Esperanza has a strong portfolio of environmental work that addresses the need for greater tree canopy in our neighborhoods to improve quality of life and the intersections of health and housing on overall quality of life and well-being. Our local Hunting Park neighborhood is among the hottest in Philadelphia.
Esperanza Housing & Economic Development has worked over the years to coordinate regular neighborhood tree giveaways, distributing nearly 2,000-yard trees to residents to increase canopy coverage, together with Tree Philly and other city partners. In collaboration with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, we organized the first local bilingual Tree Tenders training, which led to an active group of volunteer neighborhood residents planting street trees. Our team helped hundreds of residents to plan and carry out block-based beautification projects, including installing street planters on blocks that do not have street trees. Moving forward, we are looking towards enhancing tree maintenance and tree care activities to help these trees survive and thrive.
In 2018, we partnered with the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability and Interfaith Power and Light to launch the Beat the Heat project, which provided insights into how the most vulnerable residents navigate high heat days. We have also worked with Drexel University to equip local student interns who act as civic scientists, measuring environmental conditions and surveying neighbors; and employed youth as environmental interns in similar fashion as part of anti-violence efforts that strengthen the local fabric of community!
We are committed to providing the resources and skills for residents to take greater agency over the daily conditions here, both now and in the future.
Click here to sign up for an upcoming tree planting!
Click here to learn about other workshops in our neighborhood?
Through a survey with over a hundred residents and a community listening session in North Philadelphia, Esperanza and Community Legal Services confirmed that there is an urgent need for Pennsylvania to expand LIHEAP to include cooling assistance. They also affirm the need for more information available in Spanish to reach Spanish-speaking residents.
These steps are important to help protect residents and our neighborhood from the harmful health impacts of rising temperatures. Hunting Park, like many primarily low-income communities across the United States is disproportionately affected by rising heat in a changing world.
Click below to read the report in English or Spanish.
Click here to contact your elected officials to let them know that you support calls for expanded LIHEAP in Pennsylvania.