Surprisingly positive coverage now given the philaspeaks thread on the same subject.

These properties are listed on trulia.com for $179,500 for the corner; $172,500, and 172,500 for the other two.

Our government has never done well with math

I think the important question here is: “Did they use contractors from the neighborhood?”

Cheap housing?  Sure it’s relatively cheap to buy (though long term PB residents disagree), but make your judgment about the quality when it’s finished.  Individuals earning up to $68,450 can buy these houses.  A family of 4 earning $97,800 qualifies.  That’s 120% of AMI, which is by definition middle income.  These houses straddle the divide between the houses for sale between 200-300k, and the lower end rehabs in the low 100′s.

Ed: They’re required to spend 18% of their construction contract on minority suppliers/subcontractors and 7% on women owned businesses.  There is also a local hiring requirement and monthly reporting of progress toward those goals.

Lots of people see this stuff and start moaning about affordable housing ruining Point Breeze.  Except for the stuff at 17th and Federal, the scattered NSP development is mostly being done on the fringes of the “solid” part of the neighborhood.  The Northstar stuff is on the 14-1500 block of 20th St.  Up to this point there has been nothing going on on those blocks.  There’s also NSP development on the 16-1700 block of 19th, which was untouched by development previously.  If anything, they’re solidifying the outskirts of the south and westward march of private development and making development opportunities in between more appealing.  I’m considering buying on 19th street and I never would have given it any thought until this development started.

Affordable housing is a tainted phrase and people automatically assume it’s going to be cheapo brass hardware, nipple ceiling lights, and 6 panel doors, but that’s not necessarily the case.  I’m not really a fan of the exterior design, but I’m willing to bet it has better finishes than some houses I’ve seen sell farther north for $70,000 more.  Some developers are whining and trying to trash the development because they realize it’s a comparable product to their own and is going to undercut their sales.  Probably true for those who qualify, but a lot people aren’t going to be bothered with going through housing counseling and a 15 year deed restriction.  

[...] new construction affordable housing that’s approaching the finish line around the corner at 20th and Dickinson Sts. 20th and Dickinson [...]

[...] in on the Northstar Point Breeze homes at 20th & Dickinson almost a year ago, when they had just been framed out. As you can probably guess, these affordable homes have been finished in the time that’s [...]