Affordable-housing plan using eminent domain advances in Council
“The condemning of real estate is a sacred act, which should only be used in the most extreme of circumstances by a municipality,” Feibush said. “It should not be used to subvert private development in a neighborhood that desperately needs it.”
The city has said it’s simply trying to preserve some affordability in Point Breeze. Some longtime residents are concerned that gentrification will make living there too costly.
“The market in Point Breeze will move forward; we know that. This is a part of preserving particular land whether it be public or private to provide affordable housing,” Johnson said. The city will request development proposals for the lots in the spring and units will sell for about $150,000.”
Ransom, J. Philly.com 14 November 2012.