On July 21, 2023, local leaders and residents celebrated a $50,000,000 neighborhood revitalization grant for the long-underserved Bartram Village neighborhood in Southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The grant will be used to rehabilitate and transform affordable housing at Bartram Village, as well as make investments to create a neighborhood that is vibrant, well-connected to services and public transportation, and is safe and welcoming for Philadelphians.
The revitalization plan, called Blossom at Bartram, is a culmination of two years of intensive engagement and collaborative work between the City of Philadelphia, neighborhood residents, local organizations, development partners, and other community stakeholders.
The announcement was made by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and by U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5).
“Housing is more than just a roof over your head; it’s the place where safety, well-being, and community start. As the foundation of a neighborhood, housing determines whether businesses can thrive, the potential of future economic development, and the sense of community residents that feel,” Senator Casey said.
“Community leaders in Philadelphia have been working tirelessly for years to reimagine Bartram Village into a neighborhood anchor where residents can live, work, and play in a vibrant and safe environment and with this funding, they can make that vision a reality,” he added.
The design of the is by locally-based architecture and planning firm WRT.
“Housing is a human right, and this massive investment will help create more affordable housing in Philadelphia and improve the conditions of this complex and neighborhood,” Senator Fetterman said.
“As a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, which covers housing issues, I’ll always fight to make sure every Pennsylvanian has access to safe and affordable housing,” he continued.
“Today’s announcement that $50 million in federal funding is being awarded to Philadelphia Housing Authority for Bartram Village is a huge victory for housing access in PA-05,” Rep. Scanlon said.
“This funding is the kind of momentum our region needs to make the big, impactful changes to our communities that need it the most. I proudly voted to pass President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget which included a historically-high amount of funding available for Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) Grants, and I won’t stop fighting in Congress to expand access to affordable and stable housing for all Pennsylvanians,” she concluded.
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant Program, and will be awarded through the Philadelphia Housing Authority.
Images courtesy of WRT.