ULI Philadelphia’s 2021 Awards for Excellence finalists represent superior development projects in the greater Philadelphia region that embody the ULI mission of shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.

Gregory Heller, SVP of Community Investment, Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, the city agency that created PHLRentAssist, joins us for “Five Minutes with a Finalist”. Here’s what he had to say:

Can you share your favorite story behind this project?

My team and I get calls everyday from people who are desperate for assistance. We hear heartbreaking stories, like those of families with small children who are terrified that they may soon become homeless if they can’t get assistance from our program. I don’t have one favorite story, but many, of people who called looking for help, and who got it and were able to stay in their homes. This work is so essential and rewarding. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to partner with an exceptional team who works tirelessly every day to make sure that we can help as many people as possible.

How have you had to respond or shift your project over the past year due to COVID-19?

On March 5, 2020 Mayor Kenney announced PHLRentAssist in his budget address, a program to provide housing vouchers and guaranteed income for low-income families. Little did we know that in just a few weeks, the world would change in unthinkable ways. Covid-19 caused massive unemployment and financial hardship for tens of thousands of Philadelphia families. The City and PHDC worked quickly and made Philadelphia one of the first big cities to set up an emergency rental assistance program. Our original program relied on volunteers and technology that we built quickly. Over the course of 2020 the program expanded, increased in capacity, and we brought on permanent staff. It also included a phase that made payments directly to tenants. Today we’re proud that PHLRentAssist distributed over $65M, serving over 14,000 Philadelphia households–helping them afford to stay in their homes. We’re in process of distributing at least $100M more.

What inspires you the most about Philadelphia and the region right now?

Over the past year I learned that it really takes a village to deliver rental assistance. Our team at PHDC is amazing, and in addition countless others across City departments have partnered with us to make sure that we could reach as many people as possible. Everybody saw how important this program was and it has been inspiring to see the urgency and compassion they have shown to support our work. I’m also grateful for the many Philadelphians who made small donations that have amounted to over $100,000 so far to provide additional support to those in need.

Winners will be announced live at a virtual celebration on June 16. For more information and to register, click here.