About PCDC
Mission
Our mission is to preserve, protect, and promote Chinatown as a viable ethnic, residential, and business community.
PCDC’s full mission approved by our Board of Directors in our 2017 PCDC Strategic Plan:
The Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (hereafter “the Corporation”) is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes as defined and limited by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time. The Corporation’s mission includes, but is not limited to, combating community deterioration within Chinatown through the development of residential and commercial property; preserving and developing the Chinatown community by borrowing and lending where necessary, and raising funds, in order to finance the development of a community center and other related community recreational facilities that serve the needs of the community’s youth and elderly; leading the community in neighborhood planning and development in order to improve the quality of life for all visitors and residents of Chinatown; considering land use in order to preserve historic structures within Chinatown; addressing and proposing zoning laws which further the unique needs of the Chinatown community; serving the residents of Chinatown, especially in the area of providing affordable and market rate housing in order to diversify, maintain and grow the community, and promoting education programs to increase the general public’s awareness of Chinese American culture and expand tourism.
Organizational Description:
Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC) is a grassroots, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Established in 1966, PCDC is the only institution in Chinatown that addresses the needs of urban renewal and affordable housing development. With our bilingual capacity, we are advocates for over 44,000 Chinese Americans in Philadelphia. PCDC provides a comprehensive approach to meet the need for cultural and economic development of the Chinatown commercial corridor.
Our bilingual (English and Chinese) programs serve over 3,000 clients per year. Our language-accessible programs and resources help clients overcome language and cultural barriers to affordable housing, social services, economic revitalization, and neighborhood planning.
Our Holistic Approach
To meet the needs of a low-income immigrant community, PCDC offers a comprehensive array of programs and projects that fall into several main categories: Neighborhood Planning and Advocacy, Affordable Housing, Housing Counseling & Family Services, Chinatown Commercial Corridor Revitalization, and Youth Empowerment.
What We Do
We are the foremost developer of affordable housing in Chinatown, with 481 units to date. Recent projects include Man An House – Affordable Senior Housing (recently completed); the Winter Street Project (in construction); and more.
We organize our community to promote equitable development and advocate for immigrant rights in Chinatown and city-wide. Also, get involved with the Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) for Chinatown!
We provide language-accessible housing counseling, benefits access, and free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) for our community, as well as comprehensive Health and Youth programming.
We strengthen Chinatown businesses through our “Main Street” Chinatown Commercial Corridor program, including promoting Chinatown through promotion, small business organizing, design, and greening and cleaning.
This includes our annual neighborhood events including the YeShi Night Market, voted the 5th best festival in the country by USA Today in 2024!
PCDC offers high-quality afterschool and summer programming for high school youth. Our Out-of-School-Time (OST) program aims to close the academic resource gap for Philadelphia’s low-income, minority, and limited-English proficient students.
As Chinatown’s only recreation center, Crane offers opportunities for learning and recreation for the whole family. The location offers high school youth programming during the school year and summer. The large gym is available for open sports hours as well as private rentals. Cultural and civic events are held at Crane during the year for the community. Recent “Senior Cafe” programming offers a social and cultural hub for seniors to socialize, play board games, enjoy sports, and learn how to use technology in weekly classes.