Skip Navigation
 
 
 
 
 

Reverse Mortgages in Philadelphia: Lending Patterns, Foreclosures & Homeowner Experiences

From 2009 through 2016, Philadelphia was one of the most active reverse mortgage lending markets in the nation. With support from the City of Philadelphia, Reinvestment Fund collected and analyzed data on the frequency, terms and geographic distribution of reverse mortgages. This lending analysis was supplemented with in-depth interviews conducted with Philadelphia homeowners, and their heirs, who obtained a reverse mortgage and subsequently experienced a foreclosure – something they never thought possible. Interviews focused on borrowers’ experiences, from the moment they first contemplated a reverse mortgage through the point that they experienced a foreclosure filing, and then through the resolution of that foreclosure process. This work is part of a larger investigation into the potential fair housing implications of reverse mortgage lending in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Latest Insights

 
 
News July 20, 2026

Reinvestment Fund Announces Frank Fernandez as New President & CEO

 
 

Guaranteed Resources Optimize Wellbeing: Evaluating a Cash Transfer Program in Philadelphia

 
 
News June 29, 2026

Healthy Food Financing Initiative Announces $20 Million Local and Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Grant Program