{"id":675963,"date":"2026-03-23T12:28:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T12:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/675963\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T12:28:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T12:28:21","slug":"north-philly-land-trusts-affordable-housing-fight-displacement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/675963\/","title":{"rendered":"North Philly land trust\u2019s affordable housing fight displacement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends. Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Valerie Diaz Pagan, her husband, and their four children \u2014 three of whom are autistic \u2014 were living in her mom\u2019s house in Juniata, all six of them staying in one room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had the bedrooms upstairs. One room was basically storage, and the other room was the one we slept in, and my mom slept in the basement,\u201d Pagan said. \u201cSo it was a very crowded house for us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy kids used to overstimulate each other and trigger each other, and it was just not a good environment for my kids to be in,\u201d she recalled.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They really wanted to get their own place, but had a hard time coming up with money or even time to house-hunt. While she picked up some hours here and there delivering Amazon Flex packages, the couple were overwhelmed by the demands of caring for the children.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince three of my kids are disabled, they need a lot of attention, a lot of therapy. One of my sons has a medical problem, so he goes to a lot of specialists, a lot of appointments. Doing it alone was hard, so my husband had to help me with them,\u201d said Pagan, who is 30. \u201cWe were struggling to get a place on our own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Valerie Diaz Pagan pours coffee in the home she shares with her husband and four children. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)<\/p>\n

Through her mom she heard about a housing counseling program at Esperanza, a large nonprofit organization in North Philly that does real estate development and other community-building work. A counselor told her she didn\u2019t have good enough credit to buy, but the family\u2019s income qualified them for an affordable rental home in Esperanza\u2019s community land trust.<\/p>\n

The week before Thanksgiving, they moved into a newly renovated, five-bedroom rowhouse in West Kensington. The rent is less than $1,000 a month, plus water bills. \u201cThat\u2019s amazing, in this economy right now,\u201d Pagan said.<\/p>\n

She gave a quick tour of the first floor to a group of visitors who stopped by in January, showing off the plants on her kitchen window sill, a futon she bought at a thrift store, the kids\u2019 toys piled in a corner. They didn\u2019t have a dining table yet, but that will come eventually, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though we don\u2019t have everything, as long as we have each other, that\u2019s all we need,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like a lot of families \u2014 that\u2019s all they need at the end of the day, is each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA population at risk of displacement\u201d<\/p>\n

Esperanza has been renovating and building affordable housing in North Philadelphia for three decades, but Pagan\u2019s home is one of the first to come out of a new approach to managing rising housing costs, said Maritza Ortiz, vice president of construction and property management.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In eastern North Philadelphia \u2014 a five-square-mile area with about 100,000 residents, 67% of them Hispanic or Latino \u2014 families face significant displacement pressures, according to research<\/a> the organization conducted in 2024 with Drexel\u2019s Nowak Metro Finance Lab and other partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While costs in the area are still relatively low, private real estate development and other inflationary factors<\/a> were beginning to have an impact, the study found. In the previous five years, rents had increased by more than 25%, compared to 16% citywide. In parts of the neighborhood sale prices were also rising faster than in other sections of Philadelphia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the same time, the area\u2019s median household income remained \u201cextremely low,\u201d at $27,000 in 2019, versus $46,000 across Philadelphia as a whole.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The home of Valerie Diaz Pagan, which she rents from the Esperanza community land trust. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)<\/p>\n

The project\u2019s analysis \u201cshows limited signs of gentrification but does find characteristics of a population at risk of displacement should housing prices continue to rise,\u201d the authors wrote. To blunt the impact of\u00a0 the economic changes, they proposed creating the Stable Affordable Rental Trust, or START.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With long-time residents being \u201cpushed out because of increasing rents, we decided we need to create a land trust and try to protect our community, and start acquiring properties and trying to keep them, not only for now, but for long-term future of the residents,\u201d Ortiz said.<\/p>\n

During the visit with Pagan, she noted that several other vacant homes have been snapped up on the block recently, and are being renovated for sale or rent at market prices. \u201cThey\u2019re developing a lot more properties in this area,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross the street!\u201d Pagan said with a laugh. \u201cThey\u2019re doing it fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meeting demand for affordable rentals<\/p>\n

Community land trusts, or CLTs, are typically nonprofits that build affordable homes and sell them to qualifying low-income families. However, they differ from most housing organizations in a few ways.<\/p>\n

Buyers agree to price restrictions if they ever sell their houses. The nonprofit maintains ownership of the land under the homes, and leases the land to the homeowner for a nominal fee. Those terms help ensure the properties remain permanently affordable, while still allowing the owners to build up some equity and family wealth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

