Their location of North Philadelphia isn’t the only thing Karen Donnally Townhomes and Iris Nydia Brown Townhomes have in common. They also share a unified vision: to provide safe and affordable housing for women and their families.

More than 15 years ago, the Women’s Community Revitalization Project (WCRP) developed Karen Donnally and Iris Nydia Brown Townhomes in Philadelphia, and named the projects after influential women and community leaders.

Karen Donnally was an esteemed supportive services coordinator at WCRP for many years, and focused on supporting low-income women and their families.

In the 1980's, Iris Nydia Brown co-founded Grupo Motivos, a group of Puerto Rican women who worked with North Philadelphia residents to establish the award-winning Norris Square Gardens. These gardens transformed vacant properties that were the sight of illegal drug sales into beautiful gardens inspired by Puerto Rican culture.

Designed with women and their families in mind, both affordable housing communities offer spacious two-, three-, and four-bedroom units. Washer and dryers are available in every home to allow mothers to spend more time with their families without dependence on laundry mats. Additionally, windows in the kitchen let moms easily keep any eye on their children playing outside while they prepare for mealtime.

In order to update the townhomes with state-of-the-art roofs, HVAC systems, floors and appliances, Karen Donnally and Iris Nydia Brown Townhomes were refinanced by Community Lenders.