Upper Darby mayor to host free, first-time homebuyer seminar

According to statistics from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the median home value in Delaware County in 2022 was $316,200, a 35.4 percent increase in value from 2012. Utilizing those same figures, the DVRPC estimates an average household would need to earn $75,880 annually to afford such a home.

Still, this massive increase in just a decade has left it more and more difficult for individuals to purchase a home in the Greater Philadelphia region. Upper Darby Township’s mayor hopes to change that.

Mayor Edward Brown will present the “Upper Darby Township Homeownership Seminar” on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 10 a.m. in order to both provide information and promote homeownership in the area.

Slated for the One Center, at the Upper Darby Township Municipal Building, 100 Garrett Road, in Upper Darby, the seminar is open to all.

“You don’t have to be an Upper Darby Township resident,” said a post by the township on its Facebook page. “Everyone is free to register and to attend!”

Registration can be done online here.

“Upper Darby Township staff, housing counselors, bankers, and real estate professionals will serve as panelists throughout the seminar,” said the post.

Mayor Brown is the co-chair of the Housing & Community Development Policy Committee for the African American Mayors Association (AAMA). Upper Darby Township recently received a grant from AAMA to provide education that helps residents prepare for homeownership.

Information will be included on how to seek downpayment assistance through the Upper Darby First-Time Homebuyer Program. Funded by the Community Development Block Grant Funds, the homebuyer program offers a maximum of $6,000 for qualified buyers.