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Walnut Hill West Celebrates New Life

Walnut Hill West Celebrates New Life
Thursday, October 25, 2012

Yesterday, 1260 celebrated the ribbon-cutting of Walnut Hill West - 32 fully renovated, green and affordable apartments in West Philadelphia.

Ms. Teena Watson and her daughter Nakeya, one of the first families to move in
to Walnut Hill West, cut the ribbon with help from Councilwoman Blackwell.

Ms. Teena Watson, resident, told the story of her family's journey to Walnut Hill West. Six months ago, she was in Erie, looking to relocate back to Philadelphia and wondering if a homeless shelter was going to be her only option. "I came back to go to school, get a job, and try to get a better life for my children," Watson said. But finding housing that was affordable and could also accommodate her disability proved to be a problem. Watson is hearing-impaired and told her story through interpreter Crystal Blue of the Society for Helping Church. Then came the break-through: CPM Housing Group had a unit designed especially for hearing-impaired occupants at Walnut Hill West, a newly-renovated affordable apartment complex in West Philadelphia. And the rest is history!

Brian Hudson, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) spoke about PHFA’s longstanding relationship with CPM, and CPM’s history of using its resources to help those who need it most. Congressman Chaka Fattah and Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell also gave testament to CPM’s work and what it has meant to both this West Philadelphia neighborhood and across the City.

Jill Fink, Executive Director of Back on My Feet (BoMF) Philadelphia, spoke about CPM’s new partnership with BoMF to address the housing needs of Philadelphia’s homeless. And Kenny Herder, a member of BoMF and a CPM resident at 8020 Ditman Street, spoke about his experience and what having a home means to him.

ABOUT WALNUT HILL WEST
These 32 affordable apartments, in 6 buildings in West Philadelphia, have been fully renovated using green design and materials aimed at enhancing both the sustainability of the project and the health of its occupants. The project also features solar panels which are expected to supply 70-75% of the power for the community room, laundry room, exterior lighting and other common areas. The $12.7 Million rehabilitation has been funded by an equity investment from PNC Bank, generated by low income housing tax credits allocated to the project by PHFA, along with soft project loans from the Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia and PHFA.

CPM is working closely with the Veteran’s Administration and Back on My Feet to provide housing for a diverse, but vulnerable group of individuals and households. Just blocks from a Fresh Grocer and the 56th Street El stop, Walnut Hill West Apartments are in an ideal location in the heart of a thriving community. Through this green and low income housing tax credit rehabilitation, Walnut Hill West will now provide affordable homes for the most vulnerable for the next 30 years. The project is currently awaiting certification under the USGBC LEED® for Homes™ Program and Enterprise Green Communities.

Labels: energy efficiency, Enterprise Green Communities, LEED, LIHTC, preservation, rehabilitation, ribbon-cutting, Walnut Hill West, West Philadelphia