acknowledgments - the philadelphia citizen · 2020-06-11 · grays ferry one evening this past...

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Advisory CommitteeAl Littlepage, Point Breeze Community Development CoalitionAlice Shockley, Neighbors in ActionAndrew Evans, Resident Action Committee IIBernadette Peoples, Neighborhood ResidentCharles Reeves Jr., Resident Action Committee IIKyle Shenandoah, Grays Ferry Civic AssociationMeeka Outlaw, Neighborhood ResidentZelda Simpkins, South Philadelphia HOMES

Women’s Community Revitalization ProjectEboni Taggart, Community OrganizerChristi Clark, Organizing DirectorNora Lichtash, Executive Director

Interface Studio LLCMindy Watts, AICP, PrincipalYoona Ahn, Planner and Urban Designer

With funding f rom The Philadelphia CitizenInaugural Jeremy Nowak Urban Innovation Award

We dedicate this study to the life and work of our fellow community leader, neighbor, and friend, Kyle Shenandoah.

Kyle was an active member of the Advisory Committee for this work, fiercely committed to improving the quality of life for residents of his beloved Grays Ferry neighborhood. His life ended abruptly and far too soon when he was struck by a moving vehicle at the intersection of 34th and Grays Ferry one evening this past summer. Kyle’s death is a loss for his family and friends, for our community, and for our city.

Just 34 at the time of his passing, Kyle was full of ambition and positive energy. He was passionate about community development, and he had a rare ability to dream big and take action to effect change. We miss his presence in the neighborhood and grieve for all the good he had yet to do in the world.

We’ll do our best to honor his memory through our efforts to shape the future of Grays Ferry in ways that would make him smile and make him proud.

DEDICATION

List of Figures

Figure 1. Rendering of Mamie Nichols Townhomes 11Figure 2. Grays Ferry and Point Breeze Neighborhoods 12Figure 3. Map of the Grays Ferry Neighborhood 13Figure 4. Land Use 15Figure 5. Demographics 16Figure 6. Household Income and Housing-Cost Burdened 17Figure 7. New Residential Construction Permits in 2007, 2010, 2014, and 2018 18Figure 8. New Residential Construction Permits 2007-2017 19Figure 9. Change in Residential Sales by Price 2000-2018 21Figure 10. Percent of Renter-Occupied Housing-Cost Burdened Households, 2000 22Figure 11. Percent of Renter-Occupied Housing-Cost Burdened Households, 2017 23Figure 12. Publicly-owned Vacant Land & Buildings 24Figure 13. Vacancy based on 2014 field survey by Philadelphia City Planning Commission 25Figure 14. Four Focus Areas of Ground-Truthing 26Figure 15. Properties included in the RFP released by Land Bank in June 2019 27Figure 16. How a Community Land Trust builds community control 29

Figure 17. High-Vacancy Blocks Ground-Truthed by Community 35Figure 18. Ground Truth Area 3: 2014 Land Use Surveyed by PCPC 36Figure 19. Ground Truth Area 3: Updated Land Use 37Figure 20. Ground Truth Area 4: 2014 Land Use Surveyed by PCPC 38Figure 21. Ground Truth Area 4: Updated Land Use 39Figure 22. Ground Truth Area 2: 2014 Land Use Surveyed by PCPC 40Figure 23. Ground Truth Area 1: 2014 Land Use Surveyed by PCPC 41

1

Introduction WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT HOW GRAYS FERRY IS CHANGING

2TABLE OF CONTENTS

COMMUNITY PRIORITIES GOING FORWARD

On the Horizon APPENDIX

4 53

8 INTRODUCTION

Purpose of this Project

1Preserving Affordability in a Gentrifying Community is a community-driven effort by South Philadelphia residents working together to actively shape the future of the Grays Ferry neighborhood. The Women’s Community Revitalization Project (WCRP) convened the process and co-developed this work in collaboration with an Advisory Committee of community leaders representing the Grays Ferry and Point Breeze neighborhoods. This process aimed to build upon lessons learned in Point Breeze, which experienced rapid redevelopment and gentrification over the past decade, and to take proactive steps in support of development without displacement as market activity escalates in Grays Ferry.

