[NEWS] Pennsylvania’s first LGBTQ housing for young adults breaks ground in North Philly
From Curbed Philadelphia:
Construction has officially begun on the first LGBTQ housing project of its kind in Pennsylvania, the Gloria Casarez Residence in North Philly.
Officials celebrated the start of construction with a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday morning at 1315 N. 8th Street. Spearheaded by Project HOME and funded by MPOWER, the first phase of the $13.5 million project will provide 30 units of LGBTQ-friendly housing for young adults between ages 18 and 23 who have aged out of the foster care system and/or are homeless.
The second phase will include another building that will have 40 units of affordable housing for adults who have experienced homelessness. In addition to the 70 affordable housing units, the 36,547-square- foot building will feature a community courtyard, a kitchenette, shared laundry, a gym, and bike storage.
The groundbreaking comes on the heels of a recent city report that highlighted Philly’s youth homelessness problem. Of the nearly 600 homeless youth accounted for in one night in Philly, 31 percent of them identified as LGBTQ.
