Philadelphia Public Housing Scattered Site 2221 St. Albans Street

This video taken 1/7/10 shows the decrepit condition of PHA's scattered site housing. This row house has a cheap door installed that doesn't fit the row house or the neighborhood. As you can see from the video, the front is crumbling and paint is peeling. A piece of trash is stuffed in a broken window in the basement apartment. A convicted repeat violent felon is on the lease in the upstairs apartment, a fact I found out after complaining to PHA that there is heavy drug dealing coming in and out of the house (again), an ongoing problem since I've lived here for over ten years. This house brings down values on this block of tidy houses and on the surrounding block. This is a loss to the city in taxable market value because PHA is not telling the truth to their funders about how they spend the money they get. Note the trash around this house. Note the three pieces of unpainted wood that PHA claims is a "repair" and that they are "renovating" this property (SOSNA zoning cttee meeting, December, 2009). It is about three pieces of indoor grade lumber tacked to the outside of the crumbling facade. If PHA can't maintain and manage these houses to the neighborhood standard, they need to sell them. If they can't keep the drugs and drug dealers out, then PHA has a duty to unload these properties to someone who can do the job. This is taxpayer funded blight. It is an affront that PHA pays no property taxes for schools, trash, police and services but costs the city the most to address this government funded blight. PHA is unable to cope with the severity of the state of the housing it holds in the Scattered Site program. They need be compelled to sell what they can't properly manage. There is ample evidence that this property hasn't been touched by a proper manager in years if not decades. It is criminal negligence. It is theft of municipal services, a felony.

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Tags:

• PHA
• Philadelphia
• Public
• Housing
• Scattered
• Site
• 2221
• St.
• Alban's
• Street
• Saint
• Albans
• Drugs
• Blight
• Government
• subsidized
• st

[burgesspeanut]

Additionally, I'm told that PHA wants the bottom floor tenant to voluntarily vacate. This is doubtful, so we are requesting that PHA have the eviction that day ready to go. There is only one legal resident in the bottom floor apartment, and the others are off lease, including of course the drug dealers who are given full access to the building, with the door left open at all times.

[burgesspeanut]

Bear in mind that this is what PHA calls lease enforcement. 

[burgesspeanut]

The eviction should happen at the end of this month, and still, the evicted family is allowing known drug dealers to frequent the property. PHA police do nothing, only the Philly Police Dept. is on top of it. PHA police have zero clue. It's like the PHA police were paid off by drug dealers.

[burgesspeanut]

The eviction should happen at the end of this month, and still, the evicted family is allowing known drug dealers to frequent the property. PHA police do nothing, only the Philly Police Dept. is on top of it. PHA police have zero clue. It's like the PHA police were paid off by drug dealers.

[burgesspeanut]

The eviction should happen at the end of this month, and still, the evicted family is allowing known drug dealers to frequent the property. PHA police do nothing, only the Philly Police Dept. is on top of it. PHA police have zero clue. It's like the PHA police were paid off by drug dealers, that's how much of nothing they do. The PPD laugh at them.

[burgesspeanut]

Good news! PHA evicted one of the tenants involved in the drug trade from this house. Thanks to all the neighbors who helped get info to the authorities. Stay vigilant. We can have a nice neighborhood free of drugs and blight. After the eviction is processed, PHA plans to renovate the house. Check back for updates as to the status of that work.

[mrurbanblight]

Thank you to all who have been active in reporting the drug dealing and other illegal activities that occur in and outside of 2221 SAS. Because of all of your efforts, we have made a change.Those in the upper apt will have to move on 26 Oct. and those below will have to move on 15 Dec. This should have an effect on the drug trade within the neighborhood. I believe that, when this house closes, the drug trade will then be transferred to 2220 SAS so we'll have to keep a close eye on this house.

[burgesspeanut]

This door is usually left open, and the drug dealers come and go. The three pieces of indoor grade lumber, unpainted, uncaulked, are still there, even though people have complained for months now. The screens are still torn, the rag is still stuffed in the bottom window. All you ever can say is "WHAAAT????" Where did the money go?

[allieversayiswat]

wat

[mrurbanblight]

Although this video was taken seven months ago, the house, today, is exactly in the same condition as it was then. I've contacted PHA on numerous occasions regarding not only the disgusting condition of the house, but also for the numerous drug transactions that take place on a daily and nightly basis. Many of the drug dealers operating from this exact address have serious criminal charges against them and are not even listed on the lease. Yet, they continue to deal while PHA turns a blind eye.