Philly reports low-income housing in a section of Philadelphia called Logan rivals high-income housing elsewhere. The three modular rowhouses are stylish and modern, and among the most energy efficient homes anywhere, with solar paneled roofs that reduce the energy consumption level to near zero, crucial for the poorest of the poor who will be living there. Developed by Onion Flats, the homes are the first in Pennsylvania to be certified by the Germany-based International Passive House Institute because their energy consumption is near zero. Stuffed with insulation and outfitted with Bosch appliances and European windows, a heat exchanger maintains a comfortable temperature inside the homes. Partnering with the nonprofit Raise of Hope, Onion Flats set 25-foot deep piers to stabilize the modules because of Logan’s shifting soil. Costing $250,000 apiece, the five-bedroom homes will be occupied by families with incomes below $25,000 annually, MHProNews has been informed.
