The Philadelphia Housing Authority’s 10-year-report chronicles its efforts to revitalize historically disadvantaged neighborhoods, grow its portfolio of modern, climate-friendly housing, and help residents become economically self-sufficient.

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Contacts:

For PHA: Nichole Tillman, [email protected]; 215-888-2869                           

 Philadelphia, PA. (Dec. 31, 2023) ‑The Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (PHA) wide-ranging approaches to addressing blight, poverty, and insufficient housing yielded vast dividends in 2023, as it became the nation’s first and only  housing authority  to receive more than $110 million in the coveted Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) Grants  from  the U.S. Department of  Housing  and Urban Development (HUD) to revitalize three neglected neighborhoods.

“2023 represents another banner year for PHA and the people we are privileged to serve. I could not be prouder proud to work with a dedicated and committed team who work every day to provide housing opportunities to Philadelphians most in need while also providing pathways to social and economic mobility for families with low incomes,” said Kelvin A. Jeremiah, PHA’s President and CEO. “PHA has set a high standard by providing quality affordable housing to meet the needs of contemporary families even amid increasing unaffordable rents with a shrinking affordable rental market making the demand for PHA’s assistance even greater than ever before. PHA stands ready to meet this challenge and build on its already strong record of success, but we cannot do this important work alone: it requires coordinated strategy and an alignment of resources on the federal, state, and local levels to maximize affordable housing production while preserving the existing affordable housing stock.”

“PHA Is leading the way and has become a national model,” proclaimed Richard J. Monocchio Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development while attending the Grand Opening of PHA 4A, a $27.2 million, 58-unit townhouse community in Sharswood neighborhood which benefited from the grant.

In 2014, PHA received $30 million to revitalize North Central Philadelphia into the City’s first Choice Neighborhood. In 2020, it received a $30 million CNI grant to transform Sharswood, and in 2023, a $50 million CNI grant to revitalize Bartram in Southwest Philadelphia. PHA also received a CNI Planning Grant of $500,000 to reimagine Yorktown and the Harrison low-rise buildings.

As part of its ongoing asset repositioning strategy, PHA rehabbed nearly 1,000 units during 2023 while 405 new units came online adding to its housing portfolio. In 2023, PHA continued to expand its affordable housing production efforts. In addition to the grand opening for Sharswood 4A, construction crews began work this year on Sharswood’s final PHA rental community, Sharswood 6A, with 65 rental housing units. Construction also began on Sharswood Crossing Phase III, a mixed-use development with 224, brand new, mixed-income homes with ground floor retail, community amenities, and robust on-site supportive services for families. Harrision Senior Towers, a newly rehabbed, 116 unit hi-rise that offers residents an affordable, comfortable, and secure living experience, also opened.

In other major 2023 achievements include:

• PHA opened the Housing Choice (HCV) Waiting List for two weeks and accepted over 36,000 applications as part of its effort to expand housing opportunities, which resulted in 10,000 people being added to the waiting list through a lottery process. In April 2023, PHA began pulling applicants from the waiting list, and to date, has pulled over 2,000 applicants for processing. Of those who applied for the lottery, 91 percent of the applicants said they lived, work, or were offered a job in Philadelphia and nearly 65 percent indicated they were either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
• In collaboration with HUD, the City’s office of Homeless Services, PHA issued and housed 792 formerly unhoused individuals and families under the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program.
• More than 700 new homeowners have been assisted through PHA’s Opening Doors to Affordable Homeownership Program since 2013, with 43 additional PHA residents becoming homeowners.
• PHA achieved a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)participation rate of 47% and a Women Business Enterprise (MBE) participation rate of 31%. Philadelphia businesses and organizations received 33.4% of the total PHA contracted procurement spend of $106.8 million.
• In 2023, the 10th year for PhillySEEDS, PHA’s non-profit affiliate, it continued its significant service to PHA residents and program participants; and in 2024 it will be adding a fourth program to provide even more opportunities and options for PHA’s deserving community. With its three core programs, it awarded $273,000.00 to 71 scholarship recipients; $200,000 to 164 HCV Affordable Rental Security Deposit Matching Grant recipients; and $70,000 to 35 Homeownership Closing Cost Matching Grant recipients.
• PHA’s Youth & Family Center, located at its headquarters, whose mission is to support residents in building strong, stable neighborhoods and positive family relationships, supported over 2,500 families through various programs, including: the early childhood education program, youth summer employment programs and the Kinship Care program.
• Resident Programs and Partnerships department hosted hundreds of events to engage, empower and inform residents to become self-sufficient.
• PHA has supported the growth of over 50 residents owned business within the public housing sphere. The Entrepreneurship fellowship program coaching and funding to those who want to see their dreams come to fruition.

