Mantua Affordable Apartments: 32 Family Homes at Abigail Pankey Apartments, 3750 Brown Street, Rents Posted at $465 to $645

What Abigail Pankey Apartments Is and Who Owns It

Abigail Pankey Apartments is a four-story building of 32 family apartments that the Women's Community Revitalization Project (WCRP) developed and manages, on land held by the Community Justice Land Trust.

• Names: Abigail Pankey Apartments on the building, in WCRP's release and on the City's housing list. The release's headline says "Abigail Pankey Townhomes". PHA's plan adds "Brown Street Apartments".
• Addresses: 3750 Brown Street on the permits, the property record and the front door. The City's housing list files the project at 777-87 N. 38th Street. A 2023 zoning permit joined five lots on N. 38th, Brown and N. DeKalb streets.
• Owner: Community Justice Land Trust on the City's property record (account 886000081), at WCRP's office address. WCRP says the land trust "is operated by the Women's Community Revitalization Project".
• Architect, builder and consultant: CICADA Architecture; Domus, Inc. on the building permit; Stone Sherick Consulting Group.
• Size: building permit CP-2024-001620 is for a four-story building with 32 units, offices, a community room, five parking spaces and ten bicycle spaces. The zoning permit gives the height as 46 feet.
• Money: AIA Philadelphia reports tax credits from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and land from the Philadelphia Land Bank. LISC says it provided $798,000 of predevelopment financing.
• Program: PHA's plan lists 21 units here as "New construction development under Faircloth to RAD".
• Named for: Abigail Pankey, whom AIA Philadelphia describes as "a leader of the Mantua Housing Committee and co-founder of the Philadelphia Anti-Poverty Coalition".

Where 3750 Brown Street Is

The building is on Brown Street in Mantua, in ZIP code 19104 and City Council District 3, on land the owner's listing describes as bounded by Brown Street, N. DeKalb Street and N. 38th Street.

• Neighbors: the listing names the "Peace Garden and Miles Mack Playground" nearby. The architect says the building was sited "to prevent it from blocking sunlight from the adjacent garden".
• Apartments nearby: see voucher apartments in Mantua and in Powelton Village.

What the Rent Is and Who Qualifies

The only rents on record are from the owner's lease-up listing of February 7, 2025: "between $465 and $645 each month, plus utilities."

• Under $20,000 a year: the listing says "If you make less than $20,000 a year, your monthly rent will be even lower!"
• Utilities: "Tenant is responsible for rent and electricity."
• Deposit: "generally equivalent to the unit market rent", the listing says, without giving a figure.
• Lease: one year, then month to month.
• Late fee: rent is due on the 1st, with a $10 fee after the 5th.
• Minimum income: none is published.
• Rent by size: the listing gives one range for both sizes and does not say which rent goes with which.

Watch outthe posted rents date from February 2025, before the building opened. Tax-credit rents can change each year. Ask WCRP for the current rent for the size you need.

Do You Need a Voucher, and Can You Use One Here?

For 21 of the 32 apartments no voucher is needed, because PHA's assistance is attached to the apartment; the other 11 are tax-credit apartments where a voucher holder cannot be turned away for holding one.

• A voucher holder cannot be refused for holding one. Federal tax-credit law bars an owner from refusing a voucher holder "because of the status of the prospective tenant as such a holder", and Philadelphia's Fair Practices Ordinance counts "the Housing Choice Voucher (sometimes referred to as "Section 8") Program" as a protected source of income.
• The owner's own word on PHA: WCRP says "a long-standing partnership with the Philadelphia Housing Authority" lets it "provide even lower rents at some of our highest need developments."
• More on the voucher here: see how much Section 8 pays in Philadelphia, how the utility allowance works and the Philadelphia Housing Authority page.

How the Rent Compares With Rents in ZIP Code 19104

The top of the posted range, $645, is about a third of HUD's estimate of an ordinary two-bedroom rent in ZIP code 19104.

• A wide ZIP code: 19104 also covers University City and Powelton Village, and HUD's figure is for the whole ZIP code.
• Tax-credit ceilings are higher than the posted rents: PHFA's 2026 maximum for a two-bedroom at the 50% level is $1,381 with utilities, and $1,595 for a three-bedroom.
• Rent data for this ZIP code: see Section 8 rent limits for 19104 and voucher apartments in 19104.

Who Gets Priority, Building Features and Transit

The published priorities are for size and need: the apartments are for families, and ten are built for tenants with disabilities.

How to Apply for Abigail Pankey Apartments

You apply to WCRP, not to PHA: on October 7, 2026 its page offered one application for a single new building and a general application for "all other existing WCRP properties", which is where this building now falls.

Watch outWCRP says of its general waiting list, "it will be one to four (1 to 4 years) before you are called for orientation." The lease-up listing for this building gave 9 to 12 months, but that was for the first round in 2025.

What Is Known and What Is Not Yet Published

The records settle what was built, who owns it and how to get on the list; they do not give a current rent for each size.

If You Need an Apartment Sooner

A wait of one to four years means other options should stay open.

• Voucher in hand: browse Section 8 apartments in Philadelphia, or go straight to two-bedrooms and three-bedrooms.
• No voucher yet: read the Philadelphia Section 8 guide and check which waiting lists are open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Abigail Pankey Apartments taking applications?

WCRP takes applications for its existing buildings through one general application, and this building is one of them. WCRP does not say whether any apartment here is vacant. It says the general list takes one to four years.

How much is rent at Abigail Pankey Apartments?

The owner's lease-up listing of February 2025 gave $465 to $645 a month plus utilities, and lower for households earning under $20,000 a year. In the 21 apartments PHA supports, tenants pay 26% to 30% of adjusted income. Current rents by size are not published.

Does Abigail Pankey Apartments take Section 8?

Twenty-one apartments already have PHA rent assistance attached, so no voucher is needed for them. For the other 11, federal tax-credit law and Philadelphia's ordinance bar refusing a voucher holder for holding a voucher.

How much can you earn and still qualify?

The owner's listing says no more than 50% of area median income: $49,100 for two people and $61,350 for four in 2026. LISC and AIA Philadelphia describe a 60% ceiling, $73,620 for four. Ask WCRP which applies to the apartment you want.

Is there an application fee?

Submitting the application is free. WCRP charges for the credit and criminal background check later: $20 by money order for each adult on the application form, and $20 or $30 on its web page.

Who owns Abigail Pankey Apartments?

The Community Justice Land Trust holds the property, according to the City's record, and the Women's Community Revitalization Project operates the land trust and manages the building.

Who was Abigail Pankey?

AIA Philadelphia describes her as a leader of the Mantua Housing Committee and a co-founder of the Philadelphia Anti-Poverty Coalition, who hosted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at her Mantua home in 1965.

Are the rents below market?

Yes, on the posted figures. HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rents for ZIP code 19104 are $1,930 for a two-bedroom and $2,300 for a three-bedroom. The highest posted rent was $645 plus utilities.