‘Tiny homes’ in Northeast Philly; First gaming food truck; Teamsters go on strike | Morning roundup

City moving forward with ‘tiny homes’ on State Road

Officials say they’re still targeting this year for groundbreaking on a project to build tiny houses for people who’ve been experiencing homelessness.

• 29 of the standalone “detached bedrooms” — about 100 square feet — are planned for State Road in Northeast Philly, where they’ll share kitchens and bathrooms as part of Sanctuary Village (people can sponsor a house for $20k). Residents will be women 55 and older.

A second pilot program will eventually bring slightly larger tiny homes (500-600 square feet) at Mills Creek in West Philadelphia, but the city is still navigating building code and other challenges, OHS Director Liz Hersh said during City Council budget hearings, WHYY reports.

Meet Electronic Eats, Philly’s first gaming food truck

With speakers declaring “Mortal Kombat!” and a 55-inch screen, Electronic Eats is not your typical snack stop — though it does have a fun menu.

• The city’s first gaming food truck, Electronic Eats aims to be more than just a place to nosh and play. The independent filmmaker couple behind the venture hopes it becomes a platform for the community.

“The point of this truck isn’t just food. It’s to [use] food, and gaming and the arts, to bring people together,” the co-owner told Ali Mohsen.

→ Pretzel smashburger and chicken cheesesteak “tacodillas”

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• To boost use of solar energy at schools and colleges, a group of state reps including Philly’s Liz Fiedler introduced a bill to designate $500 million in grants to install new systems. [Capital-Star]

• Philly’s unemployment rate fell from 6.8% last February to 5.2% this year. In the metro area, the rate was 3.8% — higher than the national average but lower than Houston and Chicago. [Axios]

• The Fashion District’s afternoon curfew for minors started on Monday. After 2 p.m, anyone under 18 now has to be accompanied by someone 23 or older. [KYW]

• Teamsters voted to strike Monday at Liberty Coca Cola, one of the region’s largest soft drink handlers. A reported 400 of 3000 union members have joined the work stoppage. [NBC10]

• What else in Philly weighs as much as the two million stolen dimes? A ground-floor block of City Hall — or 10,000 cheesesteaks. [Billy Penn]

• Dealing with a dog flu outbreak, ACCT Philly needs to quickly find foster homes for 70 pups. [WHYY]

• Jalen Hurts signed a $225 million, 5-year contract to stay with the Eagles through 2028 — giving him the highest annual earnings in NFL history. [NFL/NPR]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Kenney speaks at this year’s Lindback Awards, where seven educators will receive the Distinguished Principal Award and $20,000 grants to help better their schools (4:30 p.m.). Evening takes the mayor to a  commemoration marking the 20th anniversary of the Red Cross House in West Powelton (6 p.m.).

ON THE CALENDAR

🎾 BP Quizzo: Join us at Padelphia for a night of Philly trivia! Space is limited at this new-style racket club on the Schuylkill River near City Line, so register early. BYO, plus we’ll have some snacks and sips, and prizes for the winners. (6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26)

👗 Have unused prom clothes that could make a young Philadelphian shine, or looking to help a teen afford that perfect party fit? Clothing bank The Wardrobe in Old City hosts “Sip, Shop n’ Learn,” offering 25% off and a preview of spring trends. (5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20)

🎙️ Interactive sobriety test comedy show “Weeding Out the Stoned” lands at Helium Comedy Club, featuring host Alex Grubard and other standup friends. Tickets start at $20. (4:20 p.m. Saturday, April 22)