Inspired Living: AHF’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards Finalists

A development that provides housing and recuperative care to people experiencing homelessness in Denver, a home for youths aging out of foster care in Des Moines, Iowa, and one of the world’s largest residential passive house buildings in New York City are among the inspiring projects that have recently opened their doors.

These projects along with 33 others have been selected as finalists in AHF’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. They illustrate the tremendous range of affordable housing being built for families, seniors, farmworkers, veterans, and people with special needs.

Rising during the COVID-19 pandemic and amid escalating costs, they also show the creativity of the teams behind the developments.

Chosen from 145 entries, the finalists are in 18 states, from the nation’s metros to America’s heartland to the Hawaiian islands.

AHF magazine and newsletter subscribers can vote for the winners in nine categories as well as an overall winner at https://forms.gle/qqmow96u2G9fxFNX8. Voting takes place Aug. 1 through 18 and is restricted to subscribers as of Aug. 7.

The winners will be recognized at AHF Live: The Affordable Housing Developers Summit, Nov. 13 to 15, in Chicago.

• Phoenix Development Makes an Impact, Prioritizing Voucher Holders, Children

  Avalon Villas offers early childhood education, health care services, and more.

  

• New Development Seeks to Revitalize Historic Community, Improve Resident Health

  An on-site medical clinic and riverfront location are just a few of the standout features at The Banks at Mill Village.

  

• Nonprofit Revitalizes Historic Neighborhood with Creative, Efficient Housing

  East Bluff Homes in Peoria, Illinois, has transformed vacant lots into stable housing for dozens of low-income residents.

  

• Portland-Area Development Packs One-Two Punch for Community

  Rockwood Village boasts more than 200 much-needed housing units, plus a new public park.

  

• Wisconsin Landmark Gets New Life With $25 Million Renovation

  A 1920s-era hotel in Wausau is now an updated, modern home for a diverse array of residents.

  

• Historic Hotel, Schools Transformed Into an Amenity-Rich Senior Housing Development

  The turn-of-the-century properties in Urbana, Ohio, gained new life through community partnerships.

  

• NYC Senior Housing Project Springs From Former Illegal Hotel

  Park 79 houses in-need seniors—many of whom were formerly homeless.

  

• From School to National Landmark to Senior Housing Project

  The Residences at Wells School in Southbridge, Massachusetts, retains many of the school's original features.

  

• South Bronx High-Rise Goes Beyond Housing

  425 Grand Concourse also has focus on health care, education, and culture.

  

• Partners Maximize Prime Honolulu Site for Housing, Juvenile Center

  The 200-unit Hale Kalele also prioritizes sustainability.

  

• Housing Justice Focus of Riverside Affordable Housing Community

  Mission Heritage Plaza is home to affordable apartments as well as the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California and offices for the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County.

  

• First Phase of Harlem Development Caters to Community Needs

  The mixed-income Sendero Verde Phase 1 provides a charter school as well as a center for seniors and youths.

  

• Denver Development Brings Together Housing and Recuperative Care

  The new project meets the needs of the city's most vulnerable.

  

• Roosevelt Gardens Aims to End Homelessness for People With HIV

  The Austin, Texas, development features 40 affordable housing units.

  

• Project Offers Housing for LGBTQ+ Youth in Detroit

  The Ruth Ellis Clairmount Center also includes an integrated health and wellness center.

  

• YWCA Hamilton Delivers Permanent Supportive Housing, Shelter

  The Ohio development offers housing to people who have been homeless and families fleeing domestic violence.

  

• Community Continues to Serve as Workforce Housing in Los Angeles

  Avanath Capital Management has converted 468 homes into affordable housing.

  

• Developer Preserves Legacy of Philadelphia Project

  Carl Mackley Houses will remain critical housing for years to come.

  

• National Church Residences Ensures Seniors Housing Community Remains Affordable

  Lennox House is Texas' first Section 202 PRAC conversion under the RAD program using housing credits.

  

• Public-Private Partnership Restores Historic Property

  Richford Arms provides affordable housing to seniors in Erie, Pennsylvania.

  

• Beacon Communities Uplifts Boston Public Housing Site

  The latest phase in the redevelopment of the Old Colony project becomes the city's first affordable seniors housing community to achieve passive house certification.

  

• Camden's Oldest Public Housing Development Undergoes Revitalization

  Cramer Hill Family also brings a new health clinic to residents of the New Jersey community.

  

• Developers Rescue a Property Deemed Uninhabitable

  A former public housing community has been renewed by Mercy Housing California and the Community Housing Development Corp.

  

• Developers Tackle New York City's Largest RAD Project

  The massive effort transforms more than 2,600 housing units in Brooklyn.

  

• Maryland Development a Reprieve for City Plagued with Aging Housing

  Allegany Junction brings 40 new, affordable units to one of the state’s poorest areas.

  

• Rural Housing Project Tackles Housing Shortage Caused By Short-Term Rentals

  The Mariposa, California, development also takes aim at rising homelessness.

  

• Wisconsin Development Caters to Agriculture Workers and Their Families

  The Meadows combines housing tax credits with a USDA Section 514 loan.

  

• Arcata, California, Gains Affordable Housing for Tribal Members

  The 36-unit Yurok Homes #3 includes a variety of housing types.

  

• New Seniors Housing Replaces Aging Project in Northern Virginia

  Lake Anne House provides an aging-in-place environment for residents.

  

• RUPCO Creates Seniors Housing Campus in Kingston, New York

  Landmark Place includes new construction and historic preservation.

  

• Liberty View Provides Housing for Veterans on Former Army Base

  The development from the Housing Authority of the City of Aurora includes 59 units for seniors 62 and older.

  

• EAH Brings Much-Needed Affordable Housing to Santa Monica

  The city played a key role in the seniors housing development, providing $11.4 million in funding.

  

• Developers Unite Permanent Supportive Housing, Clinic, and Culinary Academy

  Located in San Francisco, the vibrant 1064 Mission Street project is built on surplus federal land.

  

• Nonprofit Developer and American Legion Post Join Forces to Create Veteran-Focused Community

  A new Arlington, Virginia, development provides 160 affordable homes.

  

• Development Provides Housing, Opportunities for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

  The Iowa project also plays an important role in its Des Moines neighborhood.

  

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