Philly becomes 1st U.S. municipality to launch funeral fund for homicide victims

The City of Philadelphia on Wednesday became the first municipality in the country to launch a fund to help families of homicide victims pay for their loved ones’ funeral.

The Homicide Victim Funeral Assistance will provide families up to $2,000 for proper funerals and burials for people who are killed in the city.

“Too often, the enormous cost of a funeral comes at the worst possible moment, when families are already facing emotional and structural challenges and need to lay a loved one to rest with dignity,” Mayor Cherelle Parker said. “We asked ourselves: what can the City do right now to ease that burden? The Homicide Victim Funeral Assistance program is our response—offering immediate support to reduce financial strain, and reaffirming our commitment to take care of our own.”

In total, Philadelphia will put $600,000 in the fund annually, officials said.

Victim advocate Darlene Wilson-Bennett said the fund will be a big help to families who dealing with an unimaginable loss.

“Losing my son Justin to gun violence shattered my very existence,” she said. “Being forced to navigate costly arrangements without any assistance added a weight that nearly broke me—emotionally, financially, and spiritually—and left me feeling judged and unsupported in the very city where I built my family, the so‑called City of Brotherly Love.”

The funds available from the city’s funeral fund will be in addition to funds available from the Pennsylvania Victims Compensation Assistance Program, which provides up to $6,500 for funerals and burials.