, if you were considering it, you would consider allowing that block to have the community support it needs from this body to grow into that type of number of habitants in that house.
And in terms of the police department, they are not babysitters, and they cannot guarantee being available, which they don't do in our blocks already.
So they cannot guarantee being available for, you know, like 24-hour type of support.