The City’s down payment assistance program, Philly First Home, has reopened today, according to an announcement by the Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The program provides up to $10,000 (or 6 percent of the purchase price, whichever is less) in assistance to first-time homebuyers or those who have not owned a home for at least three years. The assistance recipient also must:

– Purchase a home in Philadelphia
– Have a household income at or below 100 percent Area Median Income (AMI)
– Complete housing counseling at a DHCD funded housing counseling agency. Continue Reading

Construction has begun on a new six-story residential building at the former West Catholic Preparatory High School parking lot located at 46th and Chestnut.

The proposal to change the zoning for this location from CMX-2 to CMX-3 was presented to the community by the Spruce Hill Community Association Zoning Committee and West Catholic in November 2019. The City Council approved the zoning change in December 2019 and the building permit was issued in December 2021.

The zoning had to be changed from CMX-2 to CMX-3 so that a potential developer could build a much bigger structure than was previously allowed. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is retaining ownership of the land and leasing it to the developer. West Catholic plans to use the money from the development to ensure the school’s sustainability and provide scholarships and renovations, as a group of alumni and volunteers from the school announced in 2019. Continue Reading

In an effort to assess fair housing options in Philadelphia neighborhoods, the City’s Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has released a housing and neighborhood survey – Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH).

The AFH survey, which is in partnership with the Urban Institute and Reinvestment Fund, will assess how Philadelphians feel about their current housing, community and housing options. The results of the survey will be used to help shape Philadelphia’s housing and neighborhood investment plans.

The results of the survey will be used to “create meaningful actions to address housing challenges and improve communities,” according to Mayor Jim Kenney. Continue Reading

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has announced new partners and the next step in their redevelopment plan for Westpark Apartments, the three public housing towers that sit just north of Market St. near the 46th St. El station.

Two New York-based firms, L+M Development Partners and MSquared, have been selected as partners in the 12-acre Westpark site modernization project after an extended local and national search, according to an announcement by PHA.

The next step in the Westpark site redevelopment project is negotiating an agreement with the new partners for a final overall plan. L+M Development Partners and MSquared had initially proposed building 650 rental units on the site – 327 low-income housing units to replace the existing number of apartments at Westpark, and an additional 323 affordable and market rate units along with commercial space. Continue Reading

Small businesses along the 4700 block of Spruce Street are closing to make way for a 12-story apartment building.

The City’s Department of Licenses and Inspections issued a zoning permit on December 30 for a 170-unit building that will include some 37,000 square feet of commercial space on the first and second floors. The building, which will include three roof decks, will occupy nearly the entire south side of Spruce Street between 47th and 48th Streets.

Businesses have already begun closing or relocating to make way for the building. Ezra’s Auto Repair at the corner of 48th and Spruce (see photo below) has already relocated to Baltimore Avenue and businesses in the low rise strip to the east began closing late last year. Continue Reading

The University City District has released its “State of University City,” the annual report that details home price increases, population shifts and research, retail and office space successes 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.

The report includes data from 2020 (and some employment data from 2021) and shows a substantial increase in new construction and renovation square footage in 2020 following a steady decline in building since 2016.

This uptick in overall construction is attributed to academic and residential buildings on the campuses of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, office space near the universities – particularly along Market Street – and several residential buildings along Chestnut Street, between 40th and 45th Streets. Continue Reading