Profiting from blight in Philly | Morning Newsletter

Good morning, Philly!

I’m Julie, the new lead writer of this newsletter. Many thanks to Paola and Ashley for the warm welcomes over the past few days.

It’s already a busy news week, from an update on the state trooper who arrested a top city official on I-76 to a beloved Eagle’s retirement, so let’s get into it.

Our top story today is the result of a months-long investigation into a law allowing neighbors, municipalities and nonprofits to take over — and profit from — blighted properties, even if someone still owns them.

Here’s what you need to know to start what’s expected to be a rainy, foggy Tuesday.

— Julie Zeglen (@juliezeglen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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A home can be a sanctuary, a gathering place, a way to build wealth for future generations. To some organizations, it’s also a chance to earn a profit from a property that appears to be abandoned — even if someone still owns it.

Pennsylvania’s Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act, aka Act 135, aims to fight blight by allowing nonprofits and individuals to take over derelict properties. (Yes, it’s similar to the law that allowed Britney Spears’ father to control her finances for 13 years.) Conservators can bring a property up to code and sell it, then recoup costs — plus 20% commission.

The law is heralded by some as a way to clean up neighborhood eyesores. Legally, it can’t be used to displace someone actively living in a home. Yet Act 135 disproportionately impacts Black and Asian property owners and is more prevalent in gentrifying areas where residents already face an elevated risk of displacement due to rising real-estate values.

In practice, conservatorship has become as much an industry as it is a public good, investigative reporter Samantha Melamed found.

Case study: Sisters Danielle Smith and Dana McKelvey are fighting the threat of conservatorship from Philadelphia Community Development Coalition. The nonprofit has a mission of rehabbing blighted real estate and is the most active conservatorship petition filer in the city. The coalition is pursuing control of the North Philadelphia house that’s been owned by their family since 1945.

Notable quote: “This house will go to the conservator,” Smith said recently, “because I am just tired.” She is losing hope after reading about how other Philadelphians have lost their homes after long, expensive fights.

In the reporter’s words: Samantha has been investigating this law since the fall, reviewing more than 100 cases and interviewing dozens of people. It’s a complicated topic, she told me.

“No one likes blight, and I think many neighbors are deeply grateful for Act 135 and the nonprofits that use it,” she said. “Those nonprofits showed up when the city government had failed them. But on the other side of the equation were often very poor, vulnerable and elderly people — often people of color — who did not have the wherewithal to save their ancestral homes.”

The Inquirer’s in-depth report is well worth your time. Read it here.

The state trooper who arrested a top city official on I-76 on Saturday has been placed on restricted duty during an internal investigation. Pennsylvania State Police, which declined to name the trooper, will also expedite the rollout of body-worn cameras for troopers in Philadelphia.

The trooper arrested Celena Morrison, the city’s executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs, and her husband, Darius McLean, after a heated confrontation following a highway traffic stop. Morrison and McLean were released and will not face charges at this time, the DA’s office said.

Morrison filmed the arrest, and the video soon spread online. But the trooper was not wearing a body-worn camera, which could offer information about what led to the altercation.

Pennsylvania dedicated $40 million last summer to ensure every trooper would have one, after a state trooper shot and killed Anthony Allegrini Jr. in June. Ellie Rushing and Anna Orso have the full story.

It took all of 10 seconds for the tears to spill down Jason Kelce’s face as he prepared to confirm what fans have speculated for weeks: After 13 seasons, the Eagles center is officially retiring from football.

While I wouldn’t call myself a Birds superfan, I’m fully onboard the Kelce train (thanks in no small part to his eponymous, heartstring-tugging 2023 documentary) and will miss watching his on- and off-field shenanigans. Our team has been rounding up Kelce’s biggest moments over the years, all of which you can find in this recap of The Inquirer’s live coverage.

I predict the announcement itself will go down as a highlight. My favorite quotes from his farewell speech, clocking in around 45 minutes:

And a number of lewd ones we can’t republish here. Never change, Jason. Can’t wait to see what you do next. Here’s the full transcript of Kelce’s speech.

Which city official will attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday?

A) Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke

B) Mayor Cherelle L. Parker

C) City Representative Jazelle Jones

D) Commerce Director Alba Martinez

Think you know? Check your answer.

🗳️ Registering: Our vote, ahead of the April 8 primary deadline.

👀 Watching: A new Philly school board take shape, following VP Mallory Fix-Lopez’s resignation.

🐎 Racing: To save this piece of Cherry Hill pop culture history from the 1950s and ‘60s.

Hint: The Phillies just agreed to a three-year, $126 million extension for this pitcher.

CRAWL HE ZEKE

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Judy Pidgeon, who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: “United By Flowers” is the theme of this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show.

Have a great Tuesday! I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow.

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