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Diversity Expands with Downtown Philadelphia Affordable Housing

Just off the manicured promenades of Rittenhouse Square in Center City Philadelphia and the trendy bistros and toney law firms adjoining it lies Kate's Place, a down home address in a cosmopolitan setting.

Kate's Place is the realized vision of Sister Mary Scullion, the City of Brotherly Love's most prominent, and perhaps most indefatigable advocate for the homeless. Opened in 2005, Kate's Place is an innovative - some might say daring - low-income apartment building with 144 single-occupancy units. Each furnished, air-conditioned unit features a private bath, microwave and refrigerator. There is a shared kitchen on each floor and an on-site library with Internet access. Adult learning, employment counseling, chemical dependency and other social services are available to residents through Sister Mary's nonprofit, Project H.O.M.E.

Kate's Place sits on the site of the old Warburton Hotel, which later became the Lucy Eaton Smith residence for single, low-income women founded by the Dominican Sisters of Elkins Park. Project H.O.M.E. leveraged $15 million, including $9.5 million from FHLBank member PNC Bank and a maximum-amount Affordable Housing Program grant from FHLBank, to preserve the historic building.

"Ever since I was young, I wanted to live in Center City," said DuWan McClain, who took up residence at Kate's Place as it opened its doors. "The location of Kate's Place is perfect because it is within a mile of where I work."

Mayor Michael Nutter, who recently told guests at an FHLBank event at City Hall that the city suffers from a 60,000-unit shortfall of affordable housing, can count on Sister Mary and the people of Project H.O.M.E. to continue to develop innovative solutions to the needs of the homeless and other low-income citizens of Philadelphia. For more information on their work, visit www.projecthome.org.