About The Center for Innovation in Affordable Housing Design The Center for Innovation in Affordable Housing Design is a partnership among the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design, The University’s Center for Community Partnerships, The People’s Emergency Center (PEC) and the PEC Community Development Corporation formed to create innovative and replicable affordable housing designs, and demonstration housing in the Mantua-West Powelton neighborhood of West Philadelphia. The Center for Innovation in Affordable Housing Design is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) Futures Demonstration program. Our work is organized into three areas:
Research		linking research on affordable housing design to neighborhood needs through five scheduled courses and independent study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design
Outreach		stimulating dialogue on housing design and the community planning process between academic departments, community organizations, government agencies, and neighborhood residents.
Construction		design, construction and occupation of demonstration housing in West Powelton and Mantua.