Philadelphia – Mayor Jim Kenney today toured the Germantown and Erie Avenue commercial corridor with the Community Life Improvement Program (CLIP). CLIP consists of several programs and agencies dedicated to improving the appearance of neighborhoods throughout the City of Philadelphia through the eradication of blight. As part of his budget proposal, the Mayor asked City Council to expand the program citywide, increasing vacant lot and exterior property abatements by 5,000 over the next year.
“CLIP provides an essential service to both residents and small businesses,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “Cleaning up vacant lots and clearing graffiti is an important part in maintaining, and in some cases revitalizing, our city’s commercial corridors. All neighborhoods deserve to benefit.”
CLIP programs are designed to maximize effectiveness and efficiency by creating partnerships with residents and businesses to foster sustainable communities. CLIP operates four major programs, including property maintenance and vacant lot cleanup, graffiti abatement, as well as the community partnership program which loans clean up tools and supplies to community groups, businesses and residents dedicated to keeping their neighborhoods clean. CLIP also provides non-violent offenders over age 18 an outlet to complete their community services sentences by cleaning and beautifying the city.
“I am proud of the results CLIP has accomplished over the years but even more proud of the fact that we represent the entire City of Philadelphia with our diversity as we as providing people with second chances as 25% of our work force is ex-offenders” Said Program Director Tom Conway. “Expanding CLIP to partner with businesses along commercial corridors is a win-win situation for business owners as well as residents that shop locally as we must work together to create a cleaner safer environment for all to enjoy.”
The City of Philadelphia’s Graffiti Abatement Teams (GAT) began removing graffiti from private and public properties free of charge in 1996, quickly becoming the City’s rapid response team in the war against graffiti vandalism. The Graffiti Abatement Team became a part of CLIP in 2002 and the partnership has provided improvements to numerous exterior quality of life issues through means of education, enforcement and abatement since then.