 

PHA remains laser focused on its mission to open doors to affordable housing, economic opportunity, and safe sustainable communities to benefit Philadelphia residents with low incomes.

As we begin 2024, PHA will release its comprehensive asset repositioning strategy, which aims to preserve its existing affordable housing stock while expanding affordable housing production to meet the ever-growing demand for affordable housing.

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PHA held a Grand Opening for a 58-unit townhouse community in Sharswood  that is among its final rental phases for the Sharswood Transformation. VIPs from across the city joined PHA President & CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah, including Crystal Robbins (center), a mother of five who is returing to Sharswood with her family. The new townhomes, known as Sharswood 4A, replace housing lost when PHA imploded Blumberg Towers, a crime-ridden public housing development in need of major repairs. 

 

Contact:

Nichole Tillman, [email protected]; 215-888-2869                                  

Some PHA Residents Will Get Modern-Style Housing and Supportive Services for the Holidays

Philadelphia, PA. – The Philadelphia Housing Authority is capping off a milestone year with the Grand Opening Celebration for 58 scattered-site townhouses located in the 2300 and 2400 blocks of Master Street, and the 2400 Block of Ingersoll Street.

The $27.2 million townhome community, known as PHA rental phase 4A, is among the final developments planned in Sharswood, a historically disadvantaged community where PHA-led developments have resulted in new capital investments, job-creating businesses, and community amenities such as a bank, a restored park and grocery.

The modern, spacious apartment homes are among the units that have replaced housing from the Blumberg Towers, a symbol of urban decay near Center City that was in need of costly repairs. The high-rise apartment buildings were imploded in 2016 as part of PHA’s 10-year, $500 million effort to transform the formerly redlined neighborhood.

The spacious new housing preserves affordability in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood and has a community center where residents can socialize or use computers to advance at work or in school. In all, there will be 16 one-bedroom units; 10 two-bedroom units; 24 three-bedroom units; 7 four-bedroom units, and 1 five bedroom unit.

PHA’s Grand Opening Celebration welcomes back some residents who will be moving into new homes during the holiday season. They will live across the street from the Vaux Community Center, a PHA site that offers services to foster self-reliance including homeownership classes, career development training and support for entrepreneurs.

“Home for the holidays celebrates the fact that more children will now have safe places to study, and more adults will have spacious, decent housing that can accommodate their families, “said Kelvin A. Jeremiah, PHA President & CEO. “PHA, the residents, the City, HUD, and other stakeholders have transformed a severely distressed neighborhood into a walkable, livable, desirable community and ultimately a city of choice.”

“These 58 new townhomes are a tremendous addition to this neighborhood and a reminder of how far this area has come,” said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “Through its Sharswood project, PHA ensures diverse communities and low-income residents directly benefit from new developments—new homes, services, and businesses. I thank PHA for playing a key role in our city’s equitable and inclusive growth by increasing housing opportunities and preserving affordable housing.”

“There is no greater gift at this festive time of year than a warm home and a vibrant community,” said HUD Principal Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Richard J. Monocchio. “We applaud Philadelphia Housing Authority and the community for creating these beautiful homes and we welcome the families that will soon be moving in. This is another promise kept for the stakeholders of the Sharswood Choice Neighborhood community transformation plan.”

Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-3) said, “I’m pleased to see another phase in the transformation of Sharswood! I helped PHA to secure $30 million in federal funding, leveraging over $225 million in investment, to revitalize the Sharswood-Blumberg neighborhood, and we are seeing positive results – not only the new housing but also other additions that meet community needs such as a bank, a restored park, and a grocery store. The projects that PHA and its partners are undertaking show that we CAN rebuild Philadelphia, block by block!”

“Today’s ceremony marks the end of an exciting year of progress on the Sharswood Blumberg Transformation Plan,” State Rep. Donna Bullock said. “These additional 58 units will be a huge addition to the community. The PHA, developers and the community have done a great job of collaborating to redesign the neighborhood as an affordable and attractive place to live.”

A few blocks away, construction crews have begun work on one of the final developments planned as part of the Sharswood Choice Neighborhoods Transformation. That development, known as PHA rental Phase 6A, is centered on a cluster of desolate blocks where empty lots had been used to discard trash and unwanted items. Included in this modern, new energy-efficient community will be 12 one-bedroom units, 22 two-bedroom units, 19 three-bedroom units, 11 four-bedroom units, and 1 five-bedroom unit. Construction is expected to be completed by next year.

In 2014, PHA also received $30 million to revitalize North Central Philadelphia into the City’s first Choice Neighborhood. It recently received a $50 million CNI grant to revitalize Bartram in Southwest Philly, making it the first housing authority in the country to win three highly prestigious CNI grants.

