University Models
Institutional commitment to housing justice varies, and the University Models chapter of this report examines a number of peer institutions’ efforts to address their impacts on local housing markets through reciprocal, transparent relationships with their surrounding communities. At Harvard, the 20/20/2000 program serves as a model for financial investment in affordable housing development. At the University of Pennsylvania, the institution’s complex relationship with the nearby West Philadelphia neighborhood is highlighted. The West Philadelphia Initiative, a project to revitalize the disinvested areas adjacent to the university, demonstrates an example of strong and deliberate planning and implementation involving community engagement (though with a dramatic power imbalance.) Still, displacement and gentrification in West Philadelphia has continued and even accelerated. At Drexel University, a University and Community Involvement Partnership balances university interests with local supportive efforts, though community perception is mixed, potentially representing insufficient outreach and engagement. This chapter’s analysis of these various programs can help guide the formation of any partnership effort.