Esperanza Hosts Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony of the Roberto Clemente Homes
Creating an opportunity community in North Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA – November 7, 2018. Esperanza is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the newly renovated Roberto Clemente Homes (3921-61 North 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140) at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 14. The ceremony, which will take place at the former Roberto Clemente Middle School building, will celebrate the completion of a year-long transformation in which the structure was converted into 38 units of affordable rental housing and 5,000 square feet of new commercial space.
“We’re very happy that PHA (Philadelphia Housing Authority) has partnered with us to create a much-needed development in the Latino community. I’m excited for the families that will breathe new life into this historical building,” said Rev. Luis Cortés, Jr., Founder, President, and CEO of Esperanza.
Speakers will include baseball broadcaster and former professional baseball player Roberto Clemente Jr.; Councilwoman Maria Quiñónes-Sanchez; Brian Hudson, Executive Director and CEO of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency; and Kelvin Jeremiah, President, and CEO of the Philadelphia Housing Authority.
This project completes the transformation of a facility that had previously offered employment and educational opportunities to the neighborhood but had over the years become vacant and blighted. “It will now once again become a community asset, providing quality, affordable housing to Hunting Park residents,” said David Ortiz, Esperanza’s Vice President of Housing & Economic Development.
Esperanza is grateful to the many partners who have collaborated with us on this project, including the City of Philadelphia – Division of Housing and Community Development, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, M&T Bank, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, PZS Architects, Philadelphia Housing Authority, the Philadelphia Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, PNC Bank, the Reinvestment Fund, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The event will be open to the press. Media are encouraged to contact Joy Huertas at jhuertas@esperanza.us to confirm attendance.
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Esperanza is a national community-based organization founded in 1987 by Rev. Luis Cortés and the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity with the biblical mandate to serve and advocate for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Beginning with a local initiative, with programs targeted to address the unmet needs of North Philadelphia’s Hispanic community, Rev. Cortes is now sought by national and international leaders alike on issues of economic and workforce development, housing, immigration, and education. Under his leadership, Esperanza has grown from a small 20- person operation to a $40 million organization with more than 450 employees. Follow us on social media @esperanza_us on Twitter and Instagram, EsperanzaUSA on Facebook and Esperanza US on YouTube.
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Download official press release here.