Case Studies
These stories were first reported in The Washington Post. Even as her pre-World War II-era house falls apart around her, Bernadette Reese-Hobson tries not to feel “like a failure of a homeowner.” Her home is still her refuge, giving her space to sip tea while staring at family photographs that line the walls.
But there is a trash-can-size hole in her living room ceiling, caused by water that continually drips on piles of dank plaster and crumbled wooden beams on the floor. A gaping hole in her basement water heater spills even more water onto her belongings. And when Reese-Hobson steps into her shower, she fears she could fall through the wobbly floor because the pipes underneath her are corroded.
Philadelphia, one of the nation’s oldest cities, has emerged as an epicenter for the problem and the debate about whether government can or should step in. City records show 40 percent of houses in the city were built before 1939 with nearly two-thirds built before 1954.
Philadelphia also has a homeownership rate that far outranks most other major East Coast cities — about 53 percent, according to Pew Charitable Trusts. But Philadelphia ranks as the “poorest big city” in the nation with about one in five residents living in poverty.
“It’s the perfect chaos for a storm for upkeep” of properties, said Angela D. Brooks, Philadelphia’s chief housing and urban development officer. “You have people who have the benefit of being able to afford a house, or maybe they inherited it, but they don’t quite have the money to do even basic systems repair.”
In another case, Reese-Hobson, who lives in Philadelphia’s Mount Airy neighborhood, purchased her three-bedroom rowhouse in 2001 for $75,000. A single mother who never recalls earning more than $1,600 a week, Reese-Hobson said the property was her life goal as it provided a stable upbringing for her three children. City records show the house was built between 1934 and 1942. The house includes a quaint living room with a fireplace, a dining room, hearty wooden stairs, and a second-floor bathroom with a stand-alone tub and a separate shower.
But about five years ago, a bathroom pipe burst, and she was unable to pay for repairs. She watched for years as the water dripped into her living room and the hole in the ceiling continued to expand. Other elements of her plumbing system also failed. The faucet in her bathtub now runs continually, and the water has seeped throughout the foundation of the house, causing the ceiling above her living room to also sag.
Meanwhile, another water leak in the kitchen has caused the floor to buckle and become covered in rust and mildew. The problems in the kitchen also degraded the stove, causing the local gas company to cut off service to her home, Reese-Hobson said. Coming up with money to fix the problem became impossible, especially after she retired last year due to chronic weakness. Reese-Hobson’s autistic 37-year-old son lives in the house and receives about $1,300 a month in Social Security due to his disability. About half of their combined income pays the $1,000 a month mortgage and utility bills.
She has thought about selling the house, even for less than she paid for it, but worries she wouldn’t be able to find a rental unit as cheap as her mortgage. For now, Reese-Hobson said she just tries to enjoy her house as much as she can. Philadelphia leaders and social service agencies say a growing number of families now live in properties that are teetering on becoming uninhabitable.
Emily Schapira, president of the Philadelphia Energy Authority, said problems include plaster and bricks falling off facades, collapsed chimneys, porches that have caved in, mold, unstable flooring, nonfunctioning kitchens and bathrooms, and even trees that are growing through the backs of houses. “People have adjusted to living in conditions that other people would be appalled at,” Schapira said. “Anyone can get into this situation, and we have seen that can be true across every neighborhood, and income spectrum, because deferred maintenance is tough.”
She said Philadelphia has at least 60,000 houses that are “in a pretty difficult situation” and need immediate repairs. Nationwide, about 6.7 million households are living in “inadequate” properties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Reconstruction and Rehabilitating Homes
David Thomas, president of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, said he connects people with the Philadelphia Basic System Repair Program, which awards low-income homeowners grants of up to $40,000 to fix structural, roofing, electrical and major plumbing problems. The city-funded program, which costs about $50 million annually, has a 5,000-person waiting list.
In recent months, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has pushed through a plan to borrow $800 million to build and preserve 30,000 affordable-housing units over the next four years. A significant portion of the money would be allocated toward helping homeowners remain in existing properties. Another city program,
Built to Last, also works with low- and moderate-income households to do comprehensive repairs on distressed properties. In 2022, Pennsylvania allocated $125 million from the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan to pay for major home repairs throughout the state. About $8 million of that money went to Built to Last.
Conclusions
Older homes may offer character, but they can also conceal serious threats to health, safety and well-being. While not every vintage house is a death trap, the risks are real — and they’re often hidden in plain sight. Don’t wait for a health scare to investigate what’s lurking behind those walls.
Regular water testing and proactive infrastructure upgrades are essential for mitigating health risks and maintaining water safety. Public involvement, education, and investment in modern technologies are key to improving infrastructure and securing a reliable water supply for future generations.
A professional home inspection or board-certified industrial hygienist with expertise in indoor air quality and environmental health risk is worth every penny — especially if you’re planning to live in the home long-term or renovate. Prevention costs far less than dealing with a crisis later.
