Laundry, WiFi, and a doctor on call? Philly landlord experiments with telehealth

In the urban rental sector, where landlords around the country are trying to accommodate their residents’ needs with bike repair facilities and produce banks, one Philadelphia (PA) property developer is testing out telehealth.“The concept of landlords providing wraparound services for tenants, in particular, low-income tenants, is a no-brainer,” said Brian Murray, CEO of Shift Capital. The social impact-minded landlord and developer owns approximately 100 affordable housing units in the Kensington area and now its renters will be eligible to tap into a new discount prescription and telemedicine service offered by a Washington (DC) startup called Health+. At a rate of $10 per month per unit, Health+ comes at a minimal cost to Shift, Murray said, and could facilitate an “enormous” payoff by helping renters meet healthcare needs while maintaining their jobs — and their economic stability, thus reducing tenant turnover.