People’s Emergency Center Opens New Affordable Housing Complex in West Powelton

Reclaiming a once-vacant lot, People’s Emergency Center (PEC) has opened a new affordable housing complex, Bigham Leatherberry Wise Place, in West Powelton. PEC is a human services and community development organization focused on the West Philadelphia neighborhoods of Mantua, Mill Creek, Belmont, Saunders Park and Powelton Village.

The $2.6 million project, named for two engaged local citizens and a former PEC board member, has 11-units in two adjacent buildings. Four of the units, intended for low- and moderate-income families, are located in a reclaimed 20th-century structure that PEC gutted and rehabbed in order to preserve some of the neighborhood’s existing character.

The seven additional apartments will be rented to formerly homeless women with special needs and their children. Two are fully accessible for people with disabilities; one is designed for individuals with sensory impairments.

All residents of Bingham Leatherberry Wise Place will have access to PEC’s support services, including case management, children’s programs, affordable childcare, counseling, and drug and alcohol outpatient treatment.

But services and affordability aren’t the complex’s only attributes, according to Kira Strong, the vice president of community and economic development at PEC. The project was designed with aesthetics in mind, and all 11 units feature abundant natural light, architectural details and energy-efficient appliances. A rain garden serves as a focal point in the courtyard, and younger residents can romp around in a backyard playspace.

Similar to the changes that occurred in Powelton Village, located north of Drexel University, West Powelton is a transitioning area, populated with many students and a glut of cheap, new construction.

For long-time residents, “there’s concerns about displacement and quality and architectural integrity,” Strong said. Those concerns guided PEC’s decision to incorporate the existing building into the design for the complex.

“There’s really a desire to keep some of the architectural fabric of the neighborhood, and we definitely want to be responsive to that,” Strong added.

PEC worked closely with community members to develop and execute the project. Because one of the entrances to the complex is situated in a narrow residential area, the nonprofit was able to allocate resources for residential street lighting and helped property owners with facade repairs.

“We were able to create a little bit of a ripple effect with the project and create some really good relationships with the local neighbors,” Strong said.

Along with Bingham Place, which PEC will lease and manage, the organization is also developing two nearby single-family units that will be available for ownership.

Image via People’s Emergency Center