Mr. Johns, in his capacity of the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Chief Architect developed in-house programmatic master plans for many Philadelphia neighborhoods where the Authority held land. Mr. Johns prepared 20-year projections of where PHA should focus its resources in developing or preserving affordable housing. This included not only design/urban planning studies but also full financial analyses of potential mixes of funding from federal, state, and local government along with private equity sources. Mr. Johns updated these plans on a regular basis to address changing priorities.

PHA has the largest scattered sites portfolio of any housing authority in the country; the agency once owned approximately 8,000 scattered site units across the City. Many of them were acquired in the 1960s and 70s and some were built over a century ago. These properties have become increasingly difficult to manage, given their age, the state of disrepair of some, and the agency’s limited resources. In 2012, Mr. Johns coordinated an in-house team to begin an evaluation study to create an appropriately-sized portfolio that the agency can manage and maintain efficiently. Under the new repositioning strategy, PHA evaluates units as they become vacant, preserve units located in areas of opportunity that can be feasibly modernized, and work with City agencies, affordable housing developers, community development corporations, and others to address units that PHA is not able to efficiently operate. In addition, Mr. Johns began leading PHA in conducting several auctions and other strategic dispositions of several hundred surplus properties. Proceeds from the auctions helped to finance PHA’s development initiatives.

In 2012, Mr.Johns created a “twenty-one development principles” policy to assist in-house development department staff and outside developers in the development of affordable housing for PHA or in partnership with PHA. The twenty-one principles serve to make the development process with PHA transparent and predictable, and to promote effective development and redevelopment activities which will increase affordable housing opportunities in the City of Philadelphia. PHA board adopted these principles in Septmeber 2012.

Through Mr. Johns' visionary leadership the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has been in the forefront of transforming the Mill Creek neighborhood since 2000. PHA and its partners have made major investments in a targeted 12-block area in West Philadelphia. PHA’s overall strategy is to promote the health, welfare, and safety of its residents and to foster the neighborhood’s stabilization. This neighborhood has suffered decades from physical blight and economic disinvestment. PHA has done an excellent job of collaborating with numerous City and State agencies and in creating initiatives that meet these objectives.

This transformation began with the demolition of 444 units at the former Mill Creek public housing project and the acquisition of 375 scattered site properties. Since then close to 700 units of rental and homeownership housing have been developed at a cost of $174,625,120. Housing typologies developed during this period include single family homes and assisted and non-assisted housing for seniors. In addition, several new streets were constructed to knit the former public housing site back into the local street grid. The stormwater management for the Lucien E. Blackwell units was part of the Philadelphia Water Department’s (PWD) first demonstration project for effective storm water detention along the Mill Creek watershed. Other strategic investments were made along the nearby Lancaster Avenue commercial strip through grants awarded to PHA by the State’s Main Street Program. These improvements involved lighting, rainwater run off management, and various other streetscape improvements.

Blumberg Sharswood Choice Neighborhood Planning - Through the HUD Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant process, PHA in concert with residents, community leaders, and key institutions worked together to achieve a safe, walkable, transit oriented neighborhood complete with services not currently available to residents such as a major grocery store, clothing outlet, pharmacy, cleaners, medical offices or medical clinic, and banking/credit union. Studies show this will result in an economic infusion that will bring jobs back to the community.

Construction plans currently call for a mix of affordable and market rate housing in the community. In addition, PHA using it powers of Eminent Domain acquired close to 1,000 properties with the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority acting as PHA’s agent. There was significant backlash the Authority overcame related to such a large taking. The planned redevelopment is being done by public and private partners within a target area, located within one-quarter mile of the Blumberg public housing site. The redesign of the street pattern follows “Green City, Clean Waters,” Philadelphia’s plan to reduce storm water pollution from entering the city’s combined sewer system through the use of green infrastructure. The plan resulted from a 25-year agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency that was reached in 2012. PHA is building its new consolidated headquarters on the commercial corridor within the target area.

Advising architect to the African Cultural Alliance of North America (ACANA) organization and the Philadelphia Community Design Collaborative on the development of a place identifier of (Africa Town) a neighborhood in southwest Philadelphia. The design effort with the Philadelphia community design collaborative seeks to establish a cultural identity for a portion of a commercial corridor with a significant African immigrant population similar to Chinatown in Center City Philadelphia.

As a member of and past president of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), spearheaded the creation of a youth oriented program titled “ARCHES” ( bridging the gap) to introduce architecture and design to at risk inner city youth.

PHA asked Econsult solutions to assist in forecasting the economic and fiscal impact of some of its revitalization efforts. This report measures the economic impacts from the re-development and construction of new housing, the economic impacts from operating the new housing developments, and the impacts to the neighborhood in terms of property value. PHA had studies done in 2007, 2014 and 2017.

The following is an excerpt from the 2014 report:

“The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) is making significant investments to renovate, re-develop, and build new affordable housing in Philadelphia. The new housing not only addresses the critical need for safe, quality, affordable housing in Philadelphia, but it also generates economic and fiscal impacts in the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The demolition, construction, and renovation at six sites and some additional scattered sites included in PHA’s Five Year Capital Plan FY13 - FY17, will generate one-time economic impacts for the City and Commonwealth. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania there will be a one-time economic impact of $1.2 billion, supporting 7,800 jobs with earnings of $520 million. Of those impacts, the City of Philadelphia, will realize a one-time economic impact of $1.1 billion, supporting 7,000 jobs with $480 million in earnings. The construction will also have a significant fiscal benefit of $18 million in tax revenue to the City and $24 million to the Commonwealth.” The Econsult reports demonstrate that Mr. Johns’ leadership in developing affordable housing has a positive economic on the local and regional economy.