Southwest Philadelphia’s Bartram Village is about to become a construction zone—and for good reason. The Philadelphia Housing Authority is moving forward with a sweeping overhaul of the aging 500-unit public housing complex, replacing every distressed unit with a larger, mixed-income community that includes both rental homes and affordable ownership opportunities.
The roughly $336 million project will produce approximately 688 mixed-income units—both on the Bartram Village site and at off-site locations—backed by a $50 million federal Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant that HUD awarded in fiscal year 2024.
According to PHA’s Moving to Work Annual Plan, Phase 1 closed in fiscal year 2026, with construction projected to commence by the end of that fiscal year and continue throughout fiscal year 2027. For residents near Bartram Village in Southwest Philadelphia, that means sustained construction activity in the neighborhood for several years to come.
What’s being built, and when
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency awarded a 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credit for that off-site Phase 1 work. Rehab of approximately 80 scattered PHA-owned units has already been completed, with those homes converted to project-based voucher assistance…