Homelessness

As was the case in many cities across the country, homelessness in Philadelphia increased by 5.2% in 2023 with a total of 4,725 people experiencing homelessness and over 1,000 individuals are unsheltered, living on the streets of Philadelphia. 

Homelessness in Philadelphia

The Problem

Behind the overall numbers are some stark realities – 1 in 7 homeless are minors under the age of 18 and 16% are aged 65 and over, with seniors being the fastest-growing population of unhoused individuals in Philadelphia and the nation. 

Vik Dewan, Principal

Additional Statistics

Add to these statistics that fully 1 in 4 of Philadelphia’s homeless have a substance use disorder. These are the reported numbers but likely the level of structural homelessness, including people sleeping and living out of their cars or couch surfing to be much higher.

Focus

While there is little debate on the causes of homelessness, including lack of jobs at competitive living wages, lack of affordable housing, uneven support for mental health and substance use challenges, domestic violence and the national opioid crisis, there are few programmatic interventions to systemically and holistically address the current situation despite the significant public sector investments and social service organizations providing support and outreach services. Many interventions are focused on providing transitional housing and temporary shelters without addressing the root causes which often stem from trauma and then additionally complicated by mental health and addiction challenges. 

Understanding

Focusing on the unsheltered and transitional housing without providing programmatic interventions to address the trauma, mental health and addiction challenges that are often the underpinning of homelessness may just continue to treat the symptoms and not the root causes and result in a revolving door outcome to transitional housing and shelter services.

Homelessness in Philadelphia

Our Theory of Engagement and Change

At Doing Good Well, we believe that our most pressing social challenges can be addressed and improved though holistic and collaborative approaches and partnerships of high performing, effective not-for profits.

Vik Dewan, Principal

Brief

Deconstructing complex issues such as homelessness starting with organizations providing services in trauma informed care – what was the trauma that led to the individual becoming unsheltered – followed by mental health, substance abuse and prevention services and then partnering with transitional housing and workforce development organizations is likely to produce outcomes that address these trends at a root cause level. 

Approach

We believe these organizations require new sources of long-term capital – funding that can come from well informed and patient donors. We believe that none of these organizations can achieve the outcomes we believe are possible without working together – with joint performance goals, integrated in their delivery and committed to outcomes that are defined by milestones over a multi-year period. Our Subject Matter Experts convene, coach and coordinate the work of these collaboratives that have deep roots in and credibility with the community in specific neighborhoods and share insights and context with our Donors.

Homelessness in Philadelphia

Current Challenges

Kensington – where the percentage of people whose household income is below the poverty line is 45% compared with 23% in Philadelphia  – where fully 1/3 of the City’s unhoused are in Kensington and where 24-27% of residents report poor mental health compared with 19% for the City.  

Vik Dewan, Principal

Focus

Our initial focus is hyper local on Kensington bringing together a collaborative of not-for-profits that are neighborhood based, we will direct our attention to programmatic interventions that provide trauma informed care and substance abuse prevention services to residents and transients alike. We will seek $5-8 million as an initial commitment to these outcomes in the first year.

Numbers

Figures grow by the year.

ANNUAL INCREASE
%
PEOPLE AFFECTED
+
aged 65+
%