PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia city council members have spelled out how they plan to spend $400 million set aside in the budget for neighborhood preservation.
The money, $100 million per year over the next four years, will go to a mixture of housing and commercial projects throughout the city.
Crystal Bradley pointed to the refurbished brickwork on three storefronts she operates in Oak Lane to demonstrate what city funding can do for small neighborhood businesses.
"It was kind of horrible before, and now it’s really beautiful, and it allowed me to have enough money to sustain 10 employees," said Bradley.
She benefitted from a neighborhood commercial corridor program, one of several that are being combined and expanded in the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative.
Council President Darrell Clarke said other parts of the program include affordable housing production, housing preservation through basic systems repair, tangled title relief and rent assistance.
Related
"This will be the single most significant public investment in [Philadelphia] neighborhoods in the history of the city," said Clarke, who called the initiative “bold and aggressive."
"It will take us to another level," he added, noting that such large investments usually go to stadiums or waterfronts.
Councilmember Cherelle Parker said this one will go to where people live, in moderate income neighborhoods that find themselves in need of a little boost, such as home repairs and small business revitalization.
"We are doing today what government should do, and that is returning $400 million to the neighborhoods and people who have worked to keep Philadelphia alive," said Parker.
The money will be divided among ten programs to assist homeowners, renters and commercial corridors.
The spending plan will be introduced into the first session of Council on Friday.
Maria Gonzalez of non-profit HACE says it’s a turnaround from years of declining resources for such projects.
"This is really an amazing, exciting time in our city," said Gonzalez.
"I have been working for 25 years in community development. I have never in my career seen so many resources being targeted toward our communities."
