Harrison Plaza Senior Tower
Where: North Philadelphia East
Harrison Plaza Senior Tower is an example of PHA’s strategy of getting the most out of its high-rise buildings by rehabilitating them and converting them into affordable senior housing.
“We feel that seniors are more accustomed to communal living and converting our high rises to senior apartments allows us to concentrate support services in one place and better enable residents to age in place,” said PHA Executive Director Kelvin Jeremiah after grand opening ceremonies in February, 2023.
Built in 1956, the 15-story building underwent a $48 million renovation including a redesign of all 116 apartments and the ground floor, new windows, and extensive repairs to the brick building’s outer shell. Each unit has new energy-efficient appliances and safety features such as grab bars.
The rehabilitation was financed primarily with federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits. In addition, PHA converted the Harrison Plaza to Project Based Voucher (PBV) assistance under the federal government’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program. This enabled PHA to secure the necessary financing to address the building’s long-term needs. RAD will be a key tool in PHA’s Opening Doors Initiative and in converting other PHA high-rise towers into affordable senior housing.
