On Wednesday night, Kensington residents gathered for a community meeting to discuss Councilmember Quetcy Lozada’s bill, which would ban mobile service providers from operating in residential areas and certain public spaces.
The issue sparked debate, with some residents emphasizing safety concerns while others stressed the importance of accessible aid services.
Brenda Mosley, a longtime Kensington resident, voiced her concerns about the impact of mobile service providers, citing large crowds, discarded needles, and food waste that attracts rats.
However, she also empathized with those struggling with addiction, having been in recovery herself for 33 years.
Opinions were split among the 30 attendees. While some supported the bill, others argued that these services are essential for the neighborhood’s most vulnerable.
Tess Donie, a resident of Somerset, noted that Kensington residents are used to making compromises, but some areas are overwhelmed with multiple providers operating frequently, which attracts drug activity and increases gun violence.
“We’re not anti-harm reduction,” Donie said. “We just see what’s happening every day, and it’s not okay.”
She also criticized out-of-town church groups engaging in “charity tourism,” saying they sometimes provide medical care without proper expertise and leave without considering the long-term effects on the community.
Another resident, Patrice Rogers, expressed similar frustrations, arguing that many mobile providers do not live in or care about the neighborhood.
She suggested they be relocated to a designated area away from homes to reduce disruptions.
On the other hand, Theo Fountain, who spent two years unhoused in Kensington, shared how mobile health providers played a key role in his recovery.
He explained that their presence at accessible locations encouraged him to seek help at a time when he otherwise may not have.
While acknowledging the concerns raised by the community, he emphasized that these services are often the first point of contact for people in need and can make a crucial difference in their lives.
Liba Judd, a resident with epilepsy, shared a personal story about how a mobile care van stepped in to help her during a seizure.
“If they weren’t there, I don’t know what my life would look like,” she said.
Jay Kailian, who works in harm reduction, pointed to a broken healthcare system as the real issue, saying, “People get denied treatment all the time. Some wait hours, others wait days.”
Lozada and other city officials, including Councilmember Mark Squilla and State Rep. Jose Giral, listened as community members voiced their perspectives.
Sophia Dantzic, a Community Action Relief Project (CARP) volunteer, questioned whether Lozada considered housing residents relying on mobile services.
She mentioned that most in need are often the least able to attend community meetings.
Lozada clarified that the bill is not intended to eliminate services but to better coordinate them and keep them from being set up in front of people’s homes.
She also stated that amendments are being worked on to ensure certain providers, like mobile dental and mammogram services, remain unaffected.
The Philadelphia City Council’s Licenses and Inspections Committee approved the bill in December, but it has yet to go before the full council for a vote.
In Kensington, NJ, politics, similar concerns over service accessibility and neighborhood safety have also been raised in policy discussions.
