Forty one-bedroom apartments of affordable senior housing recently opened in the Kensington area of Philadelphia, Pa., in time for the holidays. For one new resident, Theresa, moving into St. Francis Villa has been more than just finding a nice place to live. It’s been a blessing too. Through her volunteer work at nearby St. Francis Inn, she has found new meaning and purpose: “It has really changed my life,” she said. “The fellowship with the Franciscan community and the guests that we serve – it’s extraordinary.” Theresa attends mass there and has become a regular participant in their ministry to the hungry and homeless.
Theresa loves her third-floor corner apartment. “It has windows everywhere and is so bright and airy. Harvey [her rescue cat] loves his sunny window sill, and I love how it faces our garden,” she said. She enjoys the common events in the building and has made some friends among her new neighbors, who comprise a multicultural community.
Theresa says living at St. Francis Villa has improved her quality of life. “I don't think I've felt this good in quite a while,” she said. “It's like I've gotten younger, and I feel blessed, like God has placed me here with all these wonderful people around me. He’s taking care of me.”
The project increases the number of affordable units in the area for the elderly while eliminating an abandoned property to a more appropriate use. Building amenities include community rooms, laundry facilities, administrative space, garden walking paths and 24-hour security monitoring systems. An FHLBank Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant of $443,991 through FHLBank member PNC Bank benefitted the project.