Penn faculty members voiced frustration with a lack of University action to prevent the imminent eviction of residents from the University City Townhomes, a housing development primarily occupied by Black and low-income Philadelphians.

The eviction, which is scheduled to take place this July, has garnered significant attention and backlash from the Penn community. Hundreds of Penn community members gathered on March 20 to protest the sale of the townhomes. UC Townhomes developer IBID Associates plans to file a lawsuit against Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, following the passage of legislation preventing the townhomes from being sold.

The Daily Pennsylvanian interviewed four Penn faculty members — Walter Palmer, Elaine Simon, Vincent Reina, and Akira Drake Rodriguez — with relevant backgrounds in real estate, urban policy, and housing law. The professors stressed their support for the residents of the UC Townhomes and expressed concerns regarding the status of affordable housing in Philadelphia.

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