Housing and jobs fair draws a sizable crowd in Northwest Philly

Hundreds of residents learned about job and housing opportunities at Saturday morning’s “Northwest House Party,” which was held at West Oak Lane Charter School.

The 12th annual event — sponsored by state Reps. Dwight Evans and Stephen Kinsey, and City Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco — featured a wide array of workshops focused on financial issues and employment topics, including a job fair connecting job seekers with potential employers.

Among the topics discussed were Home Buying 101, a home-repairs open house, tours of available properties (in the $100,000 to $170,000 range) and a credit-score workshop.

Helming the home-buying session, Roy Hammond of Weichert Realtors noted that many are afraid of taking that leap because they fear the difficulties and costs involved.

“We’re focusing on events that will accentuate the livability of Northwest Philadelphia,” said Evans.

Local organizations and companies manning job-fair tables included the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Fire Department, SugarHouse Casino, SEPTA and McDonald’s.

Also present were FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service, all of which offered information about part-time and temporary work during the holiday season.