The National Development Council has recognized the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Ludlow Scattered Site HOPE VI development in North Philadelphia as one of the nation’s best affordable housing neighborhoods.
Ludlow, which covers 22-square blocks, features a mix of rental and homeownership properties in a neighborhood located between Center City and Temple University. Of the 192 homes and apartments, 103 are homeownership and the other 89 are rental. Fifty-three of the homeownership units were developed in a partnership with APM (Asociacion de Puertorrriquenos en Marcha).
The National Development Council, the oldest national nonprofit community development organization in the U.S., recognized Ludlow at its NDC Academy 2009 in Washington, DC. Ludlow received the second place award (out of about 200 entries nationwide) in the Affordable Housing Development category. Following visual and oral presentations by each contestant, Academy attendees cast their votes, selecting the top three honorees in each category.
“Quality housing and strong neighborhoods are our product, so recognition from the National Development Council is gratifying and serves as validation of the work we do,” said PHA Executive Director Carl Greene.
Ludlow was a manufacturing neighborhood that began to deteriorate in the late 1940’s when “walk to work” jobs began to disappear in Philadelphia. The purpose of the development was to knit back the fabric of the neighborhood by building houses on vacant lots, creating homeownership and rental opportunities where none existed.
The long-term goal at Ludlow is to attract other developers, something that is already occurring, mostly through rehab.
Michael Johns, PHA’s chief architect, believes the Ludlow development serves as a model for the rest of the country.
“I think it was a great opportunity to showcase what the Philadelphia Housing Authority has done in a neighborhood that was considered one of the worst in the country,” he said. “The issues in this neighborhood exist in most urban areas across the United States. The way we were able to mitigate the situation and transform a portion of the neighborhood is something that can and should be duplicated.”
Johns believes “infill” developments such as Ludlow are critical to revitalizing American cities because it’s not always possible to acquire large, contiguous swaths of land. The strategy is challenging and requires the support and cooperation from government agencies outside the housing authority.
PHA set an example at Ludlow for developers of affordable housing when it marked completion of 60 homes certified to the federal Energy Star standard in February 2007. PHA was the first housing authority in Pennsylvania to build homes to that standard.
“By providing quality, energy efficient and eco-friendly housing like the Ludlow development, we are helping to improve neighborhoods, decrease energy consumption, reduce costs and protect our environment. We thank NDC for recognizing this effort,” Greene said
Private studies done for PHA verify that when the agency redevelops a neighborhood, property values increase, often significantly. Ludlow will have a modest improvement in neighborhood values, at the very least. It could gain even more because it sits adjacent to other neighborhoods that have undergone or are undergoing redevelopment.
PHA partnered with a private investor, MMA Financial, to build the Ludlow development and significantly improve the stock in the neighborhood. Just over one-half of the funding ($34.6 million) was generated through Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Construction of Ludlow, which cost $61.7 million, began in March 2007 and was completed in August 2008.
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