Unpaid bills or court debt can make it hard for people to stay in their homes. The City’s Managing Director’s Office – Health and HumanServices is supporting residents with two pilot programs. One program works to prevent water shutoffs. The second focuses on addressing criminal justice debt. Both initiatives promote economic equity and long-term stability for adults and juvenile Philadelphians.

The Criminal Justice Debt Relief Program identifies residents eligible for debt forgiveness. This may help them overcome obstacles to gaining employment or sealing their record. Meanwhile, the water shutoff prevention pilot stops residents from losing essential utilities. It intervenes early and connects them to needed resources.

Both programs aim to keep people housed. Debt relief is one way to build stability and avoid housing crises. These efforts tackle financial issues early, before they worsen. To do this, the City identifies participants. They consider factors like court records and household income. This approach requires close coordination with stakeholders, alongside effective database management.

Jonathan Nerenberg, as the Housing Security and Poverty VISTA, plays a key role in building the programs’ capacity. A year after joining the small HHS team. His impact has exceeded what his supervisor, HHS Project Manager, Alexandra Lenihan, expected.

He not only supported the work; he reimagined how to do it. Jonathan improved workflows by creating automated pipelines using Excel and Python. These changes help people get aid faster. Plus, with streamlining everyone can use the same clear information to make choices.

Eager to solve problems. He mastered Power Query, Power Automate, and R for better results. In addition, he researched water insecurity in Philadelphia. This review improves outreach strategies today. It may also guide future work to reduce utility insecurity.

Jonathan offered more than technical know-how. He brought a new mindset to the department too. The team appreciated having someone who always asked, “What if we did it another way?” Jonathan used his curiosity to learn how to manage data, create better processes, and do deep research. In turn deepening the City’s capacity to respond to the causes of housing instability.

Thank you, Jonathan, for your service and commitment!