A quarter of the units will be reserved for individuals who have a disability or have experienced homelessness, Jeremiah said. About a dozen units will be either ADA-accessible or equipped for people with hearing and visual impairments.
The property will offer tenants a variety of services, including transportation services and an adult day care program.
“We have to continue to make investments in affordable housing. We have to continue to make sure that people have access. There are so many people who have grown up, raised families, in this community and can no longer maintain large houses,” state Sen. Sharif Street said during the ceremony.
Frankel Enterprises is developing the project using public funding, including PHA capital dollars and low-income housing tax credits, which will keep the units affordable for decades.
When completed, the building will honor U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, who is set to retire in January after serving a decade in Congress. He previously spent nearly 40 years as a state legislator in Harrisburg, where he chaired the powerful House Appropriations Committee and helped steer millions to Philadelphia.
“It is a collective effort that this is happening,” Evans said. “We have some very challenging times coming, but we can do it as long as we stay focused and determined to make a difference.”
PHA is building a 63-unit apartment building for seniors in the Sharswood section of North Philadelphia. (Aaron Moselle/WHYY)