The goals of this project were to:

• Convene community members and increase dialog between established community organizations, building toward a unified set of priorities to guide neighborhood change

• Understand the landscape of neighborhood change and gentrification in Point Breeze and Grays Ferry, reviewing and updating a series of maps on vacancy and real estate market activity

• Evaluate vacant parcels for equitable redevelopment that preserves housing affordability, exploring maps, conducting site visits, and facilitating conversations with community members

• Identify community priorities for change through discussions with the Advisory Committee and through a community survey

• Demystify the process for land acquisition and real estate development through a series of trainings based on WCRP’s experience with affordable housing development

• Understand existing mechanisms, such as Community Land Trusts, to ensure long-term affordability of residential and commercials properties into the future

This summary report, Preserving Affordability in a Gentrifying Community: South Philadelphia Residents Actively Shaping the Future of Grays Ferry includes a description of the project partners, what we have learned together about how Grays Ferry is changing, a summary of our collective priorities going forward shaped by our experiences and by the data we have collected and reviewed together, and a statement of next steps.

Introduction

9LAND MAPPING PROJECT GRAYS FERRYVacant lots and signs of new development around Grays Ferry

10 INTRODUCTION

Community Partners

Representatives from five South Philadelphia community-based organizations joined WCRP in this process as Advisory Committee members to explore opportunities and strategies for preserving long-term housing affordability in the Grays Ferry neighborhood in the face of building market pressure and gentrification spreading through Point Breeze and into Grays Ferry.

Over the course of the eight-month process from April through December 2019, Advisory Committee members met at least once each month, working together to:

• Review neighborhood demographic data and maps

• Ground truth land use maps of key blocks in the neighborhood, taking note of renovation and redevelopment to update vacancy maps and explore opportunities for equitable development

• Discuss community concerns and priorities for the future, both as a committee and among their local networks of neighbors and fellow community members, and

• Identify next steps in advocating for land and resources to help preserve affordability in Grays Ferry over the long-term

Two of the community organizations at the table are based in Grays Ferry:

• Resident Action Committee II

• Grays Ferry Civic Association

The other three community partners in this work are based in Point Breeze, at the table to share their experience and expertise in navigating neighborhood change:

• South Philadelphia H.O.M.E.S.

• Point Breeze Community Development Coalition

• Neighbors in Action

11LAND MAPPING PROJECT GRAYS FERRY

Women’s Community Revitalization Project

The Women’s Community Revitalization Project (WCRP) is committed to social and economic equity for low-income women and their families. WCRP develops affordable housing, provides supportive services, advocates for policy change, and honors and promotes leadership, dignity, and justice in our communities.

Over the past three decades, WCRP has developed 282 affordable homes in 10 different housing developments across Philadelphia.

As Philadelphia’s real estate market has strengthened, spurring new development and, in turn, rising property values, rising rents, and the displacement of long-term community members, WCRP co-founded The Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities (PCAC). Now 62 organizations strong, PCAC advocates for Development Without Displacement and campaigns for resources to expand and protect affordability in neighborhoods undergoing gentrification.

For more information: wcrpphila.org phillyaffordablecommunities.org

After four years of community conversations and ongoing organizing, advocacy, design, and fundraising efforts, WCRP will break ground in Spring 2020 on 33 new rental units in Point Breeze – the Mamie Nichols townhomes.

WCRP will also soon break ground on the construction of five homeownership units near the Mamie Nichols development. These homes will be sold to low- to moderate-income families and remain affordable forever, as part of the Community Justice Land Trust (CJLT).

These 38 new homes join other protected affordable housing developments in the neighborhood to secure a foothold for affordability in Point Breeze, but there is limited land available for future affordable housing development. With market pressure crossing 25th Street and gaining momentum in the adjacent Grays Ferry neighborhood, WCRP used the opportunity created by the inaugural Jeremy Nowak Urban Innovation Award grant awarded by The Philadelphia Citizen to continue Development Without Displacement trainings, advocacy, and community development groundwork with leaders from both Point Breeze and Grays Ferry.