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About the Philadelphia Housing Authority:

The Philadelphia Housing Authority’s mission is to open doors to affordable housing, economic opportunity, and safe sustainable communities to benefit Philadelphia residents with low incomes. To learn more visit www.pha.phila.gov.

 

PHA President & CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah and Council President Darrell L. Clarke shake hands during a ceremony announcing that PHA has named its newest community center in Sharwood after Clarke, who is retiring from Council this year. Clarke has been a champion for affordable housing for many decades, and a familiar face in the neighborhood.

 

Contacts:

For PHA: Nichole Tillman, [email protected]; 215-888-2869                              

           

, PA. (December 15, 2023) –  The Philadelphia Housing Authority today honored retiring Council President Darrell L. Clarke, a champion of affordable housing and equity, by naming its newest community center in Sharswood after him.

The Center, at the corner of 24^th and Master Street, will be used by residents living in Sharswood 4A, a stylish new development of affordable, spacious rental townhouses unveiled by PHA unveiled just this week.

“Council President Darrell L. Clarke has been a champion of hope, most especially for Sharswood and North Philadelphia,” said Kelvin A. Jeremiah, PHA President & CEO. “I cannot think of a more fitting tribute for a man so deeply committed to preservation and expansion of affordable housing, equity, and social and economic mobility. When PHA began to revitalize the formerly red-lined neighborhood of Sharswood, the skeptics told us our bold plans wouldn’t work.  We made promises to the people in this once-forgotten neighborhood, and we were able to keep them because Darrell Clarke worked beside us, advocating mightily for the residents in the Fifth Council District. Both of us are stubborn, and both of us refuse to take no for an answer.”

Clarke Introduced and passed legislation authorizing PHA to acquire over1, 200 vacant lots in the project footprint.  He supported and advocated for PHA’s $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant, and secured city grant funds to meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) local match requirement. Clarke supported the overall project as well, assisting in obtaining zoning and expedited building permits that allowed PHA to meet the growing demand for affordable homes.

The 4A townhouses replace some of the PHA rental units lost when the authority imploded Blumberg Towers in 2016. The aging towers were in need of major repairs, and they had become a haven for drugs and crime. The modern townhouses blend in with the architecture of the surrounding neighborhood. The new Darrell L. Clarke Community Center has a kitchenette, a space for community gatherings, and computers that residents can use.

The new community center will serve as a reminder of Council President Clarke’s service to the city, said Lynette Brown-Sow, Chairman of the PHA Board of Trustees. .

“Darrell Clarke is a champion of the people as well as an astute legislator who is highly skilled at bringing together diverse groups and partners to solve challenges,” said Lynette Brown-Sow, Chairman of the PHA Board of Commissioners. “His legislative agenda has always been centered on the principles of fairness and equity. He understands, truly, that Philadelphia benefits the most when everyone in the city gains from the growth and prosperity that new development brings.”

Asia Coney, a PHA resident who serves on the PHA Board of Commissioners, said the recognition is well deserved.

“Council President Clarke is often there before we can even make the call asking for help,” Coney said. “He travels around the neighborhoods, listening to residents’ concerns and seeking bold ways to improve housing affordability and preserve the existing housing stock. PHA residents are grateful for all that he has done for the city, for us, and for our communities.”

Clarke, who is the President of City Council, represents the 5th Council District which includes North Central Philadelphia, Strawberry Mansion, Lower Hunting Park, Ludlow, Yorktown, West Poplar, Fairhill, Brewerytown, Francisville, Spring Garden, Fairmount, Logan Square, and parts of Northwood, Fishtown, Northern Liberties, and Center City.

PHA Residents Get In the Driver’s Seat: PHA and Zipcar are partnering to provide residents at four housing sites with convenient access to Zipcars, the world’s leading shared ride service. PHA Board Commissioner Ethel Wise (green coat) and Council Member Katherine Gilmore Richardson (blue suit) hold the scissors as Council member Kenyatta Johnson (far left); PHA President and CEO Kelvin Jeremiah; PHA Board Chair Lynette Brown-Sow, and Zipcar President Angelo Adams look on.

Media Contacts:

• Philadelphia Housing Authority: Nichole Tillman| [email protected] | 215-888-2869
• Zipcar: Ashley Leduc | [email protected] | 413-374-8513

 

Philadelphia Housing Authority and Zipcar Partner to Bring Car-Sharing Vehicles to Residents as Economic Mobility Tool

Access to vehicles will drive new opportunities for 80,000 residents

PHILADELPHIA, November 18, 2023 – The Philadelphia Housing Authority, the nation’s fourth largest and leading housing authority, and Zipcar, the world’s leading car-sharing network, today celebrated the launch of a new partnership that will provide shared vehicles to residents of the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). Zipcar estimates that members of the communities, who may not be able to access an affordable, convenient vehicle when they need one, will now take thousands of trips for errands, medical and professional appointments, leisure trips, out-of-town travel and small business needs.

