NEWS HEADLINES

And the Finalists Are...

By Christine Serlin

We're putting the finishing touches on the August issue of Affordable Housing Finance this week, which features the finalists of the magazine's fourth annual Readers' Choice Awards for the best affordable housing developments of 2007-2008.

It was difficult paring down the approximately 135 entries into 32 finalists, but we did it with the help of members of our Editorial Advisory Board as well as other industry leaders.

These Readers' Choice finalists target diverse populations, including families, farmworkers, formerly homeless, and seniors. Pear Tree Place in Yakima, Wash., provides drug- and alcohol-free living for recently sober individuals and their families. Evans House in Seattle serves people who have just been released from state psychiatric hospitals. Dudley Village in Dorchester, Mass., has units set aside for ex-offenders returning to the neighborhood from prison. And Hartford Grandfamily Housing Development in Hartford, Conn., provides housing for grandparents raising their grandchildren.

The developments showcase innovative solutions for creating affordable housing. Fair Oaks Court in Pasadena, Calif., is the first for-sale housing development to tap New Markets Tax Credits for project funding. Three cities contributed to the funding for Gosnold Apartments, a single-room occupancy development in Norfolk, Va. The units at Broadway Crossing in Seattle sit atop a Walgreens.

Look for the August issue in your mailbox or online at the end of July to read these inspiring stories, and then help choose who you think is the most deserving in each category and which development should be the overall winner. Go to www.housingfinance.com from July 21 to Aug. 26 to vote. Voting is open to only Affordable Housing Finance subscribers.

Congratulations to all of the finalists as well as to all of the groups who also made contributions to these developments.

2008 Readers' Choice Awards Finalists

FAMILY FINALISTS:

• Corde Terra in San Jose, Calif.; developed by ROEM Development Corp. and Pinmore HDC, Inc., an affiliate of the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara
• Hartford Grandfamily Housing Development in Hartford, Conn.; developed by Community Renewal Team, Inc.
• Parkhurst Terrace in Aptos, Calif.; developed by Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition

GREEN FINALISTS:

• Dalton's Edge in Tarentum, Pa.; developed by Trek Development Group, Inc., with the Allegheny County Housing Authority
• Gish Apartments in San Jose, Calif.; developed by First Community Housing
• Hart Village in Los Angeles; developed by Los Angeles Community Design Center

HISTORIC REHAB FINALISTS:

• Buena Vista Terrace in San Francisco; developed by Citizens Housing Corp.
• Historic Gund Brewery Lofts in La Crosse, Wis.; developed by Gorman & Co.
• Magnolia Heights in Cincinnati; developed by The Model Group

HOMEOWNERSHIP FINALISTS:

• Callaghan Gardens in Pawtucket, R.I.; developed by Pawtucket Citizens Development Corp.
• Fair Oaks Court in Pasadena, Calif.; developed by Heritage Housing Partners
• Falls Ridge in Philadelphia; developed by Philadelphia Housing Authority

MASTER-PLANNED/MIXED-USE FINALISTS:

• The Brandywine Center in Coatesville, Pa.; developed by Brandywine Health Foundation
• Champion Park in Rockford, Ill.; developed by Star Development, LLC
• Seola Crossing at Greenbridge in Seattle; developed by King County Housing Authority

PRESERVATION FINALISTS:

• Allegheny Hills Retirement Residence in East Brady, Pa.; developed by a.m. Rodriguez Associates, Inc.
• Emeritus House in Cleveland; developed by Famicos Foundation
• Village Green Apartments in Glens Falls, N.Y.; developed by Evergreen Partners, LLC, and Marathon Development Group, Ltd.

RURAL FINALISTS:

• El Cerrito Apartment Homes in Taos, N.M.; developed by Tierra Realty Trust IV, LLC
• Papermill Village Senior Housing in Alstead, N.H.; developed by Papermill Village, LLC, and Southwestern Community Services, Inc.
• Patriot Manor in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; developed by Wilder Balter Partners, Inc.

SENIORS FINALISTS:

• Johnson Lake Apartments in Pensacola, Fla.; developed by The Landmark Group
• The Meadows in North Smithfield, R.I.; developed by NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley
• Parkview Terraces in San Francisco; developed by AF Evans Development, Inc., and Chinatown Community Development Center
• Sherwood Village in Salinas, Calif.; developed by Community Housing Improvement Systems and Planning Association, Inc.

SPECIAL-NEEDS FINALISTS:

• Evans House in Seattle; developed by Downtown Emergency Service Center
• Gosnold Apartments in Norfolk, Va.; developed by Virginia Supportive Housing
• Pear Tree Place in Yakima, Wash.; developed by Next Step Housing
• Skyline Terrace in Austin, Texas; developed by Foundation Communities

URBAN FINALISTS:

• Broadway Crossing in Seattle; developed by Capitol Hill Housing
• Dudley Village in Dorchester, Mass.; developed by Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corp.
• Railton Place in San Francisco; developed by The Salvation Army