Concerns about plans to rehab low-income housing at 8020 Ditman St. had folks looking for answers at last week’s Holmesburg Civic Association meeting.
U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz and Mayor Michael Nutter announced last month that the Ditman Street property is slated to receive $330,000 of $5.3 million in Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grants.
Administered by the Federal Housing Finance Board, the program subsidizes rental housing in which at least 20 percent of the units are reserved for households with incomes at or below 50 percent of area median income.
In addition to its regular tenants, the Ditman Street property will continue to be home to the formerly homeless and those with mental and physical disabilities.
"There’s been a lot of concern and phone calls coming into the civic," said Fred Moore, president of the Holmesburg civic group.
The 34-unit building, owned by the 1260 Housing Development Corp., will receive a $6.98 million revitalization.
Prior to the closing of Philadelphia State Hospital (Byberry) in 1989, the corporation had been established the year before by the Philadelphia Mental Health Care Corp. to address the housing needs of people with behavioral-health issues.
According to its Web site, 1260 Housing Development and a subsidiary, Columbus Property Management, purchase and rehabilitate buildings, develop new construction and lease units. Currently, more than 2,300 tenants live in properties owned and/or managed by 1260 Housing Development, according to the site.
"Most of these individuals may have behavioral-health issues or other disabilities, and may have been previously homeless," the site states.
A similar project in Tacony, at 6424 Keystone St., will receive a $4.7 million revitalization and $230,000 in AHP grant money. The property also is owned by 1260 Housing Development, and significant work is needed to bring it up to the building code.
The soft loans are called grants because of the expectation that they won’t be paid back if recipients are successful. The grants represent private money secured by the Federal Home Loan Bank (similar to the way the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. secures bank deposits) should recipients default, according to Daniel McElhatton, chief of staff for Schwartz.
"It’s not taxpayer money going into the project," McElhatton said.
"Four of the (Ditman Street) units receiving AHP funding will serve the physically handicapped and seven, the homeless. Episcopal Community Services and Supported Independent Living are project partners," said a news release from program participant Firstrust Bank.
Representatives for Schwartz, state Rep. Michael McGeehan (D-173rd dist.) and City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski (D-6th dist.) attended the civic meeting to hear what residents had to say about the matter.
Earlier in the day, Moore, the civic president, spoke with Walter Kubiak, executive director of the 1260 Housing Development Corp., which owns the properties.
"They’re fixing up the place. They aren’t putting any new people in. There isn’t any problem," Moore said.
But his words failed to satisfy some residents who asked that a representative with 1260 Housing Development, as well as local politicians, attend the civic group’s May meeting to address neighborhood concerns.
In a subsequent phone interview, Kubiak said that he or another company representative would attend the meeting. According to Kubiak, the work on the buildings will include roofs, windows, carpets, appliances and some plumbing and electrical work.
"They’re really not going to be any different, but in much better condition," Kubiak said. "Our goal is always to be the best ones in the neighborhood."
Residents have been relocated for the duration of the construction but will be offered the first opportunity to move back.
"When we do that, some don’t come back but they usually (return when they) see the new apartment with the new heater, air conditioning and appliances," Kubiak said.
As for concerns about the behavior of buildings’ residents, Kubiak said that the term "formerly homeless" could refer to people who have been living in the buildings for almost nine years.
Episcopal Community Services will provide social services to clients there, while the Supportive Independent Living Program will work with residents with serious mental disabilities.
According to Kubiak, residents move along a continuum of housing, starting out at a number of places. They move into a transitional program, which could last months or years. From there they go on to supported independent living, with a case manager usually visiting three times a week at the start, to once a month or even less frequently, depending on a person’s needs.
"That’s the general idea of independent living — living in the community and not living in institutions," he said.
Tacony Civic Association secretary Christine Woolslayer was heartened that at least there was communication with the property owner.
"This could be a positive. Any renovation on that building will be a positive for the neighborhood," she said.
In other business, Detective Maggie Castro, assigned to the city police department’s CARE unit (Crimes Against the Retired and Elderly), alerted members of the civic group to possible scams that could ensnare older residents.
The elderly tend to have a routine. Con artists watch where potential victims put their money, the banks they frequent, even how well they’re walking. Even someone the victims knows, such as home health workers who could have access to personal papers and money in the house, may target them.
"If someone says they’re from the water department, gas department, leave them outside. It’s not about them. It’s about you and your safety," Castro said.
She also urged people to come forward if they are victimized.
"Many seniors are very humiliated. They’re embarrassed and don’t want their families to know, don’t want to lose independence. We need to talk to each other and look out for each other," she said.
There were other police officers in attendance at the meeting. Sgt. Kevin McDevitt brought three new 15th Police District officers to the civic session so they could get a sense of neighborhood concerns.
A Holmesburg/Upper Mayfair Town Watch organizer told civic members he got involved with the safety organization because he was tired of the quality-of-life issues affecting his neighborhood. He’s hoping that others will feel the same way.
Chad Enos, a recruiter/trainer with Philadelphia Operation Town Watch, explained that Town Watch members are there to observe, document and report what they see. That can be done from inside a car, on local patrols, or from inside the homes of Town Watch members.
"If you can’t patrol, we can always use your eyes and ears," Enos said.
While the fledgling group is currently patrolling from Cottman Avenue to Rhawn Street in the 15th district, boundaries still need to be worked out and may extend into the 8th Police District, north of Rhawn Street.
Those interested in Town Watch can send e-mail to hlmtw@hotmail.com The Holmesburg Civic Association will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Holmesburg Community Center, Rhawn and Ditman streets. For more information, call 215-332-6781. Reporter Diane Prokop can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dprokop@phillynews.com