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Brith Sholom will be gutted, repaired as residents must relocate
The Philadelphia Housing Authority says the conditions inside an apartment complex are so horrible that they must completely gut the place. Meanwhile, it also means the more than 111 people living there will have to relocate.
PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker on Tuesday announced a historic $50 million investment from the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council to redevelop Brith Sholom House Apartments in Wynnefield Heights, aiming to create hundreds of affordable senior homes and union jobs.
Major investment to transform senior housing in Wynnefield
The Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council is providing a $50 million loan to the Philadelphia Housing Authority, backed by a city guarantee, to redevelop Brith Sholom House Apartments at 3939 Conshohocken Avenue, according to the city.
The city says this is the largest building trades-backed affordable housing initiative in Philadelphia’s history.
"This milestone demonstrates what’s possible when we unite and leverage every available tool in the toolbox to meet the needs of Philadelphians," Parker said in a statement.
The backstory:
This announcement from the city comes after years of residents organizing and reportedly facing "unacceptable conditions every day," according to the Public Interest Law Center, which represents the building’s elected tenants’ council. It says that residents dealt with "broken plumbing systems, exposed wires, leaking pipes, pest infestations and fire code violations."
Although the previous owner was ordered to fix these issues in a Nov. 2023 injunction, the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) ultimately stepped in to acquire the 360-unit property last year, setting the stage for its redevelopment, according to the city.
At the time, the PHA said the conditions inside the Brith Sholom House Apartments were so extensive that repairs could take up to two years.
File Photo.
President and CEO of the PHA, Kelvin A. Jeremiah told FOX 29 that "the building conditions, frankly, were far worse than we had imagined."
"I would say, candidly, I was shocked and appalled by the building conditions," he added.
Since then, the building's over 100 residents have relocated, according to previous FOX 29 reporting.
How the partnership works
By the numbers:
The $50 million investment from the Building Trades will be repaid over 15 years at a 4.5% interest rate, according to the city. An additional $8 million in city funds has already been committed to the project.
The project is projected to generate 545 union construction jobs and deliver 336 affordable apartments for seniors.
What they're saying:
"This isn’t an investment in the building trades. This is a down payment on our city’s future. If we don’t have affordable housing, we can’t move forward," Ryan Boyer, business manager for the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council said in a statement.
"This investment…is about restoring affordable housing, strengthening the community and returning this property to productive use so it can once again serve seniors and the neighborhood for generations to come," Jeremiah added in a new statement.
City leaders say the deal is part of Mayor Parker’s H.O.M.E. Initiative, a $2 billion plan to build, restore and preserve 30,000 housing units across Philadelphia.
What's next:
The city expects the redeveloped Brith Sholom Apartments to provide modern, affordable homes for seniors living on fixed or modest incomes, helping to address a critical need in the community.
What we don't know:
Officials have not announced a timeline for when construction will begin or when the new apartments will be available for residents.
The Source: Information from the City of Philadelphia, the Public Interest Law Center, court documents, the Philadelphia Housing Authority and previous FOX 29 reporting.