CLTs have been around for decades, and have become more popular<\/a> in recent years as a strategy for preserving affordability and stabilizing neighborhoods. Philadelphia has a number of trusts, including projects run by the Women\u2019s Community Revitalization Project<\/a>, HACE<\/a>, Mt. Vernon Manor CDC, and other organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a growing trend in Philly,\u201d said Rick Sauer, executive director of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations. \u201cIf your goal is long-term affordability and ensuring that future households can have access to existing affordable housing, that\u2019s a pretty effective model.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The rowhome in East Tioga that the Rivera family rents from the Esperanza community land trust. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)<\/p>\n

Most are homeownership projects, although WCRP\u2019s properties include rent-to-own townhome developments and an all-rental development. Similarly, Esperanza\u2019s new CLT includes only rental units.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ortiz noted the organization has developed more than 100 homes for sale over the past few decades, and its counselors frequently advise families on saving for down payments and accessing federal assistance. But many people who come in are a long way from being able to buy, creating a need for affordable rentals as they work to improve their finances.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe numbers of people knocking on our door who want to purchase a home are very low. They can\u2019t afford the down payment,\u201d Ortiz said. \u201cThe sale prices are sky-high, so they\u2019re looking for rental. It\u2019s actually more affordable for them because, with homeownership, they\u2019ve got to maintain them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s pathways to homeownership, and ultimately that\u2019s the goal for people. But you\u2019ve got to be able to get to that,\u201d said Walter Toliver, Esperanza\u2019s senior vice president and general counsel. \u201cBeing able to provide quality, safe, affordable rental properties as people are starting out on their journey is what we\u2019re trying to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Esperanza\u2019s trust also differs from most CLTs in that it isn\u2019t governed by a community board, made up of residents and other community members, as most trusts are. Instead, its governing board is made up of administrators and officers from the parent organization. Toliver said he wasn\u2019t sure how the board will evolve in the future, but it could expand as the trust matures.<\/p>\n

Targeted to prevent homelessness<\/p>\n

In response to the critical need for more affordable rentals, the nonprofit has focused on applying for grants and using the funds to renovate older buildings in North Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

START\u2019s first phase comprised Pagan\u2019s future home and six others, which the Philadelphia Housing Authority donated from its extensive stock<\/a> of decrepit, crumbling older buildings. During a recent visit to one of the houses, on a quiet residential street in East Tioga\/Franklinville, Ortiz recalled the site\u2019s poor condition when it was acquired in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a shell property, bones, and it had squatters coming in and out,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is one of the houses that I had to visit, to get rid of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

She walked into the house and surveyed the tidy, pristine living room. \u201cBrand-new drywall, vinyl flooring, recessed lighting, refrigerator, stove \u2014 all stainless steel \u2014 washer and dryer hookups, white molding, brand-new windows, new electrical panel, new plumbing, new heating system, as well as new roofs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Rivera family\u2019s living space in their North Philadelphia home which is rented from the Esperanza community land trust. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)<\/p>\n

\u201cI never had a house with central air,\u201d marveled Elizabeth Rivera, who moved into the home in December with her three kids. Before, \u201ceverything was heaters, and a lot of times my kids would get sick from the other houses. It\u2019s beautiful and brand new.\u201d<\/p>\n

Funding for the work came in part from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, a federally chartered institution where Esperanza\u2019s CEO, Rev. Luis Cort\u00e9s Jr., previously served on the board. The bank provided a $750,000 grant toward the project\u2019s projected $1.8 million cost.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Under the terms of the grant, all the households must earn less than 60% of the area median income. Three units are reserved for families under 50% of AMI, and two units for households under 30%, or $35,800 for a family of four.<\/p>\n

Applicants are eligible if they have experienced domestic violence, have chronic illnesses or special needs \u2014 like Pagan\u2019s family \u2014 or have been at risk of homelessness, as Rivera was.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ortiz noted that some of the tenants also receive various types of subsidies through Esperanza, PHA, the nonprofit Congreso de Latinos Unidos<\/a> or other agencies, either on a monthly basis to help pay their rent or as one-time assistance when they first move in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want no other house but this one\u201d<\/p>\n

Rivera, a single mom, previously lived in Kensington for 14 years \u2014 \u201cyou know, over there, it\u2019s not so good,\u201d she said \u2014 but had recently begun to fear she would lose her home.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rent was too, too high, maybe $1200 a month, and it was too much for me, and I couldn\u2019t afford it,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m low-income, I\u2019m disabled, and I couldn\u2019t afford it, and I had three kids, and I didn\u2019t know what to do, so either I was going to be in a shelter or in the street.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Resident Elizabeth Rivera in her home in East Tioga, which she rents from the Esperanza community land trust. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)<\/p>\n

