Gentrification, housing, and the future of Kensington are at the heart of a heated Philly City Council race

Kensington — where a billion-dollar opioid trade and gun violence rage against looming gentrification — is at the heart of a contested race for Philadelphia City Council in the May 16 Democratic primary.

City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, who took office after a November special election in the 7th Council District, faces a challenge from Andrés Celin, a social worker.

The two candidates offer diverging styles when it comes to tackling many issues in the district, which spans from the gentrifying River Wards to deeply impoverished Fairhill, to working-class neighborhoods like Frankford and Juniata Park.

Both said they would oppose a supervised injection facility without community support, but their approaches to policing, development, and affordable housing are more divided.

Lozada, the longtime chief of staff for former Councilmember Maria Quiñones Sánchez, took over after her boss resigned last year to launch an ill-fated mayoral bid. She promises to use her relationships in City Hall to build a long-term plan for Kensington and surrounding neighborhoods — which begins with increasing the police ranks.

“Nobody wants to have that conversation, but in districts like mine, where people who didn’t live here have been calling to defund the police, that message overpowered what the community residents want,” said Lozada.

Celin, 34, said residents need drastic change and argued that Lozada represents a continuation of the status quo. His platform includes an emphasis on affordable housing and a social service-forward approach to the district’s ills.

“I’m not going to solve all the problems, but I will have a clear set of priorities,” Celin said.

Quiñones Sánchez, who represented the 7th District for nearly four terms, often lamented Council’s limited power and said the executive branch is key to addressing Kensington’s problems. The neighborhood has come up repeatedly in the mayor’s race, even as the promises to “fix” Kensington ring hollow to community leaders on the ground who have heard it all before.

They also fear that Kensington’s problems could simply shift to surrounding neighborhoods.

“We’re either going to end up in a situation where everything stays in decay, or we unleash the wolves and everything gets displaced, or we come up with a community-based plan that’s comprehensive and trauma-informed,” said Bill McKinney, the director of New Kensington Community Development Corp. and a two-decade neighborhood resident.

Public safety remains a divisive issue on the campaign trail, even though City Council is limited in its power to curb gun violence.

Lozada has called for a “Marshall Plan” for Kensington — a reference to postwar Europe’s reconstruction — and said restoring police-community relations is a top priority.

“One can’t work without the other,” said Lozada, 52, who grew up in Hunting Park and now lives in Northwood. “We’ve already made a lot of progress building those relationships.”

Celin is a native of Colombia who has worked with Congreso de Latinos Unidos and for mayoral candidate and former Councilmember Helen Gym. He accused Lozada of being too bullish on policing and too light on metrics for success.

“Police enforcement, yes, but that by itself isn’t going to address the issue,” Celin said. “We need increased [treatment] beds, increased outreach, and reduced barriers to treatment.”

Kensington had nearly six times the number of shootings per square mile than the city average between 2015 and 2021, mostly concentrated on a few dozen blocks, according to an Inquirer analysis. Decades of aggressive policing and containment strategies have done little to mitigate the tide of violence wrought by the drug trade and high poverty.

Kensington resident Guillermo Garcia said he often sees drug dealing, heaps of trash, and sprawling tent encampments. He said he supports Lozada because she’s been responsive to his concerns.

“I’ve been here since 1980, and this is the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Garcia, 52, who is disabled and often volunteers to help beautify vacant lots.

Marilyn Cruz, 53, a real estate agent and community leader who supported Quiñones Sánchez, said she supports Celin’s campaign because he appeals to a younger generation. And David Rodriguez, a Democratic committee person who lives in Feltonville, said the district needs a regime change from the Quiñones Sánchez years.

“It’s time for a new beginning,” Rodriguez said. “People get too comfortable and they stop getting creative and stop helping.”

Much like other self-styled progressives running for Council seats, Celin pitches himself as an affordable-housing champion.

Kensington and the surrounding neighborhoods were once industrial hubs that brimmed with factory life and mom-and-pop businesses. But decades of white flight and disinvestment have left behind one of the largest concentrations of vacant land in the city.

Celin’s platform includes expanding inclusionary zoning rules that Quiñones Sánchez enacted, requiring new multifamily buildings in some booming parts of the districts to include 20% affordable units.

Real estate interests say the zoning overlay has hindered investment in an area where crime, trash, and homelessness are major problems. Quiñones Sánchez has said she regrets the legislation, which hasn’t permitted many new affordable units yet, and would revisit it if she were still in office.

“For new projects coming online, we haven’t really been looking in the area,” James Maransky, a real estate developer who is supporting Lozada, said of the zoning overlay. “Crime is the biggest issue. You’re never going to have enough police. Greater development and more eyes on the street is the number one way to combat crime.”

Celin wants to capitalize on vacant land. He said he’d work to speed up the sluggish disbursement of city-owned Land Bank properties for affordable housing — and criticized Lozada for lacking a vision on this front.

Lozada acknowledged that development wasn’t her strong suit but rejected the idea that Celin, who moved into the district three years ago, would have the know-how or existing relationships to enact his agenda.

“I’ve shown up and gotten cursed out,” Lozada said. “If you think you’re going to be able to get the work done, I don’t see it happening.”

Garcia, who lives near Hope Park in Kensington, said long-term homeowners like him need protections, but he wants to see more investment and less blight.

“Kensington and Allegheny used to be beautiful,” he said. “You heard music, people shopping, and those were good days. That all changed drastically, but we can get back to that.”