Talk of the Townhouses

by Amy L. Webb

Residents in South Philly wandering past the site of the old Tasker Homes on 29th and Morris -- now filled with new townhouses and lawns -- have been wondering when "for sale" signs will be erected. The townhouses are part of the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (PHA) redevelopment project, which has been tearing down housing projects throughout the city and replacing them with low-density affordable housing.

"We found that when a whole lot of nonworking people live close together, the result is high crime, drug use, poor performance by kids in school and safety concerns," says PHA spokesperson Kirk Dorn. "A decision was made to help people who need housing assistance move up and eventually out into their own places. So the look and feel of new housing developments, such as the Tasker Homes, is much more suburban."

Dorn says the first phase of townhouses will be finished by June. Unlike the former housing project, which held more than 1,000 people in very close corners, the new model will afford residents more space. The original Tasker Home complex, built during World War II, had 1,100 units. The new Tasker will offer 554 homes with small yards and driveway space. While the first available homes will be reserved for former Tasker Home residents, remaining units will be rented to the general public this spring. To qualify, potential renters must earn less than 50 percent of the area median income, which is $34,000 for a family of four. Rent has yet to be determined. Some townhouses will be sold under a property management company for market rate, the exact amount to be determined just before the sale. Dorn says the city has yet to select a management firm.

Tasker Homes is the latest example of how PHA is replacing former housing projects -- such as the Richard Allen Homes and Mill Creek -- with low-density neighborhoods. This means fewer housing units are being made available to low-income families. Opinion remains split as to whether low-density public housing is a good idea: Economists and redevelopment specialists say the new model will help deter crime and offer a better quality of life. Some housing advocacy groups, such as the Women's Community Revitalization Project, argue the city needs to offer more immediate affordable housing for everyone who needs it.

"Although we are not replacing some of the housing developments with the exact number of units, residents who need assistance have the option to move to other PHA developments," Dorn says, adding that he doesn't anticipate any low-income housing shortages due to the changes.

For more information, see www.pha.phila.gov/home/default.aspx.