In an online ceremony today, CEO John McKay announced the winners of the 2022 NMA Housing Awards, annually given to recognize the excellence of individual agencies in the field of affordable housing.
NMA received a large number of submissions for both the Development Award and Resident Service Award. Winners of the Development Award for a Small Agency were Bear River Cottages Pocket Neighborhood in Eastern Iowa and Rosefield Village in Alameda, CA. Across the country in Rhode Island, Providence Housing Authority’s Wellness Resource Center received the Resident Service Award for a Large Agency, and the Housing Authority of Covington, KY’s Summer Programs won the Resident Service Award for a Small Agency.
The NMA Development Award honors outstanding achievement in affordable housing. These achievements include new development or construction, green initiatives, property improvements, or outside-the-box financing.
The two winners of the 2022 Development Award established new affordable housing opportunities that emphasize a spirit of community.
East Central Development Corporation (ECDC), the nonprofit affiliate of Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Authority, constructed the first pocket neighborhood in Eastern Iowa, a region facing widespread demand for quality affordable housing.
Located in Maquoketa, IA, Bear River Cottages consists of ten single-family homes.
The homes in Bear River Cottages are 1,067 square feet, with two to three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two-car garage, a front porch, and energy-efficient appliances
Each household has access to a shared rain garden and gazebo, located in the center of the small community. The neighborhood is convenient to places of employment, schools, parks, a hospital, groceries, and other services.
Each home has been sold for $150,000 to a qualifying buyer making 80% of the County Median Income. This income level includes Maquoketa’s teachers, police, beauticians, and laborers in the manufacturing industry.
Buyers received assistance in the form of a $25,000 down payment and $3,500 toward closing costs. Their mortgage—including taxes, insurance, and homeowners’ association fees—totals $1,000 a month, a lower rate than local three-bedroom rentals.
The program specifically addresses workforce housing needs, creating a home base for local employees.
The project broke ground in September 2019. This meant ECDC persevered through the COVID pandemic shutdowns, which hit just as work begun on water and sewer infrastructure. Not only did the pandemic slow down construction, the program’s target market of families making 80% of the County Median Income was heavily affected by layoffs.
To further complicate matters, an inland hurricane hit the region in August 2020. The supply chain interruptions and increased material costs brought on by the global pandemic were worsened by the local natural disaster.
Despite the setbacks, ECDC succeeded in creating a livable, walkable, and vibrant neighborhood with community space for the new homeowners to enjoy. These ten homes will provide stability, a safe place to live, and a sense of belonging.
This year, Alameda Housing Authority (AHA) completed the Rosefield Village housing complex, an ambitious project that doubled the number of affordable homes formerly on the site.
The 92 new apartments and townhomes serve mixed-income families ranging from 20 to 80 percent AMI.
Housing is a walkable half-mile from the local preschool, elementary, high school, and community college campuses, and across the street from grocery stores and pharmacies.
Central to the job market in a variety of fields, the intergenerational complex gives preference to households already living or working in Alameda. The housing authority partnered with Alameda Unified School District to target and prioritize teachers and other district employees.
AHA’s purposeful approach to coordinating the relocation and managing the lease up process resulted in affordable housing that serves to keep a community together.
Through use of green technology, the property has obtained Green Point Certified Gold Rating. Additionally, construction and landscaping follow the City of Alameda’s sustainable community strategy. Solar power fuels domestic hot water as well as a percentage of common area electrical use.
Rosefield Village residents benefit from onsite supportive services provided by AHA’s partner LIFESTEPS. These include:
Also onsite are two big outdoor community spaces with play equipment, picnic patios, and BBQ grills. The design aims to provide a space that’s welcoming not only to residents, but to their visitors.
The housing site is income- and rent-restricted for at least 55 years, a rent covenant that ensures affordable housing for a long time. There exists a severe housing shortage in California, and especially in the Bay Area; Rosefield Village addresses the rapid gentrification of surrounding neighborhoods by locking in affordability and prioritizing housing for those living and working in Alameda.
The NMA Resident Service Award recognizes leaders in the affordable housing industry whose community outreach and similar efforts improve the future of the families they serve. Such outreach includes self-sufficiency programs, community projects, education, or other participant initiatives.
HAC’s youth programs give young residents an opportunity to thrive. In particular, summer programming helps combat school break “learning slides” backwards. And HAC’s programs for adults help families improve their futures through building life skills.
On top of a summer lunch program for all minors, making sure children stay fed when they can’t get lunch at school, youth programs include:
During the pandemic, HAC increased their social media presence to keep reaching and engaging residents during shelter-in-place protocols. Families received free Wi-Fi to decrease the digital divide than can occur in low-income communities and to help students keep up with online school.
More than 70 percent of program graduates go on to continue their educations or find employment. The housing authority shared two resident stories that drive home the results participants see:
The staff of HAC’s resident services department provide residents with case management, transportation, connections to community partners, job searches, access to food and clothing, advocacy, documentation for employment, and more. Sometimes, support means everything.
Established in response to the opioid crisis, the Wellness Resource Center was designed to overcome the observed reluctance residents had to discussing substance use and behavioral health with the people providing their housing, largely out of fear of eviction.
The center began by addressing life challenges through the lens of wellness. Early programming consisted of general discussion groups, arts activities, meditation, and community building events like coffee hours.
Through extensive outreach, engagement with residents, and bringing services onsite, Providence Housing Authority has been able to break down barriers that kept residents from seeking addiction treatment and related services.
Originally staffed by a substance abuse specialist, the Wellness Resource Center now also employs three community safety coordinators, a community health worker, and a licensed independent clinical social worker.
Trained staff can make all the difference to residents who need support. These staff positions are a true investment in the welfare of Providence Housing Authority’s participant community.
The response team assesses the resident’s needs, engages any necessary service providers and interventions, expedites referrals, helps the resident develop a plan to preserve housing, and tracks outcomes. This team responded to 52 crisis situations in Fiscal Year 2022.
The opioid crisis demands response, and Providence Housing Authority has delivered. Their program is expanding and growing to continue filling the needs of their residents, holistically, thoughtfully, and compassionately.
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NMA congratulates the 2022 NMA Housing Awards honorees. We look forward to seeing where these excellent projects lead!