Seniors Asked Their Pastor for Help Finding a Home. A Decade Later, the Church Opened 38 Apartments

• A West Philadelphia church opened 38 apartments for people aged 62 and over
• The project cost about $20 million from city, state and federal funds
• One-bedroom rents run from $900 to $1,300 based on income
• Four units are reserved for formerly homeless people

About ten years ago, older members of a West Philadelphia congregation came to their pastor with a problem: they could not find housing they could afford. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Church of Christian Compassion has now answered them with Compassion Senior Living, a 38-apartment building in the Cobbs Creek neighbourhood that opened in early 2026.

The project cost about $20 million, paid for with city, state and federal funding. It is for residents aged 62 and older with incomes between 20 and 60 per cent of the area median income, roughly $17,200 to $51,540 for a single person. One-bedroom apartments rent for between $900 and $1,300 depending on income, and four units are reserved for people who were formerly homeless. More than 60 per cent of tenants already lived in West or Southwest Philadelphia.

The building includes on-site social services, a laundromat, a library, a multipurpose room and community space, along with a green roof, low-flow taps and energy-efficient systems.

Senior pastor W. Lonnie Herndon said the project was an expression of the church’s calling. “We believe ministry must extend beyond the walls of the church. We’re called not only to preach about love and compassion but to demonstrate it in practical ways,” he said.

The story begins where many Jamaican church conversations about housing begin: with elderly members who cannot afford a safe place to live. In Jamaica, churches with land and trusted relationships are well placed to act. The Philadelphia example shows it takes a decade, public funding and patient partners, but that the result can be homes priced to what older people can actually pay.