PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A progressive Christian church in Old City will be taking a groundbreaking approach to reducing homelessness, moving a building built before the Revolutionary War to construct dozens of housing units.
The Old First Reformed United Church of Christ at 4th and Race streets has been using its social hall to house 40 men overnight during cold weather for nearly four decades.
Working with partner organizations, the church has now secured $15 million to build 36 permanent housing efficiency units for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. It comes amidst a new focus by the Biden administration to institute a nationwide housing-first effort as the initial piece in serving the needs of homeless people.
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The five-story project will be built on the church's property, with groundbreaking coming in April. One current church building is set to be demolished, while a neighboring historic pastor’s house built in the 1760s will be moved about 50 feet to the south to make way for the new construction.
“The Old City neighborhood has been good to us in supporting our ministries,” said Rev. Michael Caine, who called the project a natural fit with the church’s ministry. “We are excited about getting started on construction.”
The project will also include a kitchen, church offices, and first-floor retail space. It’s expected to be completed in less than two years.
A patchwork of federal tax credits and grants was the main source of funding.
“We are not doing this without the City of Philadelphia. They were the first $2 million grant and the one that enabled us to get the federal tax credits,” said Caine.
“With inflation, our budget has gone a little higher than we expected, and the city is going to be the prime partner in closing that job and getting this going. They made it very clear they want this project [to be] a ‘go’ and they are going to figure out how to do it.”
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Caine said the church posted numerous signs to let the neighborhood know that construction of the housing units is coming.
“We did a lot of work to make sure this isn’t a surprise, and so far there has been no outcry,” Caine said.
“It will be Christmas time in 2024 and there will be ‘room at the inn.’ We will be bringing people into a completed building, and there will be permanent housing as long as they need it and the supportive services to be successful in it.”