Community Ventures

Our new main office view.

Our development, finance and executive team is fully up and running and had a very productive first day in the new office.

Our new office building at 325 Chestnut St, Suite 610 in Old City!

Note our main office will be closed today as we settle in and staff will not have access to email or phones.

After 38 years, Community Ventures is moving from Friends Center to a new office space in Old City! This move combines the main office functions of Community Ventures and Octavia Hill Association as a key step in our continued integration as a single staffed organization.

Our new address effective July 27th is:
325 Chestnut Street, Suite 610
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Spring is in full bloom at Old First House! We just installed new corner planters outside on the corner of 4th & Race too!

Design by

So glad to celebrate the groundbreaking of Rebuild Philadelphia improvements at Vogt Recreation Center! Thanks to Senator Tina Tartaglione, Councilman Mike Driscoll, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Slawson and Deputy Managing Director Aparna Palantino along with members of the Tacony community for joining us! Special shout out to our design and construction team: OZ Collaborative, Hunt Engineering, J+M engineering, Revision and Clemens Construction!

We’re excited to share that Community Ventures (CV) and Octavia Hill Association (OHA) have entered into a new collaboration rooted in our shared commitment to providing quality, affordable housing in Philadelphia.
As of March 29, 2026, all staffing and property management operations from both organizations have been consolidated under Community Ventures.
What this means:
🏘 Community Ventures will continue to advance its mission of strengthening neighborhoods and expanding affordable housing options.
🏘 OHA’s legacy, grounded in the Quaker principles of social housing reform pioneered by Octavia Hill, will carry forward through Community Ventures’ mission.
🏘 OHA will remain an independent corporation and will continue to own its units across Philadelphia.
🏘 Community Ventures has retained all existing OHA staff for a combined staff of 38-person staff across real estate development, property management, supportive services and finance.
🏘 Community Ventures will manage all OHA-owned properties, along with its existing rental portfolio, for a combined portfolio of 720 units.
🏘 Residents will continue working with the same property management staff and will soon see the Community Ventures name and logo on all communications.

Learn more about our collaboration below:
🔗 https://octaviahill.com/
🔗 https://community-ventures.org/affordable-rentals/

We are excited to celebrate the groundbreaking of another Rebuild Philadelphia transformation. New playground and building improvements are on their way at Vogt Recreation Center! See details below!

We're breaking ground at Vogt Recreation Center!

Join Councilmember Mike Driscoll, Capital Program Office (CPO), Rep. Joe Hohenstein, Senator Tina Tartaglione, Community Ventures, and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation as we kick off an $8 million project to transform this important community asset.

When: Friday, April 24, 2025, at 2:30 PM
Where: Vogt Recreation Center, 4131 Unruh Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19135

This project will bring a series of transformational improvements throughout the building and site:

Building:
New roof, windows, security cameras, and lighting
New HVAC, electrical, and mechanical systems
New interior finishes and furniture
ADA upgrades, including building access and restrooms

Site Improvements:
New playground equipment and safety surfacing
New benches, picnic tables, and trash/recycling receptacles
New trees and landscaping
This project will bring a series of transformational improvements throughout the building and site:

We hope to see you there!

Check out this article in the Inquirer about our recent Playful Learning project at our Susquehanna Square development in North Philly. The playful learning installations were designed based on resident engagement and working with Tree House Books. Thanks to our partners and William Penn Foundation for making this possible.

Educational play spaces were built at two North Philly affordable housing sites. Could they inspire similar projects nationwide?

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Community Ventures, I am pleased to announce that Troy Hannigan will serve as our new Executive Director, effective January 1, 2026. Troy brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, and I am confident that he will lead the organization well through the coming transitions.

On December 31, 2025, David La Fontaine retired as Community Ventures’ Executive Director after almost 30 years with the organization including 12 years as its Executive Director. David will continue to serve Community Ventures as a Special Advisor to the Executive Director particularly around asset management and to ensure a smooth transition.

Thank you for your support for Community Ventures. We will continue to share more information as the year goes on. For a full press release visit our website: https://community-ventures.org/troy-hannigan-named-executive-director/

Sincerely,
Nancy Wagner-Hislip
Chair, Board of Directors