For more information: wcrpphila.org/CJLT thephiladelphiacitizen.org/the-nowak-urban-innovation-award-goes-to

WCRP’s Work in South Philadelphia

Figure 1. Rendering of Mamie Nichols Townhomes

12 INTRODUCTION

Study Area

The study area for this community visioning, organizing, and advocacy effort encompasses the Grays Ferry and Forgotten Bottom neighborhoods in South Philadelphia, bound by 25th Street to the east, the Schuylkill River to the west, Grays Ferry Avenue to the north, and Moore Street/Vare and Snyder Avenues to the south. This summary report generally refers to the whole study area as Grays Ferry.

While Grays Ferry is the focus of the project, some of the research and mapping also includes Point Breeze, the neighborhood immediately east of Grays Ferry, spanning from Broad Street to 25th, Washington Avenue to Snyder. Where both neighborhoods are included in the mapping of real estate transactions and trends, the data on Point Breeze serve to illustrate the rapid pace at which gentrification has taken root in South Philadelphia, dramatically changing the landscape of affordability in Point Breeze and threatening to do so in Grays Ferry unless community members and elected officials take proactive steps to preserve affordable housing options for long-term residents and future generations.

Figure 2. Grays Ferry and Point Breeze Neighborhoods

13LAND MAPPING PROJECT GRAYS FERRY

Figure 3. Map of the Grays Ferry Neighborhood

14 WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT HOW GRAYS FERRY IS CHANGING

2Grays Ferry Today

Grays Ferry is composed of a mix of different land uses including a large industrial area along the Schuylkill River, severed from the neighborhood by highway ramps and railroad lines. It is a predominantly residential neighborhood, home to many residents, with 77% of properties in the neighborhood dedicated to single- and multi-family residential uses. The majority of these homes are located east of Interstate 76, but there is a pocket of residential west of the highway, commonly referred to as the Forgotten Bottom.

There are few large commercial and mixed-use parcels located along Grays Ferry Avenue and Snyder Avenue. Neighborhood institutions including the two charter schools on 32nd Street occupy 1% of the study area. Currently, 17% of all parcels are vacant, a higher vacancy rate than the adjacent Point Breeze neighborhood (11%), which has undergone rapid transformation in the past decade. Grays Ferry has three public parks including Vare Recreation Center that function as outdoor spaces and gathering places for community members.

Grays Ferry NeighborhoodSource) BroadStreetReview.com

What We Learned about How Grays Ferry is Changing

LAND MAPPING PROJECT GRAYS FERRY 15

Figure 4. Land Use


Though vacancy has taken root on many blocks in Grays Ferry, the development pattern is similar to other densely developed South Philadelphia neighborhoods, and many families and residents still call the neighborhood home. According to the American Community Survey, in 2017, there were 13,400 residents living in Grays Ferry, marking a 3% decrease since 2000.

Although the number of residents did not change much, the racial makeup of the residents shifted slightly between 2000 and 2017. The number of White residents decreased by a notable 41%, the number of Black or African American residents increased by 1%. The number of Asian residents increased the most dramatically, growing by 717%, although Asian residents still make up a smaller percentage of the neighborhood than White or Black residents (10%).

Grays Ferry is home to 5,000 households, and half of all households are renters. In 2017, the number of owners decreased by 16% since 2000, while the number of renters increased by 50% in the same time period.

Figure 5. Demographics

Who Lives Here?


As the population in the neighborhood has changed, so too have economic conditions, with implications for housing affordability. Household incomes in Grays Ferry have remained stagnant, with the median household income increasing by just 1% to $28,786, between 2000 and 2017, adjusted to 2017 dollars. Meanwhile, the median gross rent in Grays Ferry increased by 65% between 2000 and 2017.

Household incomes have not kept pace with housing costs, and this means that more local households in the neighborhood are housing-cost burdened, spending 30% or more of their monthly income on housing costs, which makes it difficult to afford other basic needs such as food and transportation.

In 2000, 43% of the renter households were housing-cost burdened, but in 2017, 54% of the renter households were housing-cost burdened. This means that at least one in two households in Grays Ferry have difficulty paying their rent and making ends meet every month. One in four owner households are housing-cost burdened.

