Strawberry Mansion CDC Earns Award for Continued Fight to Preserve Historic Homes & Combat Resident Displacement
Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation' s (SMCDC) ongoing efforts to combat the effects of resident displacement in North Philadelphia have received additional support and recognition. Recently, SMCDC received a $120,000 award from The 1772 Foundation to complement their Historic Home Repair Program.
The award expands the three-year pilot program aimed at repairing and preserving 25 owner-occupied historic homes throughout the neighborhood. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed tremendous threats of resident displacement in the midst of rapidly changing market conditions. SMCDC, in conjunction with their generous partners, are committed to keeping generations-owned properties in the rightful hands of the families who built them and desire to stay in the neighborhood.
A portion of the awarded funds will support the creation of a Historic Preservation Owner’s Advocate. This role will serve as a trusted voice who can help build the CDC’s capacity to continue this preservation work well beyond the current pilot. Additionally, participating homeowners throughout the phases of the pilot would have an advocate to help them make the best decisions for their homes’ preservation repair work in terms of historical relevancy and affordability.
“With our partners, we are working to build a holistic, multi-faceted program that will serve as a model for people-centered preservation,” says Tonnetta Graham, SMCDC Executive Director. “Our long-term residents deserve to be able to age in place and obtain resources that support sustainable homeownership and property maintenance.”
SMCDC is collaborating with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and others to design and implement a replicable Historic Home Repair Program in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of North Philadelphia. Guiding principles for the program include advancing racial equity, economic inclusion, community capacity building and deeper engagement of residents to support sustainable homeownership for lower-income households.
LISC Philadelphia has long been a champion for advancing equitable and neighbor-led solutions to the affordable housing crisisand believe the protection and preservation of affordable housing is key to advancing racial justice and closing the gap on historic inequities and housing instability.