The Projects and Progress The Evolution of Affordable Housing in Grays Ferry
By:Calistha Gunawan
Public Housing History
The signing of the New Deal and the enactment of the Public Administration (PWA) program as well as the U.S. The Housing Act of 1937 spearheaded the nationwide initiative of public housing projects. One of these housing projects was The Taker Homes, which served as one of Philadelphia Housing Authority’s first public housing initiatives. What once served as a trash dump, the Tasker Homes occupied over 40 acres of land, between southwest of 30th and Tasker St. Completed in 1941, the Tasker Project consisted of 1000 units in 125 high density buildings, as well as community centers.
A woman and her child sitting outside thir home in the Tasker Homes .
Exterior part of the Tasker Homes, taken in 1949.
The back doors of Grays Ferry Estate Homes in Philadelphia, taken Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
MAPS OF AREA
Aerial view of buildings and undeveloped land of Taker Homes. The Schuylkill river lies in the upper right and left. Large X-shaped area marking on right near center. Taken approx.1940s.
Thomas Hunt, Marine Corps private, and his wife and son are the first family to move into this new housing project on 1602 S. 30th Street in 1949.
War efforts created a new demand for housing for newly enlisted men and officers as the homes were in proximity to Philadelphia’s Navy Yard. The first 60 tenants were dedicated to these families while only the remainder of the homes actually went to low income families. PHA also had a policy that aimed to maintain “racial balance,” meaning the projects had to reflect the racial components of the surrounding neighborhoods. This area was largely known as an Irish-American neighborhood, and as a result, the Tasker Homes were majority white until the 1970s.
Chilsrem enjoying a slide set in a park around the Tasker Home, 1949.
An empty swimming pool in Stinger Square park located within Grays Ferry, 2025.
present PAST 1941 2025
Children play in a park in front of their houses in the Tasker Homes, 1949.
A playground located in Lanier Park in the Grays Ferry neighborhood in 2025.
A man bikes in front of a newly opened Vietnamese Alliance Church in 2025.
People walk around and a child rides his bike around the Tasker Houses in 1949.
A man pushes a stroller around the Tasker Homes in 1949.
A woman walks her dog around the Grays Ferry Estate Homes in 2025
A child runs outside their home in the Tasker Homes in 1949.
Throughout the 70s to the 90s financial support dwindled and the homes turned into an area known for its crime and drug problems. An uptick of racial tension betweens its White and Black residents instilled fear and harbored resentment within the community. Soon the words “the projects” became a codeword for violence and poor living conditions. The Department of Public Health criticized the development due to its proximity to a nearby trash burning facility and the area was often infested with rats, mosquitos, and cockroaches.
Grays Ferry Estate homes with the skyline of Philadelphia in the background , 2025
A sign outside the LIFE senior home detailing the history of the Tasker Homes on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
In 2004, The Tasker Homes was demolished by the PHA and replaced with a senior building and a mixture of row and twin public housing known as the Grays Ferry Estates. Instead of focusing on low-income housing, the new housing project strived to incorporate mixed-income families, focusing on “affordable housing.” The redevelopment aimed to promote home ownership and residential care, where residents had a choice to decide to rent or own, and receive governmental loans (section 8) if needed.
The front entrance of one of the Grays Ferry Estate houses with PGW’S Gas Holders in the background on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
The front entrance of one of the Grays Ferry Estate houses with PGW’S Gas Holders in the background on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
Philadelphia Housing Authority building situated in front of the 1-76 Expressway on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
HEALTH VIOLATIONS
Though the new redevelopment is relatively considered successful, there are still major issues which plagues the community. The Grays Ferry Estates are bounded by the I-76 expressway and oil refineries which largely affects residents’ health. A New York Times article shed light on how Black Americans are disproportionately affected by pollution in comparison to other Americans, reporting on predominantly black neighborhoods like Grays Ferry that are bounded by health violations. According to 2016 E.P.A., the refinery that sits in the landscaping of the Grays Ferry neighborhood was responsible for the bulk of toxic air emissions in the city. P.E.S. was fined approximately $650,000 for violating air, water and waste-disposal rules.The refinery was shut down in 2019 after efforts from environmental activists.
Images show views of the area surrounding Tasker homes in Philadelphia. A refinery is spotted in the background. Taken 1949 by Edward Gallob.
Shoes hang on electrucal wires at the corner of 32nd and Dickiason on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
SOURCES:
https://digital.library.temple.edu/digital/collection/p15037coll3/id/26368/ https://schuylkillcorps.org/exhibits/show/grays-ferry-oral-histories/grays-frrymid-twentieth-cent https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=249311 https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Final-report_ REVISED_Grays-Ferry-Land-Mapping_v2_compressed.pdf https://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/pa-suburbs/files/Public_ Housing_Phila_PHA_Postwar.pdf https://mdesigns.consulting/portfolio_project/greater-grays-ferry-estates/#:~:text=Greater%20Grays%20Ferry%20Estates%20 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/magazine/pollution-philadelphia-black-americans.html https://thecityrooftop.com/2012/07/18/the-projects/