Adjusting for inflation between 2000 and 2017, the number of households earning less than $15,000 per year has decreased during that time period by 13%, and the number of households earning more than $45,000 per year decreased by 24%. The number of households earning between $15,000 and

Figure 6. Household Income and Housing-Cost Burdened

Housing Prices and Affordability

$45,000 increased by 37%. The total number of households remained steady (decreasing by just 1%), suggesting either that households incomes went down, households with higher incomes moved out of the neighborhood while lower-earning households moved in, or some combination of the two.


While much of the analysis for this effort focuses on Grays Ferry, some of the mapping includes the Point Breeze neighborhood, immediately to the east. Market activity in Point Breeze helps both to put the observed uptick in residential development and speculation in Grays Ferry in context, and to make the case for proactive measures to preserve affordability in Grays Ferry, where possible, before market forces overwhelm the neighborhood.

In 2007, the number of new residential construction permits was comparable in the two neighborhoods. However, starting in 2013, Point Breeze began to see an exponential increase in new construction activity, illustrated here with new residential construction building permits. Between 2013 and 2017, the number of permits issued in Point Breeze increased by 580%, while investment activity in the Grays Ferry neighborhood demonstrated modest growth in construction activity. However, the market is starting to push into Grays Ferry neighborhood, starting in the neighborhood’s northeast corner.

Figure 7. New Residential Construction Permits in 2007, 2010, 2014, and 2018Source) Philadelphia License & Inspections, 2018

Market Pressure is Building, Spreading from Point Breeze into Grays Ferry


Figure 8. New Residential Construction Permits 2007-2017Source) Philadelphia License & Inspections, 2018


In addition to the new houses being built, the sale price of homes has increased over time, confirming that the housing market is becoming more expensive at a fast rate. According to the Office of Property Assessment data, 80% of residential sales in Grays Ferry between 2000 and 2002 were sold for less than $50,000. Ten years later, 54% of sales were sold for less than $50,000. By 2017 and 2018, only 20% of homes were sold for less than $50,000. The maps of residential sales by price over time illustrate both an increase in the volume of sales and an increase in the sale prices, two important indicators of a strengthening real estate market.

Compared to Point Breeze, Grays Ferry has seen a slower rate of change. From 2000 to 2002, the median sale price for a single family home in Grays Ferry was $32,000 compared to $25,000 in Point Breeze. Between 2017 and

2018, the median sale price for a single family home in Grays Ferry was $89,000 compared to $216,000 in Point Breeze. Adjusting for inflation, the median sale price in Grays Ferry nearly doubled, increasing by 95% between 2002 and 2018, while it quintupled in Point Breeze, increasing by 506%.

In addition to the uptick in the number of sales and the sale prices in Grays Ferry, there are more private entities, notably LLCs, purchasing land and houses in Grays Ferry. Between 2017 and 2018, at least 25% of the residential sales were to buyers listed as LLCs or other incorporated development entities. It is likely that some of the other sales were also to investor purchasers operating under their given names. In a community of many long-term residents, this increase interest by investors raises concerns about neighbors who have left already and neighbors who may be forced to leave if rents and taxes become unaffordable.

80% of residential sales in Grays Ferry were sold for less than $50,000 between 2000 and 2002.

By 2017 and 2018, only

20% of homes were sold for less than $50,000.


Figure 9. Change in Residential Sales by Price 2000-2018Source) Philadelphia OPA, October 2018


Market trends in the Grays Ferry neighborhood and in neighboring Point Breeze impacts renter-occupied households especially, as many landlords pass along increases in property taxes to tenants in the form of higher monthly rents. In 2000, about 43% of the renter-occupied households identified themselves as being housing-cost burdened, and this was equivalent to the City’s rate of 43%.

what is...housing-cost burdened?

• A household is housing-cost burdened when more than 30% of its monthly income is spent on housing costs including rent or mortgage payments.

