Evans Welcomes a Philly Housing Leader to State of the Union

WASHINGTON (Feb. 6, 2023) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3rd) will host a Philadelphia housing leader as his guest for President Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday.

Evans' guest will be Stefanie Seldin, president & CEO of Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, a nonprofit that revitalizes communities by transforming vulnerable owner-occupied houses into safe, healthy and energy-efficient homes. RTP's staff, subcontractors and 1,000 volunteers repair 125 homes a year. The organization is a local, independent affiliate of a national network focused on preserving affordable homeownership and revitalizing neighborhoods using volunteer resources.

"I'm pleased to welcome Stefanie Seldin to the Capitol as my 2023 guest for the State of the Union. I wanted to highlight the valuable work that she and Rebuilding Together Philadelphia do in our communities. This is also an opportunity to spotlight some of the massive investments in affordable housing that we have passed during President Biden's first two years in office," Evans said.

"Affordable housing is one of my top priorities as a representative of Philadelphia in Congress, and I'm pleased to work with Rebuilding Together Philadelphia and other organizations and agencies to preserve existing affordable housing, which is just as important as building new housing and often more cost-effective."

Evans has visited numerous RTP "Block Build" efforts over the years to show his appreciation for the organization's work.

Seldin said, "I am honored to represent Rebuilding Together Philadelphia at the State of the Union as Congressman Evans' guest. I am grateful to Congressman Evans for this invitation and for his unfailing commitment to safe and healthy housing in the 3rd Congressional District and across the country."

Evans said the most recent annual government funding law, which he voted for in December, includes several investments related to housing. Four of those investments are ones he specifically requested for the 3rd Congressional District:

Liberty Housing Development Corp., $2,000,000: This project will provide 31 affordable housing units, 15 of which will be dedicated to people with disabilities. It will help to further re-balance long-term services and supports by creating more affordable community-based living arrangements for people with disabilities.

Local Initiatives Support Corp., $2,000,000: The project will address the barriers many have faced working toward homeownership and sustaining their homes through a revolving loan fund for acquisition and predevelopment costs; and a grant fund for basic system repairs and other transaction costs that exceed an affordable sale price to first-time homebuyers.

The Allegheny West Foundation, $1,000,000: The foundation, in partnership with New Courtland Elder Services, will build a large mixed-use development on a currently vacant former industrial site. The new site will have a total of 50 units of affordable housing for low-income seniors and a 25,000-square-foot ground-floor commercial space. Located within will be a 5,000-square-foot food distribution site to combat food insecurities in the Hunting Park neighborhood.

Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA), $925,000: The agency plans to improve diversity within Philadelphia's skilled trades. ECA will train a total of 80 diverse, underserved 3rd District residents for high-demand occupations in weatherization and clean energy implementation. As part of the program, trainees will install heat pump water heaters in the homes of up to 65 underserved, minority families in the district, increasing the families' home safety and affordability.

Among Evans' national priorities included in the new funding law are:

• An 8.4 percent increase for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including $12.6 billion in funding for new affordable housing, critical health, safety, and maintenance improvements to ensure the safety and quality of public and low-income housing.

• $1.5 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program that constructs new rental and homebuyer units.

• $8.5 billion for public housing, including $3.2 billion to meet the full annual capital accrual need to improve the quality and safety of public housing for more than 1.7 million residents.

• $350 million for sustained investments to revitalize low-income housing and distressed communities through the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, $100 million above the president's budget request. Philadelphia has previously benefited from this program with a $30 million grant that Evans supported, which is leveraging over $225 million in investment to revitalize the Sharswood-Blumberg neighborhood.

• $258.3 million to construct over 2,800 new affordable housing units for seniors and persons with disabilities.

• $6.39 billion for Community Development Block Grants and related economic and community development projects that benefit low and middle-income areas and people, including $85 million to incentivize affordable housing production.

• $3.63 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants to fund services and housing interventions for families experiencing housing instability, including $107 million for homeless youth, $75 million for permanent supportive housing, and $52 million for survivors of domestic violence.

• $1.435 billion for the Housing for the Elderly and Housing for Persons with Disabilities programs.

• $130 million for new Housing Choice Vouchers for low-income households including families and veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness, youth aging out of foster care, and survivors of domestic violence.

• $125 million for the Family Self-Sufficiency program that helps housing choice voucher program participants, public housing tenants, and tenants in the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program obtain employment that will enable participating families to save and improve financial well-being.

• $86.4 million to support fair housing.

• $20 million to support legal aid eviction prevention efforts.

The 3rd Congressional District includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia.

During Evans' first six years in Congress, his office has helped to return to or save more than $25 million for Philadelphians from federal agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs. His website is evans.house.gov and his social media handle is @RepDwightEvans on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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