Temple University's rapid expansion is causing discourse among residents
Jala Hayes
November 3, 2021
Temple university has been sitting in North Philly since 1884 but longtime residents are concerned with how Temple’s recent expansion is affecting the local community.
While Temple continues to expand, the North Philadelphia locals feel like their community has been deteriorating while Temple grows. Community member Jackie Wiggins is one of these people.
“We have a billion-dollar campus, sitting in one of the poorest communities in the city, and no one seems to realize that our schools have been shut down and our streets are filthy,” Wiggins said. “The people who live here, cannot necessarily afford the rents that are coming in.”
According to Wiggins, Temple has an issue with making sure the community is educated about what programs they offer to the public.
“You should be advertising the good things that you're doing if you're doing them. So, what good things are you doing for, and in the community that you can advertise?” Wiggins said. “All I hear about is football.”
Director of community and neighborhood affairs, Andrea D Swan, works closely with the community and helps to make sure info is available.
“There was a book that we have printed called the Community Resource Guide,” Swan said. “It's a great book, if we could, we would have this in everybody's hand. And we've had to print it over and over and over again, you will always find someone who will say, I did not know that this book existed. I didn't know this book existed, you know that I know that but we're doing the best we can. We're also in the process of updating our websites so that this will be online.”
In 2018 the 19123 zip code area experienced a 203% increase in home values and a 203% increase in college-educated residents. While the abundance of student housing is also a concern for residents, developers outside of Temple have built the houses. Everything that Temple builds is on Temple-owned land.
“One concern that we face from time to time is off-campus student housing, that is a big issue because Temple has the dormitories on campus. However, like with any other university, there's not enough rooms for every student.” Swan said. “We don't have 35,000 beds, obviously. So many landlords or developers have taken it upon themselves to build off-campus student housing. And I know you see it on the way to school, sometimes the trash is overloaded. That's a big issue.”
But a big issue in the community is that low-income residents cannot afford to fight against this development, even though it's harmful.
“A lot of the housing is coming because the community doesn't have the wherewithal to fight, we, all of us, are not attorneys and lawyers and Judges.” Wiggins said. “All of us are not millionaires.”
The development in communities is a big contribution to gentrification. If more people knew how to protest against new buildings being built, we might not have such a big problem.
“You have every right, as, As a resident to question, even as a renter to say, what's that and when a developer is building something they need to apply for certain permits so that they can legally build it.” Swan said. “And those permits must be posted in a prominent area like, oftentimes on a window or a gate, and you have 30 minutes 30 days to appeal. If you don't like what you're reading.”
Though Temple is trying, more work needs to be done for the community.
“All of these things, about what you are and your diversity and you care, I need to see more.” Wiggins said. “And so I'm saying that, not just for Temple, I'm saying that for
our mayor, our council people, our commerce department, our zoning board, our builders and the developers.”