Figure 10. Percent of Renter-Occupied Housing-Cost Burdened Households, 2000


Figure 11. Percent of Renter-Occupied Housing-Cost Burdened Households, 2017

In 2017, however, more than half (54%) of the renter households are housing-cost burdened and this is now higher than the City’s rate. Similar percentage of households in Point Breeze is also housing-cost burdened, which indicates that the issue of affordability crosses neighborhood lines and is not pertained to a specific neighborhood.


Along with the changes in housing market conditions, the number of vacant lots and buildings in South Philadelphia has been declining. From one perspective, this can be seen as a positive trend of redeveloping empty land and putting it back into productive use. However, from another perspective, this indicates a reduced opportunity to provide affordable housing options in neighborhoods where prices are skyrocketing.

City land use data collected by the Planning Commission in 2014 suggests that in Grays Ferry, there are about 1,000 vacant parcels, with some clustered within a few blocks especially in the northeastern part of the neighborhood.

Figure 12. Publicly-owned Vacant Land & Buildings

Limited Opportunities to Preserve Affordability


Figure 13. Vacancy based on 2014 field survey by Philadelphia City Planning Commission

There are about

1,000

vacant parcels.

Out of these,

180 parcels are publicy-owned.


After a ground-truthing exercise conducted by Advisory Committee members to compare land use data to current conditions on the ground in the four areas shown in figure 14, it became obvious that efforts to rehab the vacant buildings and develop vacant land are already underway, reducing the footprint of vacancy and potential for a sizable cluster of vacant properties necessary for an affordable rental housing development of 25 or more units. For example, in just one block of Latona between 26th and 27th Streets, there are seven newly constructed homes and five residential rehabilitations.

(See Appendix for additional detail from ground-truthing, pages 35-41.)

Figure 14. Four Focus Areas of Ground-Truthing


In addition to the changes observed on the ground, two new Request for Proposals have been released by the Philadelphia Land Bank to develop 43 properties for moderate-income and market rate homeownership units in Grays Ferry. All of the properties included are either within or close to the four areas of ground-truthing conducted by the Advisory Committee. The land committed by the Land Bank for these developments resulted in a 21% reduction in the public inventory of land in Grays Ferry. With limited and scattered available land to acquire for the development of new, truly affordable housing, the opportunity to pursue a tax credit rental development in Grays Ferry seems to have passed.

Figure 15. Properties included in the RFP released by Land Bank in June 2019

Persons in Household 80% of AMI

1 $50,500

2 $57,700

3 $64,900

4 $72,100

5 $77,900

6 $83,650

7 $89,450

8 $95,200

28 COMMUNITY PRIORITIES GOING FORWARD

3Through this process of sharing our experiences and mapping and quantifying the ways in which our Grays Ferry neighborhood is changing, we identified five collective priorities that pertain to current and anticipated future development efforts. These five priorities are shared by the members of the Advisory Committee and each of our respective organizations. As community leaders, Registered Community Organizations (RCOs), and engaged neighbors, we will work to advance local reinvestment efforts and programs that:

1. Preserve affordability over time

We were surprised to learn that at least 25% of real estate sales in the past two years (2017-2018) were to entities that appear to be investor LLCs, likely a mix of speculators and private developers who will build and sell for the top price that the strengthening real estate market in Grays Ferry will fetch.

We recognize that the Philadelphia Land Bank’s two 2019 Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for new homeownership development in Grays Ferry require that at least 70% of homes built on the 43 parcels available for redevelopment are “affordable.” If one home is built atop each parcel, this will result in 30 new homes sold for $185,000 or less to buyers earning 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) or less.

what is...AREA MEDIAN INCOME?

$90,100 (Philadelphia - Camden - Wilmington MSA)

We also recognized that the Area Median Income of $90,100 is far higher than that of our neighborhood, and that purchasing one of the new affordable homes will be out of reach of many in our community.

