For Joe Richardson, washing and drying clothes for unhoused people in Philadelphia is an experience that helps him deal with his own personal tragedy. Richardson, who began working for his family’s laundromat in 2021 after serving 14 years in prison, had his priorities change in 2023 when his 28-year-old brother was shot and killed while working as a tow truck driver. The tragic loss made Richardson want to do something more fulfilling, he said. That’s when he launched a mobile laundromat, which he said was an idea he first came up with in 2010 while he was incarcerated. “For me, cleaning homeless people’s clothes is like second nature,” Richardson said. A few hours a week, Richardson drives to neighborhoods like Kensington and offers to clean the clothes of people living on the street. “I was told by the population of the unfortunate that a lot of people steal their clothes,” Richardson said. When NBC10 went with Richardson on a Wednesday night recently, he parked at Arch and Broad and helped Beatrice. “This man is a superhero,” she said of Richardson. The Executive Director of Philadelphia’s Office of Homeless Services, Cheryl Hill, said the extra helping hands are always welcome. “Anyone who is trying to provide services is amazing,” she said. The City of Philadelphia also began its annual Point-in-Time Count of unhoused people living on the city’s streets. When Philly did the count in 2025, there were approximately 5,000 unhoused people, around 60 shelters and just over 4,000 available beds. Hill said the city is working to provide more resources for the unhoused in 2026. “Through the mayor’s executive order, we are trying to add 1,000 long-term shelter beds through the system,” Hill said. “We are also leveraging public-private partnerships through housing opportunities.” ...read more read less