Homeownership Project
In Philadelphia’s West Powelton neighborhood, years of property abandonment and blight severely impacted community safety, depressed real estate values, and created a shortage of quality affordable housing. With no other non-profit developers active in the neighborhood, the People’s Emergency Center Community Development Corporation (PECCDC) launched the Homeownership Project to deliver a lasting revitalization solution. The initiative addressed a critical community need, establishing stable, equity-building housing for low-to-moderate-income families, PEC program graduates, and local workforce members—including staff from nearby Presbyterian Medical Center—who sought attractive, accessible homeownership in the area.
To execute this vision, PECCDC implemented a $2.31 million scattered-site redevelopment strategy that transformed 10 severe, vacant neighborhood eyesores into 10 high-quality single-family homes. Working alongside neighborhood organizations like the West Powelton Concerned Community Council and Saunders Park Neighbors, PECCDC identified and acquired targeted properties through private negotiations and the City of Philadelphia’s Redevelopment Authority (RDA). By combining state funding from Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) with RDA Homeownership Rehabilitation resources, the project fully rehabilitated these derelict structures into modern, 1,600-square-foot homes tailored for first-time buyers.
The completion of the Homeownership Project delivered transformative physical, social, and economic benefits to West Powelton. Converting these 10 blighted properties into owner-occupied homes eliminated long-standing safety hazards, stabilized surrounding real estate values, and restored tax-delinquent properties to active municipal tax rolls. In addition to creating local construction jobs during development, the project expanded access to affordable homeownership, providing families with a foundation for long-term financial security and furthering PECCDC’s mission of community-driven renewal.
Stone Sherick’s Role
Stone Sherick Project Management served as the primary development and construction management partner responsible for bringing the 10-unit Homeownership Project to life. Stone Sherick provided essential technical oversight from project inception, conducting detailed physical property assessments across all scattered sites, preparing individual construction cost estimates, and building the comprehensive $2.31 million development budget required to secure state and local funding. Throughout the execution phase, Stone Sherick directed project management—managing general contractor selection, monitoring architectural standards, controlling costs, and supervising site operations to ensure each single-family home was delivered efficiently, within budget, and to the highest standards of quality.
