Strawberry Mansion Historic Home Repair Program

After ongoing stakeholder engagement and advocacy, LISC Philadelphia was thrilled to receive a $1.5M grant from the William Penn Foundation through their focus on Great Public Spaces; partnering with the Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation in piloting a home repair program for 25 owner-occupied historic homes throughout the neighborhood. Over a three-year pilot program, the grant seeks to combat the effects of resident displacement and model the recommendations of the Mayor’s Historic Preservation Task Force; expanding preservation activities in historic and culturally significant neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

Through the thoughtful and continued engagement of residents and neighbors LISC is committed to advancing equitable and neighbor-led solutions to the affordable housing crisis. Alongside direct home repairs, the pilot program will provide residents with ongoing community development support including tangled title workshops, referrals to City and private support agencies, and connection to ongoing housing related services. Repairing owner-occupied homes is a significant step in reducing resident displacement, empowering resident participation in civic engagement and protecting stable and affordable housing for future generations.

LISC is honored to work alongside both the William Penn Foundation and the Strawberry Mansion CDC stewarding home preservation in one of Philadelphia's most culturally rich and significant neighborhoods. By addressing the repair needs of owner-occupied homes we hope to support resident-led housing solutions, and amplify the voices of our neighbors. 

In addition to SMCDC and LISC, Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia (HFHP) and Mdesigns + MWJ Consulting will complete the repair work with financial assistance from the William Penn Foundation ($1.5 million grant) and the City of Philadelphia Housing Development. SMCDC also received a $120,000 award from the 1772 Foundation to complement their work.