Listen to article \u2022\u00a00:00 min<\/p>\n
It would be hard to imagine a vacant lot of abandoned cars, tires, and trash lasting long in Center City<\/a> before it got taken care of. But a group of Southwest Philly residents say that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happening in their neighborhood.<\/p>\n Their relatively new group, the PA Solidarity Project, cataloged roughly 50 instances of blight over the spring, including abandoned cars and houses, illegal dumping, and potholes, and reported them to the city in early June. Longstanding blight is a common concern in the neighborhood, they said. But the city has only taken action on about half of those reported problems since then, the group said. <\/p>\n \u201cIn other zip codes, this wouldn\u2019t be allowed,\u201d said Andrew Coates, 67, a block captain and Southwest Philly resident for over 30 years. He referenced a recent story by the Philadelphia Citizen<\/a>, which found higher-income zip codes tend to get their 311 requests addressed more than 50% quicker than lower-income areas like Southwest Philly. <\/p>\n Coates stood in front of the intersection of Paschall Avenue and South Vogdes Street on Thursday, where a vacant lot held several abandoned and busted cars, oil jugs, overgrown weeds, and other trash. He said the constant signs of blight weigh on everybody, and younger generations see them as an expected part of life in Southwest Philly. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019ve grown up and this is all you\u2019ve seen, you think it\u2019s normal,\u201d he said. The PA Solidarity Project aims to break that perception, and said it needs the city\u2019s help.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re resolute about this. \u2026We want the transformation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u2018A lack of respect\u2019<\/p>\n The PA Solidarity Project formed last fall, and began its work by surveying Southwest Philly residents to identify common issues they could act upon together. Blight was a common response, with residents highlighting how the neglect impacted their quality of life. Several auto shops tend to be the source of the abandoned cars and illegal dumping, residents said.<\/p>\n