As part of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s plan to expand services for those battling substance abuse, the former Philadelphia Nursing Home will get a new life.
The Philadelphia Nursing Home will play a part in Mayor Cherelle Parker’s fight against substance abuse in the city.
On Thursday, Managing Director Adam Thiel announced that the facility at 21st and Girard Avenues in the city’s Fairmount section will house 75 beds designated for people battling addiction who want to take the first steps toward treatment. It has served as a temporary shelter for the Office of Homeless Services since 2014 and was officially closed as a nursing home in 2022.
The use of the building represents the Parker Administration’s desire to use existing programs and city-owned and leased properties to get people off the streets and connected to the help they need, Thiel said.
“We have heard in every neighborhood of the city that everybody wants us to do more to ensure that we are providing what is needed for people, for residents,” he said. “They want people who are in our city to have the opportunity for a safe shelter where they can get care. That’s what our neighborhoods want. That’s what our communities want. And we want to make sure we are providing those opportunities.”
While the facility will connect those needing them to existing medical services, this is not one of the wellness centers that the Parker Administration is hoping to create as part of its plan to provide long-term care, housing, and unemployment for those battling addiction, Thiel said.
“We are still looking at doing due diligence on and talking to a lot of people about where we might ultimately locate our longer-term, strategic facilities to help support this ecosystem,” he said.
The press conference was called following a Philadelphia Inquirer article announcing the administration’s plan for the nursing home was published on Wednesday.
That was how Councilmember Jeffrey Young found out that the nursing home, which is located in his district, was being used for this purpose.
In a statement, Young, who wasn’t present at Thursday’s Council meeting, expressed concern about the move and called it yet another example of the lack of information Council’s been given about the Parker Administration’s plans.
“Throughout the budget process, I have been concerned about the lack of transparency from the Parker Administration on the proposed plan for triage centers to combat the addiction crisis in Kensington,” he said. “The Inquirer article discussing a proposed location at 2100 W. Girard—a facility owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania—is deeply troubling because there has been no engagement with my office, the Fairmount community, and surrounding neighborhoods.”
“I do not support a triage center at this location without undergoing a thorough review and discussion with the community to address potential implications.” Young continued. “This facility is in close proximity to four schools, including my alma mater, Girard College, that is directly across the street. It is unacceptable to undertake such a significant project without consulting the communities and stakeholders who will be most affected.”
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