She sought help from Congreso, which referred her to Esperanza. Property manager Mabel Santiago interviewed her, saw that the family met the Federal Home Loan Bank\u2019s guidelines and took her to see the rowhome in East Tioga. \u201cAt that moment, she said, \u2018This is mine. This is my house,\u2019\u201d Santiago recalled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I settled in, I just cried,\u201d Rivera said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know that I was going to have such a beautiful home, and I fell in love with this house as soon as I seen it. I didn\u2019t want no other house but this one.\u201d<\/p>\n

She gave a tour of her home, starting in the large basement, where she stood amid shiny ductwork, the new washer and dryer, and a tall pile of storage bins and plastic trash bags stuffed with the family\u2019s belongings. She pointed to the ample space still remaining for future projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse the mess,\u201d she said. \u201cIn the summer, we\u2019re going to do a gym area right here. And in this part, we\u2019re going to do, like, for the kids to come down and hang out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upstairs, the second floor has the bathroom \u2014 \u201cmy kids love it the most,\u201d she said \u2014 and three bedrooms: one for her, one shared by her sons, age 10 and 17, and a snug space for her 15-year-old daughter. On the first floor, she showed off her \u201creally cute\u201d kitchen, with marble countertops and stainless steel appliances, and pulled open the door to the backyard.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very big and beautiful. The kids could run around, and I could put a pool in the summer back there, and a trampoline, which they want,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Resident Elizabeth Rivera greets her pet turtle, April, at her North Philadelphia home which she rents from the Esperanza community land trust. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)<\/p>\n

In the main living room, the family put their dining table toward the back and a sectional and TV up front, along with aquariums for their two turtles, April and Luke. Rivera said the turtles had been living in the basement, but it got too cold, so she moved them upstairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

April peered up from a corner of her tank, and River tapped a greeting on the glass.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s wild. She runs around the floor. We be having her on the floor, running around. And then this one\u2019s just laid back,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re really good pets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Government aid helps keep rents down<\/p>\n

Esperanza launched START in 2023, and formed the Esperanza Community Land Trust as a separate nonprofit the following year. That structure will make it easier to find new funders and meet their requirements, Toliver said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes it\u2019s more advantageous for Esperanza to apply and pass on the funds, other times it\u2019s the land trust,\u201d he said. \u201cSome funders will look at budgets and say either you\u2019re too big, or they\u2019ll say, your budget is too small for what we want. It depends on the criteria of the particular funding source.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organization moved some of its pre-existing rental portfolio into the trust, which now has 24 units in several locations. Other properties remain under the parent organization, including a 38-unit development<\/a> Esperanza opened in the former Roberto Clemente Middle School in Hunting Park in 2018, following a major renovation<\/a> of the building.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Resident Elizabeth Rivera greets her pet turtle, April, at her North Philadelphia home, which she rents from the Esperanza community land trust. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)<\/p>\n

With the former PHA homes now rented out, START is moving into its next phase.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The CLT is purchasing nine homes, most of which haven\u2019t been vacant as long and won\u2019t need as much work. The Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh awarded the project a $1.35 million grant towards its projected $1.75 million development cost. Ortiz said renovations are slated to start in May.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The federal and state governments are also helping fund the trust. An appropriations bill President Trump signed last month includes a $750,000 grant, and Pennsylvania\u2019s Neighborhood Assistance Program, which gives state tax credits to businesses that make contributions to neighborhood-preservation groups, will provide $377,000.<\/p>\n

Applying for grants, getting donated properties, and purchasing homes that are less expensive to rehab are among the strategies the CLT uses to keep its expenses down and maximize the units\u2019 affordability, Toliver said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to create a portfolio of properties that are available to renters\u201d at low cost, he said. \u201cWe\u2019re looking at any and all options, because the goal is to get to a spot where \u2014 you\u2019re not going to stop development, nobody wants to do that \u2014 but you want to carve out enough of a subset so people have access.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends. Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today. Valerie Diaz…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":675964,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5132],"tags":[5229,84488,284979,262712,284980,43851,7065,114892,49316,12631,1448,284981,2830,1311,284982,4329,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-675963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-america","tag-community-land-trust","tag-congreso-de-latinos-unidos","tag-esperanza","tag-esperanza-community-land-trust","tag-gentrification","tag-housing","tag-hunting-park","tag-kensington","tag-north-philadelphia","tag-pa","tag-pacdc","tag-pennsylvania","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-housing-authority-pha","tag-real-estate","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116278494080568775","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/675963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=675963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/675963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/675964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=675963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=675963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=675963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}