The Best of the Best

Here they are—the finalists for Affordable Housing Finance’s fifth annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

Affordable Housing Finance received 140 nominations this year, and with the help of the magazine’s editors and industry leaders, we carefully selected 35 finalists in 10 categories.  It wasn’t easy because all of the nominated developments were very deserving.

But I think we did a great job of choosing a diverse group of finalists that are making a difference in their communities by adding to the affordable housing stock, setting a new standard, and demonstrating creative problem solving. 
These finalists represent 20 states, plus the District of Columbia. A mixed-use finalist, The Station at Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Va., combines affordable housing with a fire station, and Villa Aurora, a special-needs finalist in Miami, creates housing atop a library. And then there’s Prairie Pointe Townhomes in Greensburg, Kan. This town was destroyed by a tornado in May 2007 and is rebuilding green, including its affordable housing. We also have two finalists—Madison at 14th Street Apartments in Oakland, Calif., and Rayen Apartments in Los Angeles—that serve youths aging out of the foster-care system.
Look for the July/August issue in your mailbox or online at the beginning of August to read more about the finalists. And then it’s up to you—the readers—to choose the most deserving in each category and which development should be the overall winner. Go to www.housingfinance.com from July 27 to Aug. 31 to vote. Voting is open to only Affordable Housing Finance subscribers.

Congratulations to all of the finalists as well as to all of the financiers, service providers, and government agencies who contributed to these developments.