PHA Plans 50-Unit Senior Building in North Philly
The Philadelphia Housing Authority proposes a four-story senior apartment building at 10th and Thompson streets in North Philadelphia.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Seniors
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The Philadelphia Housing Authority and Mission First Housing Group plan a 50-unit senior apartment building at 10th and Thompson streets as part of the Harrison Plaza redevelopment. The four-story building would replace nearly a dozen low-rise townhomes built in the 1950s.
Why it matters
The adjacent senior high-rise is full with a yearslong waiting list, which prompted the new proposal for additional senior housing in Philadelphia. The project comes after PHA was not selected for a federal Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant for Harrison Plaza.
The proposal calls for 43 one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom units, all subsidized for households earning up to 80% of area median income, which is about $68,750 a year for an individual. The building would sit beside a 15-story high-rise that PHA redeveloped in 2023 into 116 units of senior housing.
The players
Philadelphia Housing Authority
The Philadelphia Housing Authority is the city agency that manages public housing and affordable housing development across Philadelphia.
Mission First Housing Group
Mission First Housing Group is a nonprofit affordable housing developer that partners with public housing authorities on senior and family housing projects.
The details
The four-story building would include a roof deck and a community room, with no additional parking because it would use an existing surface lot. Residents would need to be 55 or older, and the project still requires zoning approvals, with the Civic Design Review committee providing feedback at its Wednesday meeting.
Timeline
2023: PHA redeveloped the nearby 15-story high-rise as senior housing.
Wednesday: Civic Design Review committee met to discuss the proposal.
Near future: The 50-unit senior building is expected to move forward.
Six redevelopment phases are expected in total for Harrison Plaza.
Season Trajectory
The proposal continues a pattern in which PHA redevelops aging public housing into senior-focused buildings, as seen with the 2023 high-rise conversion next door. Its move forward without Choice Neighborhoods Initiative money marks a departure from the federally funded approach used for the wider Harrison Plaza plan.
Adults aged 55 and older with incomes up to 80% of area median income may qualify for the subsidized one-bedroom and two-bedroom units once the building opens. Because the building will have no added parking, prospective residents who rely on driving should consider transit access before applying.
The takeaway
Affordable senior housing projects often depend on layered funding and approvals, so residents and advocates should track zoning decisions and phase timelines to see when units become available. Watching how PHA uses its existing senior high-rise as a model may signal how future Harrison Plaza phases proceed.
Further reading
Explore more senior living coverage in Seniors to see how housing options for older adults are changing across the city.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WHYY.
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