Low-Income Housing Grant Approved In Chester County

PHOENIXVILLE, PA -- Low income housing for veterans, seniors, and others could be on the way to Phoenixville, the Department of Community and Economic Development announced Monday.

A grant was approved from the Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP) to support Petra Community Housing to perform an environmental assessment in Phoenixville, Secretary Dennis Davin said in a press release.

“Every Pennsylvanian deserves to have access to affordable housing,” Davin said in the release. “The approved funds will help realize housing for seniors, families, individuals with disabilities, and homeless veterans, and the Wolf Administration is proud to be a part of such an important project.”

Petra Community Housing has received approval for a $46,125 Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP) grant for a Phase II environmental assessment to assess contamination, Davin said.

The vacant brownfield site, located at 730 Wheatland Street, Phoenixville, was a former grinding wheel operation and steel dumping site.

Once the area is assessed and remediated, Petra Community Housing, a non-profit that creates affordable housing for seniors, families, and individuals with disabilities, plans to construct 48 townhouse rentals. The townhouses will be rented to families, seniors and special needs individuals, as well as veterans struggling with homelessness.

Additionally, the group intends to construct a new 36,000-square-foot multi-services building to enable various service providers to assist community members.

Administered by DCED, the Industrial Sites Reuse Program provides grants and low-interest loans for environmental assessments and remediation. The program fosters the cleanup of environmental contamination at industrial sites, thereby bringing blighted land into productive reuse.

To learn more about the Industrial Sites Reuse Program and other DCED initiatives, visit www.newPA.com.