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about this project
Imagine a beautiful neighborhood with a big problem…and an even bigger opportunity! The city of Philadelphia has more than 40,000 abandoned, vacant, and blight filled properties. Many of these are in the Kensington section. Once bustling with jobs and industry, this neighborhood has become one of the poorest neighborhoods in the state of Pennsylvania.
With Kensington Renewal, we aim to take neglected, under-used properties, rehabilitate them, and sell them at market value as owner-occupied homes to long-term renters currently living in the neighborhood. We focus on the Kensington section of Philadelphia, with the intention to develop a model that is scalable and available for other neighborhoods here in Philly and in other cities across the nation.
We've learned (and witnessed) that home ownership and crime rates correlate. Increasing the number of owner-occupied properties in a neighborhood statistically decreases both violent and non-violent criminal activity. In a city like Philadelphia, with tens of thousands of abandoned homes, there’s plenty of blight – but we see it as a new opportunity. A chance to reclaim the forgotten or neglected spaces and use them to fight for our neighborhood.
Discriminatory bank policies, high closing costs, and insufficient training leave many potential home owners ill-equiped and unable to purchase homes. We aim to to empower long-term renters with the skills needed for home ownership through private mortgages, closing cost assistance, and ownership education programming. These new tools will both remove the need for predatory lending practices and create a sustainable structure for neighbors looking to purchase their first home.
Vacant and neglected housing, or as we like to call them here in Kensington, “Abandominiums,” are serious and negative draws on neighborhoods. Taking the worst properties, rehabilitating them, and filling them with owner-occupied families transforms a significant negative influence into a positive one. As you can imagine, the more reclaimed properties in a neighborhood, the higher the benefit – both socially and economically.
How can you help?
Invest! With as little as $10,000, we can purchase an “Abandominium,” and begin the process of revitilization, while preparing a potential new home owner from the neighborhood.
Volunteer! Come down for a work day, we’d love to meet you! You can meet the neighbors, help us sweep the streets, and paint the future home. By volunteering, you’re becoming involved not just financially, but personally.
We’ll be sure to update you on the neighborhood through photos, videos, and stories by acclaimed motion picture director (and neighbor) Jamie Moffett at www.kensingtonrenewal.com
GALLERY
FAQs
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How can I help and if i can do it physically , emotionally, or financially i will try. after this email , I will donate $25, big deal , but after reading the "star' article , i hope many others do the same, I want to learn about what your doing and maybe?
- Thanks so much! Please spread the word, lots of small donations go a very long way! We'd love to work in Port Richmond as well. Thanks again!
The funding period
for this campaign has ended
help with$10
Your Prize for this Level:
Every donation gets a shout out under the Special Thanks section of KensingtonRenewal.com!
0 helpers chose this
help with$10 |
Your Prize for this Level: Every donation gets a shout out under the Special Thanks section of KensingtonRenewal.com! |
help with$25
Your Prize for this Level:
For $25, you'll get the chance to sport our stylish tee, with the Kensington Renewal logo centered on front!
5 helpers chose this
help with$25 |
Your Prize for this Level: For $25, you'll get the chance to sport our stylish tee, with the Kensington Renewal logo centered on front! |
help with$50
Your Prize for this Level:
For 50 bucks, you'll receive the Kensington Renewal tee, and your pick of one of Jamie's two feature films: The Ordinary Radicals or Return to El Salvador
2 helpers chose this
help with$50 |
Your Prize for this Level: For 50 bucks, you'll receive the Kensington Renewal tee, and your pick of one of Jamie's two feature films: The Ordinary Radicals or Return to El Salvador |
help with$100
Your Prize for this Level:
For only $100, you'll grab the Kensington Renewal tee, BOTH feature length films (The Ordinary Radicals and Return to El Salvador) and a personal Thank You letter from Director and Project Coordinator Jamie Moffett.
3 helpers chose this
help with$100 |
Your Prize for this Level: For only $100, you'll grab the Kensington Renewal tee, BOTH feature length films (The Ordinary Radicals and Return to El Salvador) and a personal Thank You letter from Director and Project Coordinator Jamie Moffett. |
help with$250
Your Prize for this Level:
For $250, we'll send out the Kensington Renewal tee, BOTH feature films (The Ordinary Radicals and Return to El Salvador) autographed by Director Jamie Moffett, a Thank You letter from Jamie, and the eBook, Abandominiums.
1 helpers chose this
help with$250 |
Your Prize for this Level: For $250, we'll send out the Kensington Renewal tee, BOTH feature films (The Ordinary Radicals and Return to El Salvador) autographed by Director Jamie Moffett, a Thank You letter from Jamie, and the eBook, Abandominiums. |
help with$500
Your Prize for this Level:
$500 gets you a personal video from Director and Project Coordinator, Jamie Moffett, thanking you for your support!!
0 helpers chose this
help with$500 |
Your Prize for this Level: $500 gets you a personal video from Director and Project Coordinator, Jamie Moffett, thanking you for your support!! |
help with$1000
Your Prize for this Level:
For only $1000, Director and Project Coordinator, Jamie Moffett, will take you out for lunch, and on a tour of the Kensington neighborhood, giving you the inside scoop on the project's status!
0 helpers chose this
help with$1000 |
Your Prize for this Level: For only $1000, Director and Project Coordinator, Jamie Moffett, will take you out for lunch, and on a tour of the Kensington neighborhood, giving you the inside scoop on the project's status! |
help with$2000
Your Prize for this Level:
How can you leave your mark on this project? For as little as $2000, you can have a room of your choosing, dedicated to you, a group of you and your friends, or your organization!
0 helpers chose this
help with$2000 |
Your Prize for this Level: How can you leave your mark on this project? For as little as $2000, you can have a room of your choosing, dedicated to you, a group of you and your friends, or your organization! |
help with$10000
Your Prize for this Level:
Whoa, for only $10,000...The revitalized house will be dedicated to you. And, well heck, Director and Project Coordinator, Jamie Moffett will wash your car, walk your dogs, whatever...you pick!
0 helpers chose this
help with$10000 |
Your Prize for this Level: Whoa, for only $10,000...The revitalized house will be dedicated to you. And, well heck, Director and Project Coordinator, Jamie Moffett will wash your car, walk your dogs, whatever...you pick! |
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