Those who died homeless on Philly’s streets memorialized with calls for action

By Newsworks’ Holly Otterbein – More than 100 advocates for the homeless gathered in Philadelphia Thursday evening to memorialize people who died on the streets this year.

Sister Mary Scullion, founder of the housing nonprofit Project HOME, said Pennsylvania could combat homelessness by ensuring that all residents have access to health care coverage. According to her group, 127 homeless and formerly homeless people died in 2013.

“It’s a scandal in this wealthy country when we continue to have people that live and die on our streets,” she said. “If we want to see the day when no one lives on our street or in our shelters, we need just public policies to ensure access to quality health care and housing.”

A city report found that 55 percent of homeless people who died between 2009 and 2010 did not have health insurance.

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