Blog

A History of Commitment

• Posted on Jul 21, 2023

NewCourtland’s 150-year legacy had been to serve those in need of care. Beginning in 1871, this mission was realized through the charitable motives of the Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia to “provide medical and surgical aid and nursing for the sick and disabled, either in the wards of the hospital or in their homes”. Since 1995, when the Presbyterian Hospital was sold to the University of Pennsylvania Health System, NewCourtland has evolved and significantly broadened this experience to include the operation of skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, independent living housing, senior centers, and LIFE Centers. Throughout this extraordinary evolution, NewCourtland has remained committed to its charitable roots. The organization focuses its resources in Philadelphia, providing high-quality healthcare, housing, and services on a nondiscriminatory basis to all eligible persons regardless of their financial circumstances, and continues to develop innovative programs delivered by well-trained and highly effective staff.

INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS

EMBEDDED RESEARCH DEPARTMENT

NewCourtland embraces research to substantiate the best practices that have evolved from innovations. This started with a focus on housing innovation, and a desire to influence housing policy, based on qualitative analysis and research that supports the outcomes of each program.

HOUSING WITH SUPPORTIVE SERVICES

NewCourtland’s Housing with Supportive Services demonstration program began serving individuals who experience homelessness and complex medical and social needs. The first cohort included Veterans followed by a second cohort of United Healthcare members. The first 16 residents were provided housing in apartments on our Germantown Home Property and in scattered site homes located in the same neighborhood as our St. Bartholomew senior housing property. For these persons, NewCourtland used a housing first approach while also providing access to robust social service coordination to (re)establish a full spectrum of social programs along with coordinated healthcare navigation. With this model of housing with supportive services, NewCourtland hypothesizes that residents in the program will not return to homelessness, attain, and maintain stability in the community with appropriate supportive programs, and improve social connectedness. 

INCLUSIVE HOUSING

New Courtland acquired and is completing a second phased redevelopment of the former Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute campus called The Tower at Henry Avenue, 3232 Henry Avenue, in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. With appropriate scale, this project will achieve a fair return on our equity investment, while avoiding the high construction costs and fees of traditional Low-Income Tax Credit Developments. Of the 175 units, 40 will be rent subsidized for seniors along with 20 fully equipped ADA units for persons with disabilities. Designed to be a community of individuals who represent a cross-section of the broader geographic area, this project will be the catalyst that will contribute to economic revitalization. NewCourtland intends to demonstrate that this mixed-use, mixed-income and inclusive community with supportive services and desirable amenities will improve the quality of life for all residents regardless of their age. This development is not about gentrification but rather to support all area residents with services and programs that will empower them to live in their own neighborhoods. 

MISSING MIDDLE 

NewCourtland’s goal for this demonstration is to meet the health and housing needs of individuals through an innovative and inclusive home ownership concept appropriate for Philadelphia Neighborhoods that offers value to promote diversity. Missing Middle Housing proposes a range of multi-unit or clustered housing types, compatible in scale with single-family homes, that help meet the growing demand for walkable urban living, respond to shifting household demographics, and meet the need for more housing choices at different price points. 

If you’d like to learn more about any of our ongoing initiatives, please contact Alison Corter, Director of Strategic Initiatives, NewCourtland, at 215-951-4210 or Acorter1@newcourtland.org