Your Daily Guide

City Council Pushes Back With Housing Budget Amendment

Mayor Parker’s housing plan is held up as some City Council members push to direct more funds to programs supporting low-income residents. The Parker administration claims this may delay the release of money to create and restore thousands of units of housing, but Council President Kenyatta Johnson says they “refuse to rush into issuing $800 million in debt.” [🔒 The Inquirer]

Philly Public School Enrollment Drops As Closures Loom

Despite gains made last year, the School District of Philadelphia’s enrollment dipped by more than 1,000 students this year. The data was released as officials are still figuring out which schools to close and consolidate as part of its new facilities plan. One concern with the plan is that closures could be difficult for students with autism. [Chalkbeat]

Parking Enforcement or Predatory Workaround?

Residents in Northern Liberties are raising alarm over “windshield barnacles” used as parking enforcement tactics in a private lot, with some saying they’re being charged over $100 to remove each device. Critics say this approach is a way to evade the city’s Ticket-to-Tow Law. [6ABC]

Get Help To Stay Warm This Winter

With the federal shutdown officially over, residents can now access federal funds to cover heating bills throughout the colder months. Applicants to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program can get help within the next two weeks, once the application is filed and processed. [CBS Philly]

• Related: Here are some other money-saving tips to keep energy costs down. [📝 City Cast Philly]

Sarah Keck and Laurie Pearman describe their meeting as fate. The pair grew up seven miles away from each other in Bakersfield, Calif. and both lived in Caldwell in the 1990s, but didn’t meet until 2022, when they’d both lived in the Ustick neighborhood for four years. But their parallel paths had led them both to the same conclusion: Ustick needed not only a coffee shop, but a place to gather. Earlier this year, they opened Common Ground Coffee and Market.

It would seem you found your footing with each other and the spirit of Common Ground pretty quickly. How did that happen?

[They high five.]

Pearman: “We have this very similar sense of humor and weirdness about us, so it feels like we're naturally sisters or something out of the gate. But I think it was really the shared want for this in the neighborhood. Our goal was so eerily similar, and then as we dug into, like, our histories, that had a lot of similarity too.”

Keck: “It’s been magical. A lot of people are like, ‘oh, don't get into business with your friends.’ But for us, I think the goal is so rock solid. And then we just add fun to it and stability.

You knew Ustick needed a gathering space — has the community response met your expectations?

Keck: “Completely exceeded our expectations. We have had time to do zero things since we opened because we've been so busy. What did we liken it to? Oh, a baby giraffe. It’s like the business was the mama giraffe and we were the baby giraffe, and then we were like stumbling around.”

Pearman: “I’m still surprised, we’re almost a month in and people are still thanking us for opening, for taking a chance on the neighborhood, for investing in the community, because this place is so ready.” Extra words.

Why the name “Common Ground,” and how does the American flag fit into that?

Keck: “[Points at the large flag on the wall] The flag is actually my dad’s. He passed away in October 2022. He was a Vietnam vet, so this is his dedication flag that me and my brothers got from the Veterans Cemetery when he passed away. [We] received a surprise inheritance from him, and I essentially took that inheritance to start the coffee shop. So it only felt right to have the flag from him up in the coffee shop, you know? I think for the ‘common ground’ portion, we also just want to take back the flag. The flag shouldn’t just be for any specific subset of Americans. We want to show that we are safe people and that our space is a safe space where we can kind of reimagine what the flag can mean.”

Pearman: “I’ll just add, above all else, it’s about being a good neighbor. This isn’t about politics, or being polarized, or anything. It's just about a space where we can all come together, get a cup of coffee, and a ritual, and go back to our lives. Like, a positive interaction for everybody, and everybody's welcome.”