Applicants Line Up To Apply For Low-Income Housing in Fairmount
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Dozens of people lined up today to apply for one of 55 units of affordable housing being financed by pop singer Jon Bon Jovi in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Bon Jovi, former owner of the Philadelphia Soul arena football team, is working with Project HOME on "JBJ Soul Homes," at 15th and Fairmount (see previous story).
Sister Mary Scullion, director of Project HOME, says she was surprised to see a line of people waiting before they started handing out applications at 7am.
"It just took us off guard," she told KYW Newsradio today, "and the line just grew and grew and grew. It just seems to be so symptomatic of the need for affordable housing for all segments of our comunity -- not only people who are homeless, which is pretty obvious, but also many working people in our community who need an affordable place to stay."
Fifteen of the units are reserved for local residents being priced out of the neighborhood as development pushes north up Broad Street. Forty units are for the formerly homeless, including eight that are reserved for homeless youth, as they age out of the foster care system.
The development is expected to open in December.
