READERS' CHOICE AWARDS
Finalists Illustrate the Depth of Affordable Housing
Vote for the best developments.
By Donna Kimura
Thirty-six developments from
across the country have been
selected as finalists for this
year’s AFFORDABLE HOUSING
FINANCE magazine’s Readers’
Choice Awards.
They range from a 10-unit development
for women escaping domestic violence
in Coos Bay, Ore., to a massive
1,075-unit acquisition-rehabilitation
effort that spans several Columbus,
Ohio, neighborhoods.
These developments illustrate the
diversity and quality of affordable
housing being built today. They are
home to working families, formerly
homeless individuals, veterans, disabled
people, and frail seniors.
Read about these projects in the
following pages and then vote for a
winner in each of the nine categories
and one overall winner. The winning
projects will be highlighted in the
November issue.
A formal public presentation of the
2007 Readers’ Choice Awards will take
place at an Oct. 26 luncheon at the
Hyatt Regency Chicago. This event will
come at the conclusion of AHF Live:
The 2007 Tax Credit Developers’
Summit.
This is the third year for the
awards, and the competition was stiff.
There were nearly 150 nominations
that came in from all corners of the
country. As a result, many outstanding
developments could not be selected.
In the end, this year’s finalists are
from 16 states, the District of
Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
They show the creative and varied
approaches that developers must take
to get their projects built.
The emergence of green-building
techniques was a big trend seen in
many of the nominated developments
this year. One finalist is Solara, a pioneering
development in Poway, Calif.,
that draws all of its electricity from the
sun. Another finalist, Near North
Apartments in Chicago, has wind turbines
on the roof to help produce electricity
for the building.
Many of the developments feature
not only innovative design but also new
collaborations. The Mission Creek
Senior Community in San Francisco
features the city’s first new branch
library in 40 years. Seniors on
Broadway in Chula Vista, Calif., is built
on surplus school property. Its location
next to an elementary school will allow
the students and the elderly residents
of the housing development to take
part in intergenerational activities.
Several finalists are important catalysts
for improving their entire neighborhoods.
The finalists were selected by the
editors of AHF, with assistance from
several industry experts. The developments
were selected based on our
assessment of several key characteristics,
including:
- Impact on the community by
adding substantially to the affordable
housing stock or improving the immediate
social or economic fabric
-
Role in overall community revitalization
or social change
-
Sets a new standard or pioneers a
new method (taps new funding
-
sources; demonstrates new efficiency in
capital costs and/or maintenance/operating
costs, etc.)
-
Employs cost-effective or innovative
design and/or construction, including
energy efficiency and sustainable
development
-
Offers outstanding social services
for tenants
-
Received broad community support,
including state and local government
financial assistance
-
Addresses a unique challenge
-
Demonstrates creative problem solving
-
Evidence of cost-effectiveness
To be eligible, developments had to
have been completed in 2006 or scheduled
for completion this year. Multiphase
projects with a phase being completed
during this period were also
eligible.
Finalists by Category
FAMILY FINALISTS
View slideshow
HISTORIC REHAB FINALISTS
View slideshow
HOMEOWNERSHIP FINALISTS
View slideshow
MASTER-PLANNED/MIXED-USE FINALISTS
View slideshow
PRESERVATION FINALISTS
View slideshow
RURAL FINALISTS
View slideshow
SENIORS FINALISTS
View slideshow
SPECIAL-NEEDS FINALISTS
View slideshow
URBAN FINALISTS
View slideshow
Help chose the best affordable housing
developments. Fill out the online ballot to
let us know which project you think is the
most deserving in each category and
which should be the overall winner. The
deadline to vote is Aug. 24.
NOTE: Voting is open
only to AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE subscribers.
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