Community Priorities Going Forward


While we welcome these new homeownership units, we also see a need for:

• Truly affordable, quality rental options for the low- and very-low income families in our community

• Homeownership opportunities that are affordable for existing residents in our community, where the median household income is $28,800

• New rental and ownership developments to be placed into a community land trust, which is a tool that supports permanent affordability for future occupants and generations

Figure 16. How a Community Land Trust builds community control

30 COMMUNITY PRIORITIES GOING FORWARD

2. Support existing homeowners who wish to remain in their homes

We know that new development is not the only solution for stabilizing and revitalizing our Grays Ferry neighborhood. Many of our neighbors live in existing Philadelphia rowhomes, the majority of which were built over 100 years ago. These homes have seen varying degrees of reinvestment and maintenance over the years. Today, many residents – particularly disabled and senior residents on fixed incomes – struggle to make necessary repairs. And as property values rise, long-term residents face a new challenge: rising property taxes.

Alongside the necessary new development efforts that put vacant property in Grays Ferry back to active use, we need outreach and access to critical City programs and other services including:

• Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP), which provides free repairs to address electrical, plumbing, heating, structural, and roofing emergencies in eligible owner-occupied homes

• Longtime Owner Occupants Program (LOOP), a Real Estate Tax relief program for eligible homeowners

• Foreclosure prevention

3. Prevent displacement of long-term community members

We know that many of our neighbors and their families have lived in the Grays Ferry community for decades, passing houses down to the next generation. In some cases, the deeds to the property have not been formally transferred, resulting in “tangled titles,” or situations in which the named property owner may have passed away or the intended owner and/or current occupant may not be able to demonstrate clear ownership. Such situations are often accompanied by delinquent taxes, as the tax bills addressed to a previous owner may not be reviewed and paid in a timely fashion by current occupants.

To prevent displacement of long-term residents and families who are vulnerable to property loss through Sheriff’s Sale or quiet title actions that seek to resolve competing claims to property, we need to increase awareness about existing resources for resolving tangled titles and what to do if you receive a Sheriff’s Sale notice for your property or your neighbors. Opportunities to enter into payment plans with the City can stave off a Sheriff’s Sale proceeding, temporarily or altogether.


4. Hold developers accountable

We strongly believe that as a community, we need to hold developers accountable. RCOs in Grays Ferry should work together to develop a process and designating responsibilities for monitoring construction progress, ensuring that completed projects are in keeping with projects approvals. Construction monitoring is also important for maintaining quality of life in our neighborhood.

For larger-scale developments in Grays Ferry, Community Benefits Agreements may be an additional tool to ensure that new developments contribute to the characteristics of a strong and health neighborhood, including income diversity, open space, and community space, among others.

5. Encourage ongoing advocacy by a unified coalition of community groups

In the face of rapid change, we understand that it is critical that community organizations are organized and in frequent communication. Together, with a unified voice, we have collective power, which can be used to steer decisions made by our City Council representative, hold the Philadelphia Land Bank accountable, and advocate for policy changes citywide that will generate and sustain much needed resources to protect and expand housing affordability in South Philadelphia and elsewhere across the city.

We know that we must continue to broaden our coalition and engage our neighbors as active stewards shaping neighborhood change.

32 ON THE HORIZON

4Questions remain about the future of land use and development patterns in Grays Ferry.

In the coming years, WCRP will be at work building permanently affordable homes in Point Breeze for low- and moderate-income families. In July 2019, WCRP received tax credits for 33 low-income rental units, which will comprise the Mamie Nichols Townhomes. The ground-breaking will occur late this fall, with construction well underway by Spring 2020. These units should be set to welcome their first tenants by Spring 2021.

WCRP will also move forward with five moderate-income homeownership units as part of the Mamie Nichols development in Point Breeze. These homes will be sold for roughly $150,000 to low- and moderate-income families. The land that the homes are built on will be owned by the Community Justice Land Trust, which will help to ensure that the homes remain affordable for future home buyers.

While WCRP determined through this research process that there may not currently be enough contiguous parcels of land available for redevelopment to pursue a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) development project in Grays Ferry, similar to Mamie Nichols in Point Breeze, WCRP and the Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities will remain active in ongoing advocacy efforts to maintain affordable housing opportunities in neighborhoods across South Philadelphia and thereby to maintain intact communities in the face of new development and threats of gentrification.

On the Horizon


The idea behind a community land trust is that the nonprofit group will hold on to the land, in WCRP’s case with a renewable 99-year ground lease. The lease guarantees that rental housing built on the property will be permanently affordable, despite expiring subsidies. For homeowners, it means they can build equity, but there will be a cap on how high the sale price can go, ensuring that when they sell, a family of a similar income and class background can buy it.

