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Housing

Mission First completes renovation of historic homes in Parkside for affordable housing

September 25, 2023

Parkside Neighborhood Preservation, an affordable housing property, has reopened in Fairmount Park near 42nd and Parkside after renovation. Mission First Housing Group, which develops and manages affordable and sustainable homes for low-income Philadelphians, completed the historic preservation of 82 affordable housing units in 16 buildings along the 4100 and 4200 blocks of Parkside Avenue and at 4201 Girard Avenue and 1237-1241 Belmont Avenue.

The buildings, which date back to 1895, were last renovated in 2001-2003 and the property was at risk due to its declining physical condition. The buildings needed updates such as windows repair/replacement, HVAC upgrades, exterior repairs, including porch and masonry work, flooring throughout the buildings, new appliances, and some bathroom and kitchen upgrades. Painting was completed in the units and common areas as well.

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HopePHL receives $250,000 grant for homelessness prevention program

June 5, 2023

HopePHL, the local non-profit that provides social services, housing and community development, was recently awarded a $250,000 Housing for Everyone grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank.

HopePHL is one of 37 non-profit organizations selected from more than 450 applicants across several states to receive a Housing for Everyone grant as part of the initiative that has helped support organizations that are focused on providing affordable housing and affordable housing services since 2005.

The grant will support HopePHL’s homelessness prevention work, which assists people at risk of homelessness in Philadelphia to remain in their homes and avoid emergency shelter. Through case management and direct financial assistance grants, the agency’s program provides West Philadelphia families with support to overcome a housing crisis. Since its launch in July 2020, this program has successfully delivered these services to 355 families and has provided over $880,000 in emergency rental assistance grants.

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New Community Resource Hub, including market-rate apartments, opens near 52nd and Spruce

May 11, 2023

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Community Resource Hub was held on Wednesday.

After more than two years in development and construction, a new Community Resource Hub has opened at 277 South 52nd St. The grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by state and local officials, like State Sen. Vincent  Hughes and City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, was held on Wednesday. The new three-story structure replaced a dilapidated former business.

The project represents a significant milestone for The Enterprise Center  Community Development Corporation as the organization moves into a new phase of growth and larger strategic reinvestment plan for the historic 52nd Street commercial corridor.

The new Community Resource Hub will house offices for The Enterprise Center CDC on the first floor, extending outreach for business services along the corridor. The second and third floors will house market rate apartments, providing housing for individuals living and working along the corridor. The Enterprise Center is planning to utilize this model for more projects. Continue Reading

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Annual UC District Report: Building boom continues, rent prices increasing

April 27, 2023

The University City District‘s annual report released this week shows that an upward trend in construction that began in 2021 will icrease dramatically in 2023, with more square footage of commercial and residential development under construction than in any year since the report began in 2002.

The “State of University City,” a yearly snapshot of development trends in the area roughly bounded by the Schuylkill River to the east, 50th Street to the west, Market Street/Powelton Avenue/Spring Garden Street to the north and Woodland Avenue/University Avenue to the south, also shows a slight increase in public transit use compared to last year. But ridership is still roughly half that of pre-Pandemic levels on trolleys and the Market-Frankford Line. Continue Reading

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Community meeting on massive apartment project at 4601 Market St. scheduled for Monday

March 24, 2023

An artist’s rendering of the apartment complex proposed for 4601 Market St.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier is once again calling on residents to push developers of a 1,240-unit apartment complex at 46th and Market Streets to include affordable housing during a meeting scheduled for March 27.

The meeting is part of the Civic Design Review process for “Mill Creek Station,” an upscale cluster of five seven-story buildings, one 19-story building and courtyards that will have “outdoor kitchens, lounge spaces and a pool for the residents,” according to the plan. The apartment complex would be adjacent to the city’s juvenile detention center at 48th and Haverford.

You can review the recent history of 4601 Market Street across a couple municipal administrations – from its designation as the new police headquarters and morgue to the current proposal – here. Continue Reading

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Iron Stone postpones community meeting on 4601 Market project to talk affordable housing

March 1, 2023

An artist’s rendering of the planned residential housing on the 4601 Market Street site. Looking east from 48th and Market.

The developers of 4601 Market St. have postponed their community meeting scheduled for today to reportedly discuss adding “deeply affordable” units to what will be one of the largest apartment building project in recent West Philly history.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier last week called on Iron Stone Real Estate Partners to make 20 percent of the planned 1,240 units available to low income renters. Iron Stone included no provisions for affordable units in a proposal submitted to the city ahead of its scheduled March 7 Civic Design Review hearing, which has also been postponed.

“Iron Stone agreed to postpone their community meeting to discuss affordability with the community and the City!,” Gauthier tweeted on Tuesday. “I look forward to working with Iron Stone to keep 20%+ of the homes at 4601 Market deeply affordable.” Continue Reading

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