- Emmanuel United Church of Christ at 1547 W. Chew St. in Allentown is on track to become affordable housing
- The congregation donated the church building to Ripple Community Inc., which intends to build 12 apartments inside the church’s sanctuary for very-low-income families in need of housing
- The nonprofit group expects rent to align with what it charges for its current properties: $875 per month, on average, for a two-bedroom apartment
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Emmanuel United Church of Christ in Allentown will soon become a 12-unit, “deeply affordable” apartment complex, church leaders announced Thursday afternoon.
“We’re still mourning,” said Kathy Heckman, president of Emmanuel’s church council, at a gathering to announce the redevelopment plans Thursday mostly attended by former congregation members. “But today, we are also able to celebrate because this facility will have new life and a new purpose, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Heckman handed over the “key to the church” Thursday to Sherri Binder of Ripple Community Incorporated, an Allentown-based nonprofit offering support for people experiencing homelessness and similarly challenging situations. The congregation previously donated their building to RCI for the project.
As new owner of the building at 1547 W. Chew St., RCI plans to build a three-story structure inside of the church’s sanctuary, dividing the space into 12 apartments, with offices on the top floor tucked into the vaulted ceiling. The building’s main floor, beneath the sanctuary, will become a community space that hosts social services.
Binder said RCI intends to offer the apartments to “very low” and “extremely low” income families at prices similar to what the organization currently charges: $875 per month, on average, for a two-bedroom apartment.
The organization specifically offers permanent housing – that is, residents can stay in their apartments until they want to move somewhere else, as with a typical lease. The idea, Binder said, is to give people the stability that comes with putting down roots in a permanent home.
“Our goal is really long-term stability and long-term wellbeing, and housing is a piece to that. You can’t have long-term stability in your life if your housing is unstable,” said Binder.
The deal first came together when members of Ripple Community, which was looking for a new building, heard from members of Emanuel that the church was looking for a new steward of the church that would honor its history and place in the community.
“When we knew we were closing, we wanted to be sure that this building was not going to sit empty and become just a sore spot in the area. We didn't want to see it be torn down,” said Heckman. “When we got connected with Ripple, and we found out what their vision was, we were excited to be with them and excited to see the next chapter in Emmanuel’s life.”
“At the time we learned about this opportunity, we were at a place in our organization's history where we were looking to expand. We had developed a business plan that was really focused on expanding our housing program, just because the need for housing right now in the community is growing and growing,” Binder said.
Ripple is currently raising funds for the project; Binder said she expects construction to take about a year once it begins.
