Philadelphia Unemployment Project (PUP)

During the past year provided many needed services to the unemployed community struggling to get their benefits from a failed Unemployment compensation system. From jul6 2022 to june 2023, over 1700 folks filled out our help form trying to receive their Unemployment benefits but getting stuck after one system glitch or another. Our housing counselors who with tenants and homeowners and do whatever is necessary to keep them from losing their homes or apartments. They negotiate with mortgage companies and connect people with programs designed to prevent loss of homes. They also work with families and seniors facing real estate tax sales. In the last year housing counselors helped more than 600 families.

The commuter options program continues to provide safe, reliable transportation and job opportunities to philadelphians by providing access to reach higher paying suburban jobs. In the aftermath of the pandemic, we have seen wages rise significantly for riders in the program with the median wage rising to 19.50 an hour. 95% of riders are people of color and many are immigrants who ride together in the mini vans provided by commuter options to jobs they could not reach by public transportation. On average 16 pools in the year.