Sharswood Crossing, a 59-unit development will have one-, two- and three-bedroom townhomes

May 20, 2022

PHA and Hunt/Pennrose hosted a groundbreaking today for Sharswood Crossing, a family housing development that will bring high-quality, affordable townhomes to formerly desolate blocks in the Sharswood neighborhood.

The unit mix will consist of one (1) one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom and 30 three-bedroom townhouses. Of the 59 units, 10 percent will be restricted to 20 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) or below, 44 percent will be restricted to 50 percent AMI or below, and 46 percent will be restricted to 60 percent AMI or below.

“This new construction is bringing new life to formerly desolate and abandoned blocks in Sharswood,” said PHA President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “Moreover, the family-sized townhomes at Sharswood Crossing are better able to accommodate residents as their life situations change. PHA is fully committed to meeting the needs of its residents, and to providing a full-range of modern housing options. Each new groundbreaking in Sharswood builds on the promise we made to this community in our meetings with residents six years ago.”

“With each development of more, new affordable housing in Sharswood, we are transforming this section of North Philadelphia – one development at a time,” said Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District). “There’s an urgent need for affordable housing for families as they grow and their needs change. Another big step forward today for North Philadelphia — we’re grateful to PHA and all of our partners.”

“We are thrilled to join project partners and the Philadelphia Housing Authority as we begin the exciting next phase of the comprehensive Sharswood Transformation Plan,” said Jacob Fisher, Regional Vice President at Pennrose. “PHA has been dedicated to the revitalization of the Sharswood community for years and Hunt/Pennrose phase II will add an additional 59 high-quality, affordable apartments to an area facing rapid gentrification.”

“Today’s groundbreaking is another milestone- another 59 affordable units- for the Sharswood Blumberg Transformation Plan,” said State Rep. Donna Bullock. “PHA, its development partners and the local residents have planned and worked together to reimagine this neighborhood as an affordable, choice neighborhood. It is so exciting to support and see another project underway toward that goal.”

Thirty units will have Project-Based Vouchers, provided by the Philadelphia Housing Authority, with rents set at 110 percent of fair market rents. Hunt/Pennrose is the co-owner and co-developer, with Pennrose Properties leading the development phase. The project is being funded by PHA in the amount $7,015,000.

In April 2020, PHA received a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in support of the entire Sharswood initiative. Since work began on the Sharswood Transformation Plan in 2016, 140 brand-new single-family rental homes have been completed along with the renovations of Sharswood Tower (94 units) and the Brigadier General Hazel Johnson Brown Veterans Center at HELP Philadelphia VI (55 units), which offer senior and veteran rental apartments. In addition, Habitat for Humanity built 20 homeownership units at Oxford Green, bringing the total number of new or renovated housing units completed to 309. Construction is nearing completion at Sharswood Ridge, a mixeduse development on the Ridge Avenue commercial corridor that features affordable housing and neighborhood retail, including a grocery store.

The development for active seniors, partially funded by PHA and PHFA, includes 78 apartments

April 19, 2022

SAA|EVI,Union Housing Development Corporation and the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) joined with the City of Philadelphia today in celebrating the completion of The Susquehanna Residences, a community affordable to lower-income active seniors in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of North Philadelphia.

The community, built on City-owned land, includes 78 one-bedroom apartments. To qualify,
residents’ income must fall between $19,000 to $57,000 per year. Tenants pay 30% of their adjusted income in rent. Those rules apply because of the substantial investment in the development from PHA, which includes a monthly subsidy for every apartment from the agency’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. PHA previously provided a long-term $6.5 million construction loan to be paid off over a 40-year period at 1% interest. Total cost of construction was about $17 million.

“The completion of The Susquehanna Residences represents the kind of partnership we continue to encourage with nonprofit developers to expand the availability of affordable places to live for our most vulnerable citizens, and in particularly in this case, our seniors,” said PHA President and The Susquehanna Residences is a 78-unit senior building in Strawberry Mansion. CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “We are committed to preserving opportunities for those who do not have the means to compete for housing in the private rental market, where rents have increasing become out of reach for many Philadelphians.

