Workforce Housing Project Revitalizes Urban Neighborhood
The mission of Oxford Mills — a $38 million historic rehabilitation in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood — was to create a vibrant, synergistic, education-based community of teacher housing and nonprofit organizations.
Comprising two former industrial buildings, this high-density housing project includes 114 apartments that provide much-needed workforce housing and 38,000 square feet of commercial/office space for more than 10 different nonprofit organizations. Ninety of the apartments are rented to residents earning up to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), with 68 of those reserved for local teachers. The remaining apartments are rented at market rates.
The collaborative, education-centered model for Oxford Mills replicates other similar successful historic rehabilitation projects. Seawall Development’s Donald Manekin developed this model based on his experience as a board member for Teach for America and a two-year stint as interim chief operating officer of the Baltimore school system. Based in Baltimore, Seawall Development partnered with another private developer, D3 Development in Philadelphia, to launch the model there.
Though there was some pushback from local residents due to concerns of gentrification, several key strategies were utilized to maintain a sense of community:
- Discounted rents for teachers
- Designated office space for nonprofits and other educational organizations
- Social and professional programming and events
- Community meeting spaces open to the public
- Successful partnership of mission-driven private developers
- Workforce housing for an underserved market
- Creative financing of affordable housing with New Market Tax Credits
- Attractive rehabilitation and conversion of a formerly derelict industrial property
- A successful model for development replicable across different markets
- Neighborhood revitalization