Since Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s inauguration in January 2024, she has made it crystal clear that accepting the status quo is not an option for this administration in terms of addressing challenges that have been labeled “impossible to solve.”  While some Philadelphians believe homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance use disorders are too deeply entrenched for us to make change, we are proving otherwise.

Over the last 14 months, the positive change residents have seen in those “impossible” communities, demonstrates that it is possible for people to leave the status quo behind when they are offered opportunities to engage with housing and substance use disorder treatment. Aggressive new strategies and programs are now in place and several of our City departments are working collaboratively to implement the mayor’s action plan. More people are accepting the option to seek treatment for their substance use disorders and then transitioning into recovery. Communities are becoming safer and cleaner, too.

Community AreaThis is all part of the City’s newly launched Wellness Ecosystem Initiative, developed and managed by the new Office of Community Wellness and Recovery.  For decades, wellness services have existed in Philadelphia through medical providers, homeless services organizations, and behavioral health programs. These interventions have been supported by the government, philanthropic and nonprofit partners, and advocates. Mayor Parker’s vision is to support the work already underway in the city with some of the country’s best medical and health systems, while building out a more coordinated wellness ecosystem to better connect these organizations and fill in the current gaps to achieve greater outcomes.

Where gaps exist, we are making bold investments in developing innovative, outcome-driven, recovery-based housing wellness centers across Philadelphia to offer a path for people to leave the streets behind, stabilize in their recovery, and, ultimately, thrive. You can learn more about our plan in our Pathways to Wellness publication.

We’re excited to share our work to date:

  • May 2024

    • We opened the first new wellness resource to the ecosystem. Philly Home at Girard (PHG), located in Fairmount, was launched to offer a safe haven shelter for people experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder. PHG was formerly a nursing home and has capacity for 180 individuals who are referred by street outreach teams. The goal is for people to become stabilized in a low barrier shelter and offered primary medical care and on-site mental health and substance use disorder assessments and resources. To implement those services, Project HOME and Prevention Point were brought on as providers. We hope to quickly and effectively support residents on their journey to recovery. We celebrated one year and more than 1200 service connections on May 1, 2025!

 

  • Summer 2024

    • A vacant set of buildings owned by the City since the 1960s, located on a beautiful 20-acre property on the banks of the Delaware River in Northeast Philadelphia, was identified by Mayor Parker as an unused asset and should be completely renovated to provide recovery housing for individuals after finishing treatment for their substance use disorder. Since the property had been originally used for housing the indigent poor; later a nursing home; and then a shelter for people experiencing homelessness, it was an ideal site to be overhauled and developed into a welcoming living space for recovery. Renovations on the property began immediately, and the property was ready to accept residents by the beginning of the year. Our City’s Capital Program Office, with their contractors, moved the project to completion in record-breaking time. The site now encompasses six residential cottages with capacity for 336 beds and includes a large meeting house for program activities and job training services.

 

  • January 2025

    • We officially opened Riverview Wellness Village )(RVWV), offering comprehensive health services in a positive, stable living environment with a community conducive to recovery. Residents have access to a range of recovery operations by three highly skilled providers that manage the site. Part of the recovery journey includes access to onsite classes, workforce development opportunities, and more services to prepare our residents for independent living. The addition of the 336 beds at RVWV into the City’s continuum of care increases recovery-house capacity by 66 percent from 509 to 845 beds, but, more importantly, our site is pioneering a new model by co-locating and integrating access to recovery-based housing with comprehensive health services for those with substance use disorders. After one year with us, residents can seek permanent housing with continued support. Take a tour with us!

 

  • June 2025

    • Since our opening in January, we have welcomed 100 residents to Riverview Wellness Village! Our providers – Guadenzia, Merakey, and the Black Doctor’s Consortium – are doing a fabulous job and we are so proud. We just released an RFP for food and nutrition services to add to our offerings. Our Community Advisory group meets monthly at Riverview, and we have implemented many of their ideas.  Philly Home at Girard continues to expand its number of beds to offer shelter and services to people living homeless and many with substance use disorders.

Check back for regular posts with updates and features.

 

See more photos of Riverview Wellness Village