The new apartment building at 818 N. 40th Street (see Instagram video below).

HopePHL and Mt. Vernon Manor Community Development Corporation (MVMCDC), two West Philadelphia community organizations, today celebrated the grand opening of 40 new apartments along the North 40th Street corridor — a milestone development that transformed 11 long‑vacant properties between Lancaster and Mantua Avenues into long‑term affordable rental homes for local families.

The North 40th Street Corridor Revitalization Project brings new life to a once‑blighted stretch of West Philadelphia at the borders of the Mantua, Belmont and East Parkside neighborhoods. The initiative represents a first‑of‑its‑kind partnership between HopePHL and MVMCDC.

The celebration included remarks from state and city officials, MVMCDC Executive Director Michael Thorpe, and HopePHL President Kathy Desmond, followed by an official ribbon cutting and tours of the new units.

Funding for the project is provided by City of Philadelphia, The Reinvestment Fund, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Philadelphia Housing Authority, FHLB Pittsburgh, FHLB Atlanta, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, TD Bank and Redstone Equity.

Philadelphia faces an estimated shortage of 64,500 affordable and available units for households with very low incomes. The 40 new apartments — including 11 one‑bedroom, 20 two‑bedroom, and nine three‑bedroom homes, with six units dedicated for households with special needs — provide critical long‑term affordability in a rapidly developing area. Several units are bi-level.

The property will be managed by Multifamily Management Services. HopePHL will provide on‑site supportive services and case management for residents. Families will be connected to social services and trauma‑responsive supports, food and basic needs resources, workforce development and career coaching, digital learning and utility assistance, youth leadership and community engagement programs.

“Housing stability, combined with supportive services, changes lives,” Desmond said.

Designed by Toner Architects, the project also enhances sustainability by transforming vacant land into energy‑efficient homes and improving overall neighborhood safety and vitality.

Speakers emphasized that while today marks a major achievement, it is only one step toward addressing Philadelphia’s housing crisis.

“We built 40 units,” Desmond said. “But the city needs tens of thousands more. We need sustained funding, strong policies, and community support to build not just the next 40 — but the next 400.”

The grand opening of the new affordable housing units at 818 N. 40th Street. (Photo courtesy of HopePHL)

 

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