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Affordable Housing in Logan Square: A Study of LIHTC Impact and Demographic Shifts
CATEGORY
Affordable Housing
DATA
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
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Affordable Housing
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
Logan Square, a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, contains Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funded affordable housing. The neighborhood's LIHTC inventory comprises 43 total units, with 42 designated as low-income units. Based on the 2022 population of 13,182 and using the national average household size of 2.61, the estimated number of housing units in the neighborhood is approximately 5,051. The LIHTC funded affordable housing represents about 0.85% of the estimated housing inventory in Logan Square.
The LIHTC program has invested $231,483 in tax credits for affordable housing projects in Logan Square. This equates to an average federal funding of $5,383 per unit. The neighborhood has two LIHTC funded projects: Westminster Apartments and Riverside Senior Apartments. Westminster Apartments, completed in 1993, is the earliest known LIHTC project in the area. This indicates that affordable housing has been present in Logan Square for at least three decades.
The 1990s saw the most LIHTC activity in Logan Square, with Westminster Apartments being the notable project from this period. The housing inventory includes a diverse mix of unit types: 6 efficiencies, 6 one-bedroom units, 26 two-bedroom units, and 5 three-bedroom units. This distribution indicates a focus on accommodating various household sizes, with a particular emphasis on two-bedroom units.
Over the past decade, Logan Square has experienced significant demographic changes. The population has grown from 10,688 in 2013 to 13,182 in 2022, a 23% increase. Median income has also risen substantially, from $70,161 in 2013 to $93,300 in 2022, representing a 33% increase.
Racial composition has shifted as well. The white population decreased from 74% in 2013 to 63% in 2022, while the Asian population increased from 13% to 17%. The Black population saw a slight increase from 6% to 10%, and the Hispanic population remained relatively stable, moving from 5% to 5%.
Despite these demographic changes, there has not been a corresponding increase in LIHTC funded affordable housing in the last decade. This could be due to the rising median income, which might have reduced the perceived need for additional affordable housing units in the area.
Logan Square's LIHTC funded affordable housing inventory, while modest in comparison to the estimated total housing units, has been a consistent presence since the early 1990s. The neighborhood has seen significant population growth and income increases over the past decade, along with notable shifts in racial composition. Despite these changes, there has not been recent LIHTC activity, possibly due to the area's rising affluence. The existing LIHTC projects continue to provide a mix of unit types, contributing to housing diversity in Logan Square.
