Last week, I met with the CEO of AARP, Myechia Minter-Jordan, when she came to town.
We talked about housing affordability, accessory dwelling units (like backyard cottages and in-law suites), and the importance of people having choices about how to live as they age.
While Minter-Jordan was in Philly, she also spoke with Angela Brooks, the city’s chief housing and urban development officer. AARP is advocating for seniors in Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s housing initiative to build or preserve 30,000 homes.
Read on for my conversation with the head of AARP.
And keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:
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Court victory: Learn about Philly residents’ latest win in their fight against the Washington Square West historic district.
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A pricey condo: Look inside one of Philly’s most expensive condos, currently for sale for almost $17 million.
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Movin’ on up: First-time homebuyers went from an unsafe West Philly apartment to an East Mount Airy rowhouse.
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Pretty in pink: Peek inside this Old City loft apartment with city views and a lot of character.
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Market update: Scroll to learn what homebuyers and sellers were up to in our region last month.
— Michaelle Bond
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Roughly one in four people in Pennsylvania is over 60. And by 2030, that population is expected to grow to one in three people, according to the national nonprofit AARP.
Myechia Minter-Jordan, AARP’s CEO, said these demographic changes show the urgency of addressing issues that matter most to older adults.
And housing affordability is one of the top issues for seniors in Pennsylvania, she told me. Cost is a common barrier for folks who want to age in their homes or even downsize.
I told you a few weeks ago about seniors in West Philly who turned to their pastor in their search for affordable homes.
AARP is pushing for Pennsylvanians to be able to add accessory dwelling units to their properties to live in, rent out for income, or house a caregiver.
And the organization is advocating for seniors in Mayor Parker’s Philly housing initiative.
Keep reading for my Q&A with AARP’s CEO about these topics and more.
Two years ago, I wrote about how Philly created its largest historic district in decades in Washington Square West.
The district spanned roughly 26 blocks and included 1,441 properties, including homes.
But a lot’s happened in the last two years.
Residents have been fighting against the area’s historic designation. And they just got another court victory. Last week, a Philly judge overturned the Washington Square West historic district for the second time.
Keep reading to find out why the judge ruled the way he did and what could happen now.
The latest news to pay attention to
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One of Philly’s most expensive condos is for sale for almost $17 million.
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These first-time homebuyers moved from an unsafe West Philly apartment to an East Mount Airy rowhouse.
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Holly Ravine will become farmland once more as Springdale Farm, the last farm in Cherry Hill, leases the land.
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The Haverford School is eyeing a major campus redesign. Some neighbors see institutional encroachment.
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A new mini golf course could soon replace a vacant Camden County warehouse that was once part of a 1940s airport.
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House of the week: For $650,000 in Merchantville, a four-bedroom fully renovated Victorian.
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Luxe listing: For about $8 million in Ocean City, a red-shingled, Victorian-style house once owned by legendary journalist Gay Talese.
Isabel Schloss describes her home’s design as “very maximalist.”
She’s a collector who fills her loft apartment with anything that catches her eye. She says every item comes with a memory attached.
Schloss likes bright colors in general, but she has a special place in her heart for pink. That’s the color of her desk and its rolling chair and a small globe. In the kitchen, a tea kettle, a heart-shaped pot, and a toaster oven are all pink.
These appliances help brighten up the small galley kitchen, which has a wooden ceiling and wooden cabinets.
A gold lamp with a pink glass shade stands next to her TV stand. And Schloss’ chihuahua, Pumpkin, wears a pink collar.
Peek inside this apartment in the Hoopskirt Factory Lofts and see some of the items Schloss has collected.
📊 The market
In September, the average interest rate for the popular 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage shot up from 6.71% to 7.28%. In last week’s newsletter, I shared tips for folks who have to buy a home right now.
But tips and tricks can do only so much. Elevated mortgage rates and home prices are making homebuying unaffordable for more people.
Between buyers priced out of the market and those who are waiting for more certainty in the economy, housing activity slowed last month and likely will be slow for the rest of the fall.
In September in the Philadelphia metro area, according to Bright MLS:
🔻The number of closed sales — 5,247 — was down 3% from the same time last year.
🔻The number of new pending sales — 5,159 — was down almost 11% from last year to the lowest September level since 2013.
🔻The number of home showings dropped by 10.5%.
🔺Homes are piling up on the market. The number of active home listings — 15,528 — was up almost 20% from last September.
📷 Photo quiz
Do you know the location this photo shows?
📮 If you think you do, email me back.
Last week’s quiz featured a visually interesting photo of the roof at the Kimmel Center.
Lars W. and Bruce R. were up to the challenge and got that right.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
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