Chester, Pa. – Crozer-Keystone Health System and Widener University, two of the largest employers in the Chester area are partnering on an initiative to promote home ownership and contribute to the economic revitalization of the city.
Crozer-Keystone and Widener recently announced the Employer Assisted Home Program as an incentive for employees to purchase homes of Chester and the adjacent borough of Upland. Eligible employees will receive a $5,000 loan toward the purchase of a home in the designated area.
The loan is forgiven at a rate of 20 percent per year for five years. So, if in five years an employee is still living in the home they purchased, they will not have to repay the loan.
Both Crozer-Keystone and Widener will make a limited number of loans available on an annual basis. Applicants may also qualify for additional funds from the city of Chester, Delaware County, or the state of Pennsylvania. The program applies only to residential properties in the designated area outlined by Crozer-Keystone and Widener.
Crozer-Keystone employs 7,200 workers in its five-hospital system, which includes Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland and Community Hospital in Chester. More than 80 percent of Crozer-Keystone employees are Delaware County residents. Widener employs 893 full-time staff and faculty on the Main Campus in Chester and two nearby campuses in Exton, Pa. and Wilmington, Del. A fourth campus is located in Harrisburg, Pa.
“In addition to benefiting the community shared by Crozer-Keystone Health System and Widener University, this program will help employees own homes near where they work, reducing their commutes and allowing them to enjoy more time with their families,” says Joan Richards, president and chief executive officer of Crozer-Keystone Health System.
“Part of the mission of Widener University is to contribute to the vitality and well being of the communities we serve,” said Widener President James T. Harris III. “Widener will continue to partner with Crozer-Keystone, the city of Chester, and other businesses and organizations to ensure the continued economic revitalization of Chester.”
Crozer-Keystone and Widener are partners in the University Technology Park, a hub for high-tech businesses in the city which opened in 2000. The two organizations are also partners in the Keystone Innovation Zone which includes University Technology Park, the Wharf at Rivertown, and the campuses of the two organizations.
In addition, the first phase of Widener’s $50 million University Crossings revitalization program on Providence Avenue is scheduled to open later this fall. The university also opened a Small Business Development Center in January 2007, and the Widener Partnership Charter School in fall 2006.
Widener University is a private, metropolitan university that connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal attention, and experiential learning are key components of the Widener experience. A comprehensive doctorate-granting university, Widener is comprised of eight schools and colleges that offer liberal arts and sciences, professional and pre-professional curricula leading to associate’s, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. The university’s campuses in Chester, Exton, and Harrisburg, Pa., and Wilmington, Del., serve some 6,700 students. Visit the university website, www.widener.edu.
Crozer-Keystone Health System is the dominant provider of health care and largest employer in Delaware County. Crozer-Keystone provides a full spectrum of wellness, prevention, acute care, rehabilitation and restorative care to the community. The health system comprises five hospitals, a comprehensive physician network of primary-care and specialty practices, and the Healthplex® Sports Club. For more information, visit www.crozer.org.