The Urban Resources Development Corporation (URDC) is a northwest Philadelphia-based 501c(3) non-profit, interfaith organization working to stabilize housing and communities in Germantown, Mt. Airy and East/West Oak Lane through rehabilitation of homes for seniors and low-income people.
The organization is managed by twelve faith communities in northwest Philadelphia and uses no public funding for its efforts.
URDC was established in 1995 by three churches in the Germantown section of Philadelphia with the purpose of addressing housing blight in stable neighborhoods. URDC purchased and renovated abandoned or dilapidated houses and sold them to first time home buyers. By 2006, 27 homes had been purchased, renovated, and sold.
In 2006, URDC recognized that many owner-occupied homes in the community were also in disrepair and affecting neighborhood stabilization. It launched its Owner-Occupied Home Repair Program to help low-income and senior homeowners obtain funding for the needed repairs on their homes.
In 2021, in an effort for its repairs to have a greater impact on the community, URDC initiated its Home Strong program with three other faith based non-profit organizations. Home Strong addresses the issue of intergenerational wealth transfer in northwest Philadelphia communities of color by providing resources, seminars, and free repairs to senior homeowner in order for them to better preserve their homes and successfully transfer their home asset to their families.
Since its inception, URDC has grown from three churches to twelve faith communities. In that time, URDC has renovated 27 homes and assisted over 500 families with 825 separate repairs. Its Home Strong program has been beta-test with over 50 seniors with proven success and its now being expanded with a goal to eventually reach 50% of the senior homeowners in northwest Philadelphia.
URDC’s newest program provides senior homeowners with education and repairs to address inter-generational wealth transfer in northwest Philadelphia.
URDC helps local senior and low-income homeowners pay for home repairs that they cannot afford.
Special days sponsored by URDC congregations and community groups for volunteers to help low-income homeowners with small repairs.
© 2024 Urban Resources Development Corporation.