“The need for affordable housing in Philadelphia is urgent and real,” said Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District). “This development led by SAA|EVI, and the close partnership of PHA, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority, and the City of Philadelphia today makes 78 new, affordable apartments a reality for senior citizens in our city. These kinds of partnerships are vital and essential as we work every day to
make more affordable homes and apartments available to our residents.”

In addition to the PHA financing, The Susquehanna Residences was financed through a combination of LowIncome Housing Tax Credit equity and a loan from the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation. Stratford Capital is the syndicator for the tax credits. Red Stone Tax Exempt Funding provided the construction and permanent debt.

“SAA|EVI is committed to development without displacement and creating high-quality, affordable housing across the country, and this development is a great example of our mission-driven work,” said Co-managing Member Ernst Valery. “EVI’s other developments in

Philadelphia include Allegheny West Plaza in partnership with the Allegheny West Foundation and Beckett Gardens, in partnership with Union Housing Development Corporation.

The apartments at The Susquehanna Residences feature large windows, modern kitchens with electric ranges and dishwashers, bathroom vanities with built-in lighting, corridor handrails, spacious closets, and central A/C.In addition, residents will enjoy the community space, where complimentary programming will enhance lifestyles and make it easier for residents to access services. The property also includes on-site parking, greenspace that features alcoves of native plantings and a centralized laundry facility.

Supportive services for will be provided by Global Synergies, which currently manages and provides programming from the Beckett Life Center in North Philadelphia.

One of the development’s new residents is Ellie Ferrell, 82, founder of Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, whose stables are across the street.

This is the first income-based housing managed and maintained by a local housing authority that exclusively serves community college students

April 13, 2022

Community College of Philadelphia (the College) and the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) today celebrated the first income-based housing managed and maintained by a local housing authority that exclusively serves community college students. This is the grand opening of the second rowhome which provides low-cost apartments for housing insecure students at the College, with a focus on students who have experience in the foster care system.

“As the largest public institution of higher education in the City of Philadelphia, we are proud to offer our most vulnerable students safe and affordable housing options,” said College President Dr. Donald “Guy” Generals. “What I love most about this partnership is that students are paired with a support coach to help them better navigate life not only at the College, but to ensure that they receive the necessary social-emotional support and safety networks of others their age. We are doing everything in our power to ease the burdens our students face and make it easier for them to continue their studies and realize their dreams.”

“The Shared Housing Partnership is an approach that dismantles some of the barriers to college completion that are unique to homeless and housing-insecure college students, and undermine their ability to succeed,” said Kelvin A. Jeremiah, President and CEO of PHA. “Financial setbacks and homelessness force many low-income students to drop out of college. This partnership provides them a foothold and a chance to transition, through education, to self-sufficiency and permanent housing. When college students succeed, everyone in our community benefits.”

The newly renovated rowhome, located at 535 North 11th Street, contains three, three-bedroom apartments – each on its own floor. Students in each apartment share a common living area, kitchen, and bathroom, and have separate bedrooms. College students
will pay rent based on 30 percent of their incomes. In no case will a student pay more than $125 a month for rent but, with their limited incomes, it will typically be much less. The median rent in the surrounding neighborhood is more than $2,000 a month.

The 11th Street location, which will be fully furnished by the College, can house up to nine students. The partnership’s first rowhome, which open last fall, is fully leased with seven students. Utilities are paid for by PHA.

In addition to having access to safe, quality and affordable housing, eligible students enter into a stability plan and are paired with a College program coordinator to aid their transition out of shared housing and into a stable, permanent residence. The College will monitor and assess the initiative’s success based on the students’ retention and graduation rates, as well as their success transitioning to permanent housing.

Students also receive special wraparound support services to ensure that they succeed at the College including: support for students with experience in the foster care system; free assistance with health insurance, food resources, cash and other subsidies; academic advising and academic-related counseling services; and assistance with scholarships and career readiness supports.

Students have also received one-time stipends from the Charles G. Berwind Foundation for household items such as pots and pans, as well as technology needs such as laptops.

About Community College of Philadelphia
Community College of Philadelphia is an open-admission, associate-degree-granting institution which provides access to higher education for all who may benefit. The College serves Philadelphia by preparing its students to be informed and concerned citizens, active participants in the cultural life of the city and enabled to meet the changing needs of business, industry and the professions. For more information, visit ccp.edu and follow us on social media @CCPedu.