At last count, there were more than 3,400 homeless people in Philadelphia. Penn — which has been named the “Best Neighbor” university in the past — has a responsibility to help solve this problem.
Fortunately, there is already a strong network of organizations working to address the issue. We commend student initiatives like Hand2Paw, community programs like the University City Hospitality Coalition and city measures like “Code Blue” for the services and support they offer to homeless individuals.
The University can bolster these efforts by raising awareness about the availability of these resources. The Division of Public Safety in particular is best suited to reach students about this issue.
During New Student Orientation, DPS encourages freshmen to enter the phone numbers for Penn Transit Services and the Walking Escort Service. At that time, it can also advertise the phone number for Project HOME’s Homeless Outreach Hotline (215-232-1984), which students can call if they see a homeless individual who needs help.
DPS’s anti-theft poster campaign gets noticed by students and is often touted as a successful deterrence to crime. DPS could establish a similar poster campaign informing students of the many ways to get involved and help the homeless.
There are already many resources in place to address homelessness. We believe the University should lead the way in publicizing them.
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