Asking your pastor for prayers is one thing. Asking them for a home is another.
But that’s what members of the Church of Christian Compassion in West Philly did almost 10 years ago. Seniors said they and their homes were aging, and they needed safe, affordable homes that didn’t require so much upkeep. Could the pastor help them in any way?
The church stepped up.
This year, it opened an apartment building for seniors, who pay rent based on their income.
Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:
Power imbalance: Home sellers have the upper hand in most Philly collar counties, which is rare among the country’s major housing markets.
Expanding care: The construction industry is facing a mental health crisis.
Development returning: Low costs, vacant land, and greenery are drawing developers to East Germantown.
Homebuying fate: Peek inside this 19th-century farmhouse in Mount Airy.
— Michaelle Bond
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Many Philly seniors struggle to afford basic costs. More than a third of residents 65 and older live below or near the poverty line.
And as housing costs rise, finding an affordable apartment as a senior can be difficult.
So the Church of Christian Compassion built a 38-unit apartment building to keep older residents from being pushed out of West Philly. And this week, the church and government officials celebrated the building filling with residents.
Rents are meant to be affordable for households making 20% to 60% of the area median income — roughly $17,200 to $51,540 for a single-person household.
A new resident told me she waited more than five years for a chance to get into the building. People told her she was crazy for waiting that long, but she said it was worth it.
W. Lonnie Herndon, the church’s senior pastor, said he hopes the homes can be “a place where our seniors don’t simply reside, but where they continue to live, laugh, flourish, share their wisdom, and impact the next generation.”
Keep reading to learn more about the apartment building and how it fits into the church’s mission.
Across the country, homebuyers have the upper hand. But it’s a seller’s market in Montgomery, Chester, and Bucks Counties.
That’s because buyers outnumber sellers, which gives sellers an advantage as more people compete for their properties.
Last month, the combined market that the real estate brokerage Redfin calls Montgomery, Chester, and Bucks Counties was one of only five seller’s markets out of the 49 most-populous U.S. markets that Redfin analyzed.
The distinction reflects the region’s strong demand for homes and a housing supply that isn’t keeping up.
Keep reading to learn more about trends in the region and to compare housing markets.
The latest news to pay attention to
The construction industry is facing a mental health crisis.
Low costs, vacant land, and greenery are drawing developers to East Germantown.
A mixed-income apartment project in Center City got its final approval after almost 11 years.
A developer wants to build a 43-unit apartment building in Old City that preserves historic features.
Atlantic City’s iconic Steel Pier is up for sale for $85 million.
A developer has sued Upper Merion Township over his rejected King of Prussia data center proposals.
House of the week: For $419,000 in East Falls, a four-bedroom rowhouse with a bunch of recently updated features.
Luxe listing: For almost $7 million in Chester County, a “magical” 15-acre property with walking paths, a meditation garden, a pool, and a pond.
The real estate gods may have been looking out for Devin and Taylor Lashbrook.
They got desperate in their search for a home in Mount Airy and tried to buy more than 10 properties without success. But Devin admitted they put offers on houses that he’s glad they didn’t get.
The Lashbrooks ultimately bought a 19th-century farmhouse next door to a house they’d bid on. But this one checked all their boxes.
They think they got lucky this time because they found the house over Labor Day weekend in 2020 and the roof needed to be replaced, which may have scared off buyers who weren’t down the Shore.
The Lashbrooks have tried to preserve the home’s history as they’ve made the property their own.
Peek inside the couple’s home, which has its quirks.
📷 Photo quiz
Do you know the location this photo shows?
📮 If you think you do, email me back.
Last week’s quiz stumped you. That was a photo taken at the Kai Yuan Temple on Cottman Avenue in Rhawnhurst.
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Lynnewood Hall, the formerly abandoned Gilded Age mansion, is back in the news. The historic Elkins Park property will open to the public for the first time in more than 80 years.
For a limited time, the 100,000-square-foot building is hosting a floral exhibition.
Let me know if you go. And enjoy the rest of your week.
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