HARRISBURG, Pa. — Quincen Sherard has lived in Harrisburg’s Allison Hill neighborhood for two decades.
“A lot of people are homeless," said Sherard. "As you can see, they live up here and there’s a lot of people with mental [health] issues and there’s nothing no one is doing for them.”
Brian Humphrey has called the area home for more than twice as long.
“Abandoned vehicles, things like that throughout the community, just the quality of life is the main issue," added Humphrey.
Both men see the issues firsthand and are optimistic about a project which aims to help.
“They are starting to build on the hill, Allison Hill, I think it’s great," said Sherard.
Come next year, five vacant lots on Market Street will be turned into affordable housing.
“A lot of people can’t afford $1,700, whatever it is for rent these days and just to have an opportunity to rent something nice and affordable would be nice for people in this community," said Humphrey.
The Gateway project is spearheaded by Wildheart Ministries, a nonprofit run by Tannon Herman who relocated to Allison Hill from Oklahoma with his wife in 2013.
“When we moved in we discovered there was an incredible opportunity to serve our neighbors," Herman said. "We sat down with them around food and said, ‘What can we do to be a part of this community and really make a difference?’”
The Gateway project will feature nine residential units and four commercial spaces. One unit will be reserved for individuals requiring ADA compliance.
“We’ve been living here inside this community," Herman explained. "My family, we’re impacted by the same things our neighbors are impacted by and when we brought this project to our neighbors, there was an overwhelming amount of support we received.”
The project is supported through a $58,500 investment through the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), a tax credit program run through the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development that provides tax credits to businesses that contribute to nonprofit organizations' efforts to revitalize communities.
Funding for the program was doubled in the 2024-25 state budget from $36 million to $72 million.
Wildheart expects to break ground in January and complete construction by fall 2025.