Own Your Neighborhood
Jumpstart Kensington empowers Northern Kensington residents to become developers of their own neighborhood through quality, community-focused real estate development.
Jumpstart Kensington is modeled after the original Jumpstart Germantown Program, which was created by Ken Weinstein to facilitate the revitalization of the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia through high quality residential renovations.
Jumpstart Kensington looks to leverage this new model of community development, that provides training, mentoring, networking, and financing options for aspiring local developers, to:
- create opportunities for local residents to invest and develop in their neighborhoods
- build wealth locally
- support scattered-site rehabilitation (as opposed to urban renewal)
- encourage a healthy mix of affordable and market-rate housing
- improve neighborhood safety and raises property values through blight reduction
- help first-time investors become more attractive to traditional lenders
- provide opportunities to groups traditionally under-represented in real estate development
We are looking to identify new and seasoned enthusiastic, community-driven, and socially-conscious developers who share our interest in investing in the future of Kensington and are committed to removing blight and deteriorated properties, creating more quality, affordable housing, and making Kensington a better place to live, work and enjoy.
When We Work Together, Kensington Wins
Our Focus: Northern Kensington
Jumpstart participants should come with a specific project in mind. The boundaries are: moving clockwise, Lehigh Ave, N. 5th St, Sedgley/Erie Ave, Castor Ave, and Aramingo Ave. If your project is slightly outside of these boundaries, they will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
The Program
There are three key components to Jumpstart Kensington
Step 1: Join The Developers’ Network
Real Estate Development takes a village. The Developers’ Network is about making connections between community developers, building mutually beneficial relationships, and sharing resources, such as tenants, contractors, vendors and potential properties, all with a goal of having a greater collective impact on Kensington.
The Developers’ Network meets four times per year, allowing participants to hear an informative guest speaker(s) and network with other developers, industry leaders, and service providers.
Between Network meetings, developers can join and communicate on the Jumpstart Kensington’s Facebook page, to ask for guidance, share thoughts and insights, and communicate best practices.
Next cohort begins December 10, 2025
Step 2: Apply for Training & Mentoring Program
The Jumpstart Kensington Training Program educates novice developers through nine hours of in-person instruction on real estate business models, property sourcing, design and construction, financing and cost estimation, and leasing and selling property.
Once a Jumpstart participant graduates the training program, they are assigned an industry veteran as a mentor to guide them through their next development project, providing invaluable guidance, support, and connections from start to finish. If you are interested in being a mentor, please send us a message here.
Four training cohorts will run each year, with participants expected to commit to three weekday afternoons (usually 2-5PM) in three consecutive weeks. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and selections will be announced once per quarter. If you are not selected for a cohort, your application will be included in the applications for the next cohort so there is no need to apply again. We typically run 3 to 4 classes per year in partnership with Jefferson University Real Estate program.
Step 3: Apply for a Loan
The Jumpstart Kensington Loan Program provides financial resources for the acquisition and construction of residential properties in Northern Kensington. The Loan Program is available to both experienced and novice developers but novice developers are required to first participate in the Training Program.
Projects being considered for the Loan Program must be within the boundaries outlined above. Experienced developers who have not completed a Jumpstart training program must demonstrate the successful completion of one or more rehab(s) at a similar scale.
Jumpstart Loan Program
The Jumpstart Kensington Loan Program provides financial resources for the acquisition and construction of one- or two-unit residential properties in Kensington. The Loan Program is available to both experienced and novice developers who are investing in Kensington.
Acquisition & Construction Loan Program
Funds are available to purchase and rehab homes for graduates of the Jumpstart training program and for small local developers who embrace the Jumpstart model for properties located within the Kensington Target Area.
Jumpstart Mini-Perm Loan Program
Funds are available to refinance the Jumpstart Acquisition & Construction Loan to help borrowers build credit, operating cash flow history and property value so traditional financing can be attained within three years of settlement.
When applying for a Jumpstart Loan, please complete both the loan application and a pro forma.