“Our mission is to open doors to affordable housing, economic opportunity and safe, sustainable communities to benefit Philadelphia residents with low incomes,” said Kelvin A. Jeremiah, PHA President & CEO. “We provide tools to residents to assist with economic mobility. Zipcar is one of those tools. Now residents will have access to transportation in real time to get job interviews or other amenities throughout the community.”

“Zipcar is thrilled to partner with the Philadelphia Housing Authority to bring affordable, convenient access to vehicles, and better yet, professional job and personal opportunity to its residents,” said Angelo Adams, Head of Zipcar and Philadelphia native. “Public partners are tackling a growing trifecta – climate, equity and mobility issues – and because of this, Zipcar is seeing increased demand for car sharing in cities, especially underserved communities. Growing up in the Logan neighborhood of North Philadelphia, I’m eager to see Zipcar help drive this community forward.”

Eight Zipcars will be available 24/7 on-demand by the hour, day or week in two dedicated, on-street parking spots located at John F. Street Community Center, the Lucien Blackwell Community Center, the Vaux Community Building and the Wilson Park Apartments. Recently, the PHA received a grant for a Jobs Plus Initiative Program designed to help Wilson Park residents between the ages of 18 to 64 increase their incomes, achieve self-sufficiency and find better-paying job opportunities. Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the program launched in January 2022 and will end in December 2025. The Zipcars will help residents drive to job interviews, healthcare appointments and run important errands.

Discounted membership will be available exclusively to Philadelphia Housing Authority residents in addition to the costs of gas, insurance options, parking, maintenance, roadside service and 180 miles, all of which are included in a Zipcar membership. With the cost of car ownership on the rise, Zipcar estimates it saves its average member $1,000 monthly on costs associated with transportation. To join, book and drive, Philadelphia Housing Authority residents simply visit https://www.zipcar.com/partners/pha

Car Sharing’s Impact on Philadelphia

Since 2007, Zipcar has been providing Philadelphians with access to a vehicle without the cost or hassles of car ownership. Today, more than 300 Zipcar vehicles can be easily found at 140 locations a

cross several neighborhoods including South Philly, Spring Garden, West Philly, University City, Fishtown, Old City, Washington Square and Rittenhouse.

Studies show that Zipcar reduces personal vehicle ownership in cities nationwide, including Philadelphia. The round-trip car-sharing model reduces congestion and carbon emissions while also fueling the use of sustainable transportation modes like public transit, bike sharing, walking and car sharing, for destinations that require driving. According to Zipcar’s annual North American Transportation Survey¹, more than 70% of Philadelphia members state that Zipcar plays an important role in their lives by:

• Cutting Costs of Car Ownership: Nearly 60% of members in Philadelphia joined Zipcar to avoid the costs of car ownership (car payments, gas, insurance, parking, etc.); Nearly 90% of members do not own a car and about half postponed buying or leasing because of Zipcar
• Saving Money: 50% put money saved from Zipcar towards savings, and one third put towards groceries and/or housing
• Accessing Opportunity: 80% of Zipcar members in Philadelphia are within convenient walking distance of a Zipcar and primarily drive for work, appointments, out of town trips, to visit family or friends, to grocery shop and run errands.
• Serving All Philadelphians: In Philadelphia, Zipcar helps provide transportation to a diverse member base who may not otherwise have access to a vehicle: 50% of members have less than Pennsylvania’s median household income, 55% live in multi-family housing, 46% identify as BIPOC.

The launch at the Philadelphia Housing Authority builds on Zipcar’s partnerships with underserved communities including The New York City Housing Authority, where Zipcar was the first to provide car-sharing to the nation’s largest housing authority, and The City of Sacramento’s “OurCommunityCarShare” program, an innovative zero emissions mobility program powered by Zipcar electric vehicles.

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About PHA

The Philadelphia Housing Authority’s mission is to open doors to affordable housing, economic opportunity and safe, sustainable communities to benefit Philadelphia residents with low incomes. Learn more at www.pha.phila.gov.

 

About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world’s leading car-sharing network, driven by a mission to enable simple and responsible urban living. With its wide variety of self-service vehicles available by the hour, day or week, Zipcar operates in urban areas and university campuses in hundreds of cities, towns, and universities. Zipcar is a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CAR), a leading global provider of transportation solutions. More information is available at www.zipcar.com