The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) is slated to spend $84 million to overhaul more than two dozen blighted properties in Germantown. The work, set to start by spring 2027, is expected to yield 121 affordable rental units scattered across the Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood. PHA took ownership of the 28 properties in October. The neglected properties — a mix including townhomes, rowhouses and apartment buildings — are vacant. The housing authority is currently in the design phase of the project, but expects to offer units ranging from one to five bedrooms. They will all be deeply affordable, available to households earning at or below 30% of area median income, or $35,820 for a family of four. The portfolio includes the historic Hamill Mill Apartments and Blakemore Apartments. The proposal is still in the preliminary stage, and PHA expects to seek low-income housing tax credits from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. It will take about 18 months to complete the renovations. The agency has also proposed building a new rental property in East Mount Airy to replace a vacant structure the city recently demolished because it was deemed unsafe.
Source: PlanPhilly; 1/9/2026