In January 2021, The Barra Foundation funded Drexel’s Writers Room for the development and piloting of an intergenerational co-living housing model to combat rapid gentrification in the neighborhoods adjacent to the Drexel University campus – Mantua and Powelton Village. Existing residents have a difficult time remaining in their homes. Students also look to this area for more affordable housing options than in University City. The program ensures that residents who live in these communities surrounding the anchor institution can benefit from its growth. Begun in 2014 at the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, Writers Room is a university-community literary arts program that uses creative programming and art for social justice. Their mission is to develop inclusive, intergenerational, co-creative places that foster connection and community.
Watch the recently produced video below to learn more about Second Story Collective and Drexel’s Writers Room.