90 F Lincoln Greene Apartments Presidential Blvd. Since 1980, private investment has produced thousands of new and rehabilitated housing units in West Philadelphia. Much of the private investment in West Philadelphia's housing has utilized incentives provided by the public sector. Public assistance for housing rehabilitation and new construction have taken many forms during the 1980's and 1990's, including direct grants from Philadelphia's Office of Housing and Community Development and the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs, use of the federal Section 8 and Section 202 programs, Urban Development Action Grants, federal tax credits for low income housing and historic preservation, and FHA mortgage insurance. These 29 affordable housing developments contain 1,874 dwelling units for low and moderate income occupancy.
Public expenditures are an important catalyst for private investment.
Several major types of public investment are summarized here. The Capital Program is the City of Philadelphia's annual spending plan for the development and maintenance of city-owned infrastructure and facilities. Renovations were made at four fire stations, two branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia, two district health centers, the Medical Examiner's Office, the Civic Center, thirteen West Philadelphia playgrounds or recreation centers, nine facilities in West Fairmount Park, and two facilities at the Philadelphia Zoo. Cobbs Creek Park was improved during the past five years, and capital funds were spent on highways and bridges at many West Philadelphia locations. Between 1974 and 1987, federal Community Development funds were targeted to the neighborhoods of Mantua, West Parkside, Cobbs Creek and Carroll Park for purposes of housing rehabilitation, loans and grants to homeowners, improvements to streets and sidewalks, social services and community oversight.