NAHMA Announces First Vanguard Award Winners
7/1/2010
.jpg)
The National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) has recognized Viewpoint Senior Apartments, an NCR affordable senior housing community in Sandusky, Ohio, with one of NAHMA’s first annual Affordable Housing Vanguard Awards, which were created to recognize newly developed affordable multifamily housing communities that showcase quality design and financing through their development.
List News
The National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) has recognized Viewpoint Senior Apartments, an NCR affordable senior housing community in Sandusky, Ohio, with one of NAHMA’s first annual Affordable Housing Vanguard Awards, which were created to recognize newly developed affordable multifamily housing communities that showcase quality design and financing through their development.The Vanguard Awards celebrate success in the multifamily affordable housing industry by recognizing and benchmarking new, quality, multifamily affordable housing development.
The award–
- Pays tribute to developers of high-quality affordable housing;
- Demonstrates that exceptional new affordable housing is available across the country, and that it is a positive addition to any neighborhood;
- Demonstrates that the affordable multifamily industry must be creative and innovative to create exceptional properties given the financing and other challenges to development;
- Highlights results of private-public partnerships required to develop today’s affordable housing;
- Shares ideas for unique design and financing mechanisms with industry practitioners to further stimulate creative development in the affordable multifamily industry.
Viewpoint was recognized in the “Major Rehabilitation of an Existing Rental Housing Community” category. The original building was constructed in 1967. Its project goals were to preserve the property as affordable Section 8 housing; to address capital and rehab needs; and to improve the marketability, function and appearance while optimizing energy efficiency and improving overall livability. Among the challenges facing the project were getting approvals to reduce the number of units from 153 to 117; finding adequate sources of financing the $13 million renovation; relocating residents during construction; and reconfiguring the units for residents’ maximum comfort. Among the design features were removing existing walls to enlarge once-partitioned, small rooms, creating socialization areas that are open and inviting, and improving mobility, functionality and aesthetics. Design elements employ green building strategies while lowering operating costs and maintenance needs. The result is a clean, contemporary, highly visible high-rise that is now a landmark structure on the edge of Lake Erie.
List News
