🏠Promising signs for home builders | Morning Newsletter
Philadelphians seek therapy in native language
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The Morning Newsletter
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Wake up, it’s the first of the month. It’s Thursday, and we’re warming up with — believe it or not — some sunny (partially) skies and a high near 51.
In a normal year, the newly built single-family home business ebbs and flows. Philly-area builders had a strong 2023, and they’re feeling confident about 2024. Our lead story covers why they have a good feeling about this year.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Builders of single-family homes across the Philadelphia region see promising signs for new home sales this year.
Notable quote: “Generally, sentiment for the builders is that 2023 was a good year, and it’s still going to continue into this year,” said Richard S. Van Osten, executive vice president of the Builders League of South Jersey.
Not just here: This optimism is reflected throughout the country. Nationally, builders’ confidence in the new single-family home market rose in January for the second month, and builders in the northeastern United States are most confident, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
According to the association, this is all thanks to:
🏠Lower mortgage interest rates
🏠Supply issues no longer plaguing builders
🏠Inflation has been easing
But concerns remain: Some potential homebuyers still feel shut out of the market. And “long-term issues such as a shortage of buildable lots, a lack of skilled labor, and excessive regulations will continue to pose challenges for builders,” said Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, assistant vice president for forecasting and analysis at the National Association of Home Builders.
Keep reading to hear from more home builders in our area on what awaits the new construction market this year.
The spoken languages of Philly residents are underrepresented in the local mental health field.
That’s what Inquirer reporters found when comparing data pulled from Psychology Today, a website where many mental health providers list their practices, with census data.
This issue is particularly prevalent for 16% of Philadelphians who are immigrants and are looking for care in their native language. Census data show that 24% of Philadelphians speak a language other than English at home, and 11% don’t speak English very well.
For example, take Hider Shaaban, a clinical psychologist and the executive director of the Philadelphia Center for Psychotherapy.
Shaaban is one of four Arabic-speaking therapists in Philadelphia, according to Psychology Today. Meanwhile, roughly 3,700 Arabic-speaking Philly residents are not fluent in English, according to census data — demonstrating the disproportionate representation many locally spoken languages may have in the city’s mental health field.
Continue reading to see the full data and hear from experts on how sharing language can deeply impact the therapeutic experience.
What you should know today
A Philly police officer was shot while serving a narcotics warrant in the Yorktown section of the city Wednesday morning. It was the second time an officer has been shot in the past week.
Are you one of thousands of Philly-area workers who were paid unfairly and are owed back wages? The U.S. Labor Department is holding millions of unclaimed dollars. Here’s how to check if you’re eligible.
A Levittown man faces murder charges after he allegedly decapitated his father, posted a YouTube video in which he spouted right-wing conspiracy theories and displayed his father’s head, then fled to Lebanon County, authorities say.
A South Jersey man’s distinct Philadelphia Eagles beanie led FBI agents to his door this week. Online sleuths identified him from Jan. 6 riot footage.
The CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee as lawmakers and parents grow increasingly concerned about the effects of social media on young people’s lives.
Tahiem Weeks-Cook, 22, was fatally shot by FBI agents in August as they attempted to arrest him in the city’s Nicetown-Tioga section. His mother still has no idea what prompted her son’s death, and she says her repeated requests for information have seemingly fallen on deaf ears.
A Montgomery County township broke ground for a municipal complex on land that residents say is supposed to be preserved. The residents sought an emergency court injunction to try to halt the work.
All 321 apartments at Northgate, the landmark high-rise at the foot of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Camden, will be completely renovated and affordable for individuals and families with very low incomes.
Joel Embiid is undergoing further evaluation over the next 24 hours to determine the extent of his left knee injury. The 76ers center will miss Thursday’s game against the Utah Jazz.
🧠Trivia time
A local jewelry company in our region said their sales increased 2,260% after Taylor Swift was spotted wearing their custom “TNT” tennis bracelet.
Where is the company based?
A) King of Prussia
B) West Chester
C) Lancaster
D) Pottstown
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we're...
❤️ Remembering: The legacy of retired Inquirer reporter and editor Beth Gillin, who died last week at the age of 78.
đź‘€ Watching: Dozens of songs by major artists could be stripped from TikTok.
🍺 Touring: Two Locals, Philly’s first Black-owned brewery.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Phillies’ alternate jersey that may have been leaked online
NYC TECTONIC
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Dan Tureck who correctly guessed Wednesday’s answer: Fergus Carey. The hint was “Philly pub kingpin and famous Irishman.”
Photo of the day
Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. Take care, and I’ll bring you the latest news again tomorrow.
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