Philadelphia
Housing Authority (PHA) has been buying up land and homes throughout the city
for decades at a considerable loss. I often walk around my newly developed
neighborhood, formerly North Philly now renamed Northern Liberties, wondering
why they would continue to build PHA and section 8 housing in a neighborhood
that is rapidly gentrifying.
It hit me today that the answer is simple; they do not
intend for it to remain PHA housing. I recently spoke to a long-term resident
of my gated (for safety) community. He informed me that our complex used to be
PHA housing. As property taxes rose and the yuppies (myself included) and temple
students moved into the neighborhood PHA sold off the property and it became
condos.
And, it is safe to say that they intend to do this with the
majority of their properties. Philadelphia’s government may be broke now, but
there is a twisted vision for the future. PHA is just another tool city
officials are using to white wash Philadelphia.PHA will continue to sell off and assist in foreclosing
houses “reserved” for low-income families, moving large numbers of government
dependent, unemployed African Americans into surrounding suburbs.
The vibrancy that flows through Philadelphia will soon be
lost and we will see the legacy of the disenfranchised black community
continue. What will happen when the hearts and souls that this city was founded
upon move out to the burbs?
I guess only time will tell.
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