By Gia Myers • Posted October 8, 2024

Father Augustus Tolton Place, a new affordable housing community for independent seniors in the Eastwick section of Southwest Philadelphia, hosted a visit by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez on Monday, Oct. 7 for its formal blessing and dedication. See our full photo feature here. 

It is the seventh senior housing community opened by Catholic Housing and Community Services (CHCS), a ministry of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CSS).

“This community is a testament to our Church’s compassionate love for the senior citizens among us. Let our hearts be filled with thanks for the many individual groups who have worked with diligence and dedication to make this day possible,” said Archbishop Pérez.

Named after the first black Roman Catholic priest in the United States and a possible future saint (the cause for his canonization is underway), Tolton Place is a 45-unit apartment building for low income seniors.

“A former slave, Father Tolton recognized the importance of creating spaces for nurturing purpose and independence,” said Heather Huot, secretary for archdiocesan Catholic Human Services, which is comprised of CSS and Nutritional Development Services (NDS). Huot is the former director of CHCS who initiated the Tolton Place project, which began construction in February 2023.

In the last two months, seniors aged 62 years and older have signed leases and moved into Tolton Place’s one-bedroom apartments. The facility is now filled to capacity.

Each apartment has a full-sized kitchen with energy-efficient appliances to help manage costs, and there’s also a generously sized living room, bathroom and bedroom, plus a storage area.

Residents have access to a furnished outdoor patio where they can meet and enjoy pleasant weather, and a community room, where they can participate in holiday parties and activities such as arts and crafts, and games.

“We reflect the interests of the folks who live here,” said Suzanne O’Grady Laurito, director of CHCS.

Tolton Place also provides a full-time site manager, a property management company, and a social worker who coordinates activities and educational programs for residents.

The social worker also manages a food pantry, making available to seniors both perishable and non-perishable goods. The food pantry is supplied by Nutritional Development Services.

The services and support “allow people to age in place,” said O’Grady Laurito.

Resident Cassandra Timberlake, 76, formerly of Lansdowne, moved into her apartment at Tolton Place in late August.

“The building is beautiful,” she said. “It was a blessing to me that God put me here.  It’s good to be in a place where you can connect, and everybody is friendly.”

Timberlake said she no longer has concerns about high rents and utility bills for her housing needs.

With the opening of Tolton Place, CHCS now counts 405 independent senior apartment units within its growing portfolio of communities across the Philadelphia region. The first was Saint John Neumann Place in South Philadelphia, which opened in 2008.

“This building will become more than a home,” said Huot. “Tolton Place will be a community that helps to sustain the residents’ independence and provide a beautiful and affordable place to live. That is the impact of this extraordinary work of the Church.”

CHCS partners with the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) on all the Philadelphia senior housing communities. PHA provides subsidies that make these developments affordable for senior residents, so that rents only cost seniors 30 percent of their incomes.

“It gives people piece of mind. You can really change their quality of life because suddenly they have money for medications, for food, to pay their utilities, and to pay for some recreational and social enjoyment,” said O’Grady Laurito.

Although Tolton Place’s units are currently occupied, anyone who is interested in being considered for future openings can contact the Property Management Office at 215-921-6946.

Last August, CHCS was awarded tax credit allocations of more than $16.1 million by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency for the development of its eighth senior housing community, Saint Katharine Drexel Place, which will be located Northeast Philadelphia.

Targeted for opening in fall 2026, Saint Katharine Drexel Place will provide 48 one-bedroom units and will be adjacent to Archbishop Ryan High School. Anyone interested should call 215-587-3663 and provide name and contact information. CHCS will notify people when the application process starts.

The CHCS senior housing communities are more than apartment buildings, according to  O’Grady Laurito.

“A community of friends are developed, but it’s also a community of care that often develops with people looking out for one another, and it really enriches their lives,” she said.

“CSS and all its entities, including Catholic Housing and Community Services, is guided by the Catholic faith to empower and uplift Philadelphia-area neighbors with compassionate care and essential services,” said Huot. “It’s hard to think of a better way to empower and uplift than to create affordable, safe and expertly designed communities that will allow our neighbors to age gracefully.”

Click here to watch the livestream of the Oct. 7 blessing and dedication on Archbishop Pérez’s Facebook page.