...

“Where land trusts have been most effective are in areas with rapidly transforming prices, and we didn’t have that in Philadelphia for a long time,” said Dina Schlossberg, a senior attorney at Regional Housing Legal Services.

...

The Mamie Nichols Homes will sell for $150,000. The idea is to keep a supply of homes affordable for low-to-moderate income families, even as market prices in the surrounding area shoot skyward.

[Jake Blumgart for PlanPhilly, Affordable forever? A new kind of housing comes to South Philadelphia, November 2019]

34 APPENDIX

5Field Survey Results from Community Ground-Truthing Efforts

The research phase of Preserving Affordability in a Gentrifying Community did not include a field survey to update the land use and vacancy data collected by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) staff in 2014 for the Philadelphia 2035 South District Plan. Given the perceived – and now documented – pace of change already afoot in Grays Ferry, members of the Advisory Committee teamed with WCRP staff conducted field surveys of four different square-block areas identified as pockets of potential opportunity for affordable housing development given the concentration of vacancy (past or present) in these areas.

The pages that follow illustrate the land use recorded by PCPC just five years ago, noting the changes observed by Committee members, along with updated land use maps, current as of August 2019, for the two blocks that have experienced the most significant change of the four areas surveyed.

Appendix


Field Survey Results from Community Ground-Truthing Efforts

Figure 17. High-Vacancy Blocks Ground-Truthed by Community

Figure 18. Ground Truth Area 3: 2014 Land Use Surveyed by PCPC

36 APPENDIX

Source: Open Data Philly

Figure 19. Ground Truth Area 3: Updated Land Use


Source: Resident Field Survey, May 2019

CORRECTIONS

• 7 New

Construction

• 5 Rehabs

• 5 Vacant Lots

• 1 Demolition

• 1 Zoning Notice


38 APPENDIX


Figure 21. Ground Truth Area 4: Updated Land Use

CORRECTIONS

• 3 New

Construction

• 1 Rehab

• 5 Vacant Lots

• 1 Demolition

• 1 Land Bank Notice


Source: Resident Field Survey, May 2019


CORRECTIONS

No changes recorded

40 APPENDIX



CORRECTIONS

No changes recorded



42 APPENDIX

Community Survey Tool

As part of the process, the Advisory Committee helped draft a short-form Community Survey to ask residents about their history in the neighborhood, their concerns about housing and affordability, and their values and priorities for revitalization efforts.

The survey launched online just over a week before Kyle’s tragic death and received 12 responses. Plans to issue a community e-blast with a link to the survey and to administer the survey door-to-door were put on hold so that the community could focus on grieving, remembering Kyle, and healing. The survey remains a tool for future use.

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ho li

ve in

the

nei

ghb

orh

oo

d c

oul

d

a�o

rd t

hese

ho

mes

.

No

. I t

hink

tha

t p

rice

and

tho

se in

com

e ra

nges

are

to

o e

xpen

sive

/ h

igh

for

mo

st p

eop

le in

the

nei

ghb

orh

oo

d.

6.

Do

yo

u t

hin

k th

at t

he

ne

igh

bo

rho

od

ne

ed

s m

ore

qu

alit

y, a

ffo

rdab

le r

en

tal h

ou

sin

g?

3. D

o y

ou

wan

t to

sta

y in

th

e n

eig

hb

orh

oo

d, a

nd

wh

y?

TE

LL U

S A

BO

UT

YO

UR

CO

NC

ER

NS

AB

OU

T H

OU

SIN

G &

AF

FO

RD

AB

ILIT

Y IN

GR

AY

S F

ER

RY

Yes,

bec

ause

No

, bec

ause

I do

n’t

kno

w, b

ecau

se

(Exa

mp

le: 2

60

0 b

lock

of

Wha

rto

n)

GR

AY

S F

ER

RY

LA

ND

MA

PP

ING

PR

OJE

CT:

MIN

I-S

UR

VE

Y Q

UE

ST

ION

S

8.

