The Philadelphia Housing Authority is building 63 affordable apartments for older adults in Sharswood, and the project will carry the name of a congressman stepping away from decades in public office. The complex, to be called the Dwight Evans Senior Residences, is planned for 20th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue on a site PHA acquired through eminent domain.
According to WHYY, the development is part of a neighborhood revitalization effort that has been winding down after more than a decade of work. PHA President Kelvin Jeremiah framed the project in generational terms, saying, “Today, we are celebrating a legacy while creating a place where our seniors can age comfortably and with peace of mind.” Separate documentation from a Cecil B. Moore Development request for qualifications describes an approved plan for 63 residential units set aside for residents 55 and older earning below 50% of area median income — a different age threshold than the 62-and-older minimum cited in WHYY's report. The RFQ also lays out a unit mix of 51 one-bedroom apartments and 12 two-bedroom apartments, while WHYY describes the building as consisting entirely of one-bedroom units; the discrepancy between the two accounts has not been resolved.
Who Will Qualify and What It Will Cost Tenants
Under the plan described by the seed report, tenants would pay up to 30% of their adjusted monthly income toward rent, with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development covering the remaining balance. Jeremiah said a quarter of the units will be reserved for people with a disability or who have experienced homelessness, and about a dozen units will be accessible or equipped for people with disabilities. The building is also expected to offer transportation services and an adult day care program for residents.
The bidnetdirect.com solicitation adds further accessibility detail, specifying that 5% of units must be accessible for people with mobility impairments and 2% accessible for people with hearing and visual impairments. Separately, ocfrealty.com has reported on a proposed 63-unit senior housing project at 2006 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, describing a three-story building with a 1,400-square-foot retail space on the western side. The BidNet RFQ also calls for community space and bike parking. That account states the project would rely on project-based voucher dollars, tax credits and Philadelphia Housing Trust Fund financing to keep most one-bedroom units affordable at 60% of area median income for 30 years.
Funding and a Disputed Price Tag
The seed report states the project carries a cost of $27 million, funded through a mix of PHA capital dollars and low-income housing tax credits, which officials say will keep the apartments affordable for decades. However, a separate Bisnow account of a Sharswood PHA project quotes Jeremiah giving a final price tag of $39 million — a figure that does not match the seed story's number. Construction is expected to take 15 to 18 months, per WHYY's reporting, though an exact start date for that timeline was not specified.
Frankel Enterprises is developing the project in partnership with PHA. State Senator Sharif Street weighed in on the stakes for longtime residents, saying affordable housing investment and access must continue for people in the community who are no longer able to maintain large houses.
Naming a Retiring Congressman's Legacy
The building will honor U.S. Representative Dwight Evans, who is set to retire in January 2027. Evans served as a state legislator in Harrisburg for nearly 40 years, chaired the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee, and has served in Congress for a decade. Reflecting on the project bearing his name, Evans said it represents a collective effort, and that success depends on staying focused and determined despite challenging times.
Part of a Decade-Long Sharswood Overhaul
The senior housing project is the latest piece of a Sharswood transformation that WHYY describes as winding down after more than a decade of work, with PHA having invested roughly $750 million in the neighborhood since beginning its work there around 2015. That broader plan has included demolishing and replacing nearly all of the units at the Norman Blumberg Apartments, acquiring more than 1,300 properties through eminent domain, revitalizing the Ridge Avenue commercial corridor and reopening Vaux High School. A related phase of that work delivered 57 new rental units — a mix of one- and two-bedroom duplexes, three- and four-bedroom homes, and triplexes — as part of what the same outlet called a $500 million effort to remake the area.
The push for senior-specific housing comes as Philadelphia's older population grows rapidly. The number of residents 65 and older increased 24% between 2014 and 2024, now representing 15% of the city's population, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew's research found older residents in focus groups raising concerns about rising living costs and limited housing options, and identifying improved access to affordable, age-restricted housing as a needed policy response. The Housing Initiative at Penn has separately estimated that Philadelphia faces a shortage of 64,549 units affordable and available to households earning below 30% of area median income, with nearly a third of the city's renters considered severely cost-burdened.
