THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN: Jeff Deeney, a social worker and freelance writer who writes frequently about his work in Philadelphia’s poorest neighborhoods, also cited housing segregation as a concern.
“The poorest parts [of the city] are very isolated socially — they don’t generally butt up against neighborhoods that are thriving.” Deeney also blames a lack of jobs, a broken housing system, and “schools that look and function a lot like correctional facilities” for much of the problem. “People don’t understand what life under the poverty line looks like,” he said.
Deeney explained that many single-parent families live on less than $1,600 a month. If they should lose their homes “the path back into housing is really long and really difficult.” MORE
MESSAGE TO THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN: Surely it would have enhanced this story, not to mention your reader’s understanding of the issues at hand, if you had pointed out that THE REASON YOU KNOW WHO JEFF DEENEY IS BECAUSE HE WRITES FOR PHAWKER and then linked to one or two of his MANY posts on the topic of urban poverty. Just a suggestion.