Wh

at a

re y

ou

r to

p c

on

cern

s ab

ou

t h

ow

th

e n

eig

hb

orh

oo

d is

ch

ang

ing

? C

ho

ose

TW

O

AB

OU

T O

UR

NE

IGH

BO

RH

OO

D V

ALU

ES

AN

D P

RIO

RIT

IES

FO

R R

EV

ITA

LIZ

AT

ION

The

re is

to

o m

uch

tras

h an

d il

leg

al d

ump

ing

E

xist

ing

bui

ldin

gs

need

reh

abili

tati

on

Peo

ple

I kn

ow

hav

e b

een

forc

ed t

o m

ove

bec

ause

of

incr

easi

ng h

ous

ing

pri

ces

New

ho

mes

bei

ng d

evel

op

ed a

re n

ot

a�o

rdab

le t

o t

he p

eop

le w

ho li

ve h

ere

pri

ces

Gre

en s

pac

es a

re b

eing

lost

to

dev

elo

pm

ent

Sp

ecul

ato

rs a

re b

uyin

g u

p la

nd a

nd h

ous

es

11.

Ho

w o

ld a

re y

ou

?

TE

LL U

S A

BIT

MO

RE

AB

OU

T Y

OU

RS

ELF

(OP

TIO

NA

L)

Und

er 1

818

-24

25-3

435

-49

50-6

46

5 an

d O

ver

14.

Ho

w m

any

pe

op

le a

re in

yo

ur

ho

use

ho

ld?

1 23 4

5 6+

13.

Th

e m

ed

ian

ho

use

ho

ld in

com

e in

Gra

ys F

err

y is

ab

ou

t $

29,0

00

pe

r ye

ar. A

re y

ou

co

mfo

rtab

le

shar

ing

yo

ur

ho

use

ho

ld in

com

e t

o h

elp

mak

e t

he

cas

e f

or

the

ne

ed

fo

r af

ford

able

ho

usi

ng

in t

he

n

eig

hb

orh

oo

d?

Less

tha

n $

15,0

00

per

yea

r

If y

es, m

y ho

useh

old

inco

me

is:

$15

,00

0 –

$29

,00

0 p

er y

ear

$29

,00

0 -

$4

0,0

00

per

yea

r

I pre

fer

not

to s

hare

tha

t in

form

atio

n$4

0,0

00

- $

50,0

00

per

yea

r $

50,0

00

- $

60

,00

0 p

er y

ear

$6

0,0

00

- $

70,0

00

per

yea

r

$70

,00

0 -

$8

5,0

00

per

yea

r$

85,

00

0 -

$10

0,0

00

per

yea

rM

ore

tha

n $

100

,00

0 p

er y

ear

12.

Wh

at is

yo

ur

race

an

d/o

r e

thn

icit

y? C

he

ck a

ll th

at a

pp

ly

Afr

ican

Am

eric

anC

auca

sian

Asi

anH

isp

anic

/ L

atin

oO

ther

:

9.

Wh

at k

ind

s o

f n

ew

de

velo

pm

en

t d

oe

s th

e n

eig

hb

orh

oo

d n

ee

d m

ost

?

A�

ord

able

ren

tal h

ous

ing

A�

ord

able

ho

meo

wne

rshi

p o

pp

ort

unit

ies

10.

Do

yo

u w

ant

to h

elp

us

advo

cate

fo

r ch

ang

e?

Yes,

her

e is

my

emai

l or

pho

ne n

umb

er:

No

, tha

nks

Mix

ed in

com

e o

r m

arke

t ra

te h

ous

ing

Co

mm

unit

y-se

rvin

g b

usin

esse

s an

d s

ervi

ces,

suc

h as

Gar

den

s an

d g

reen

sp

ace

The

re is

ten

sio

n b

etw

een

long

-ter

m r

esid

ents

and

new

er n

eig

hbo

rs o

r in

vest

ors

Co

mm

unit

y m

emb

ers

need

to

uni

fy a

nd o

rgan

ize

for

chan

ge

Oth

er:

Oth

er:

acknowledgments - the philadelphia citizen · 2020-06-11 · grays ferry one evening this past...

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