The proposed Saint Katharine Drexel Place will serve eligible seniors aged 62 and older with 48 one-bedroom housing units. (Photo: Catholic Housing and Community Services)

At the end of October, residents of Northeast Philadelphia were invited to a community meeting to learn about Catholic Housing and Community Services’ (CHCS) proposed Saint Katharine Drexel Place.

Saint Katharine Drexel Place will serve eligible seniors aged 62 and older with 48 one-bedroom housing units, six of which will be fully accessible for persons with disabilities. There will also be a rich continuum of on-site supportive services including case management, health services, and recreational activities. Supportive services will be provided by CHCS through its extensive network of collaborative partnerships.

The 52,000 total square foot development includes the renovation of an existing three-story friary building that housed the friars who taught at Archbishop Ryan for decades, along with new construction of a three-story addition. A parking lot with one space per unit and additional visitor spaces is included in the design. The development will add green space to the campus, featuring a new courtyard with a wandering garden to promote wellness among senior residents.

“Building this project will breathe new life into the unused friary building and surrounding space, transforming it into affordable housing where area seniors can receive the support they need to remain in their community as long possible,” says Heather Huot, CHCS Director. “The proximity to Archbishop Ryan High School provides an opportunity for intergenerational connection and community building.”

Saint Katharine Drexel Place would be the eighth affordable senior community developed by CHCS. Our senior housing communities include: Nativity BVM Place (Port Richmond), Saint John Neumann Place I (South Philadelphia), Saint John Neumann Place II (South Philadelphia), Saint Francis Villa (East Kensington), Saint Rita Place (South Philadelphia), Saint Joseph Place (Collingdale, Delaware County), and Father Augustus Tolton Place (construction underway in Southwest Philadelphia). The ministry is excited to respond to the growing demand for affordable senior housing in the far Northeast through the transformation of the vacant Friary.

CHCS also more recently held a separate community meeting Nov. 28 for seniors in the Eastwick section of Southwest Philadelphia to learn about the application process for their newest affordable development – Father Augustus Tolton Place.

“The meeting was the best attended pre-application meeting of any CHCS building so far”, Huot noted. “We had an incredible turnout, especially with it being a very cold night.”

Construction of the 45 one-bedroom unit senior building is expected to be completed in spring of 2024.

In 2021, the Father Augustus Tolton Place development was awarded with a tax credit allocation of approximately $11.5 million by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) and is partnering with RBC Capital Markets and BNY Mellon for financing of the development. PHFA also provided funds through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) Fund and the Construction Cost Relief Program. Father Augustus Tolton Place development also received assistance from the City of Philadelphia, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Program Funds, and a rental subsidy from the Philadelphia Housing Authority.

Construction on the $17.7 million development began in early February 2023. Since the beginning of the year, the exterior brick and siding is almost finished, and drywall is being installed.

Construction of Father Augustus Tolton Place is expected to be completed in spring of 2024. (Photo: Catholic Housing and Community Services)

Anyone who is interested in learning more about Father Augustus Tolton Place can call the CHCS offices at (215)-587-3663.

CHCS serves as a catalyst to promote positive transformation in targeted communities throughout the Archdiocese. Serving seniors across the Archdiocesan region, CHCS aims to enable them to age in place in their homes and communities.

To learn more about CHCS, check out their website here.