2022

PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia announced today the launch of the Violence Prevention Support Services initiative, a partnership between the City and Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). The two agencies will collaborate to advance key strategies in the Philadelphia Roadmap to Safer Communities. The project focuses on delivering supportive services to individuals ages 18 to 34 living in PHA supported housing and who are at high risk of becoming involved in or a victim to gun violence.

As the largest landlord in Pennsylvania and with many of its residents highly at-risk of engaging in or becoming victims of gun violence, the Philadelphia Housing authority is uniquely positioned to partner with the City in this effort and tackle this issue of gun violence head on.

“As we fight to protect our communities and do everything we can to create a safer Philadelphia,
we continue to strive towards stronger collaboration and coordination across all our services— with a strong focus on neighborhoods and areas of the city that are most impacted by violence,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “This partnership with PHA is a meaningful step forward that will help enhance our ability to deliver resources, supports, and services to the people most in need.”

The Anti-Violence Support Services initiative seeks to reduce gun violence in the following ways:

1. Expanding and deepening outreach and engagement to individuals most at risk of committing gun violence.
2. Expanding the availability of supportive services for those individuals most at risk of committing gun violence.

To achieve these goals, the City looks to increase access to resources for individuals most at risk of committing gun violence living within public housing by expanding on-site services for residents living within or near PHA supported housing. The initiative will launch at the following PHA sites:

1. Bartram Village (5404 Gibson Drive, 19143)
2. Strawberry Mansion Apartments & Gordon Apartments (33rd & Berks Streets, 19121)
3. Wilson Park (2500 Jackson Street, 19145)
4. Raymond Rosen (2301 West Edgley Street, 19121)
5. Richard Allen (110 Poplar Street, 19123)

“The PHA is excited to partner with the City of Philadelphia and the Resident Advisory Board (RAB) on this important initiative,” said PHA’s President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “The RAB represents PHA residents from across all parts of the City and they have a deep understanding of the needs of the communities we serve. They are well positioned to lead this effort. I want to thank them and the Mayor for this important collaboration that will reach the young men in these communities.”

The Resident Advisory Board will lead the initiative with support from leading non-profits focused on violence prevention, Every Murder Is Real and Father’s Day Rally Committee. The initiative will be conducted in two phases. Phase One involves outreach to 300+ individuals at risk of involvement with gun violence, with the goal of enrolling 150. During Phase one, enrolled participants attend facilitated sessions for ten weeks to receive financial, professional, and mental health support, with financial incentives of up to $1,000 for participants hitting key milestones. Phase Two will provide ongoing mental health support and focuses on career selection, skill building, and connection to job training and other employment services provided by the PHA partners such as PowerCorpsPHL, PHA CVS Pharmacy Tech Program, PHA’s entrepreneurial fellowships and more.

The Violence Prevention Support Services Initiative is funded jointly by the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Housing Authority and will continue throughout the fall.

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.

National housing nonprofit HELP USA, in partnership with the Philadelphia Housing Authority, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, PHDC, and the City of Philadelphia, celebrated the grand opening of The Brigadier General Hazel Johnson Brown Veterans Center at HELP Philadelphia VI. The renovation of the former school in the Sharswood neighborhood of North Philadelphia created 55 units of housing for seniors and homeless veterans.

“Opening our sixth project in Philadelphia is a significant milestone,” said David Cleghorn, Chief Housing Officer at HELP USA. “This building will provide housing and support services to people in need. Its transformation from an abandoned building into an
asset for the neighborhood and the city exemplifies the best kind of public-private collaborations.”

The 51 one-bedroom and 4 two-bedroom apartments are designated for low-income seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. Nine units have been set aside expressly for formerly homeless or special needs veterans. The building also houses a community room, health-service spaces, and office space for supportive services.

“We strongly support this development of Veterans housing for worthy veterans who need safe, affordable places to call home in Philadelphia,” said Philadelphia Council President Darrell Clarke. “These men and women served our Country admirably; now, it’s time we
served them, and this development helps us all towards that worthy goal.”

The project serves as a partner to Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Sharswood Blumberg Neighborhood Choice Revitalization Plan. This ambitious plan is already working to radically transform the neighborhood from high-rise public housing to a more residential scale by renovating senior housing and constructing single-family townhouses.

“It is an honor to again support our great community partner HELP USA in its mission to provide homes for the
people most in need, particularly our formerly homeless veterans,” said PHA President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “Our commitment includes funding of more than $1,000 a month for the next 20 years for 49 of the units in this building, and a long-term $1.5 million loan. The conversion of this formerly vacant school building represents the latest addition to the ongoing, incredible transformation of Sharswood that PHA is privileged to lead.”

The project has received widespread support, including endorsements from Governor Tom Wolf, Mayor Jim Kenney, Council President Darrell Clarke, State Senator Sharif Street, and former U.S. Representative Bob Brady.

“PHDC is proud to be a part of this development that helps house our seniors and homeless veterans,” said
David Thomas, CEO of PHDC. “Our commitment to affordable housing and community development through financing, land, and other solutions are important to projects like this. The Reynolds School, once used to educate our children, has been repurposed to become the Brigadier General Hazel Johnson Brown Veterans Center, helping house some of our most vulnerable residents in Philadelphia.”

“The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation is proud to once again partner with our friends at HELP USA”, said Leo Carlin,
President of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. “Joining forces on this project in Philadelphia was important to us as it
addresses a huge need in this community by providing not only a safe place for people to call home, but also services that can help shape the rest of their lives. The JBJ Soul Foundation has always believed that projects like this one are made possible by organizations from all sectors coming together to make a difference and we are thrilled to be one of them.”

About HELP USA
HELP USA is one of the nation’s largest homeless service providers and low-income housing developers serving at-riskpopulations, including families, veterans, and victims of domestic violence. HELP USA currently serves more than 8,000people every day at over 50 programs and residences across five states. Since its founding in 1986, HELP USA has servedmore than 500,000 men, women, and children and developed more than 2,500 units of housing.

About PHDC
PHDC is the City of Philadelphia’s full-service community development organization. For over 40 years, PHDC creates and provides services and programs that make Philadelphia a great place to live. PHDC helps residents, communitygroups, businesses and developers repurpose vacant land. PHDC also facilitates the repair of homes and finances affordable housing projects. Supported by dedicated staff, PHDC works in every neighborhood in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Land Bank and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority is staffed by PHDC, and PHDC works closely with theCity’s Department of Planning and Development. Visit https://phdcphila.org/ to learn more.