Housing North Carolina Awards Recognize Excellent Developments
Raleigh, NC – October 24, 2008 – (RealEstateRama) — Four affordable housing developments will receive Housing North Carolina Awards on Oct. 16 during the N.C. Affordable Housing Conference at the Durham Marriott at the Civic Center in Durham. Sponsored by the N.C. Housing Finance Agency, the awards recognize excellent affordable properties that can serve as models for other communities. More than 500 people are expected to attend the 19th annual awards luncheon.
This year, the Agency will also present a special award to Advanced Energy of Raleigh for bringing high standards of energy efficiency and healthy home construction into the state’s affordable housing sector through its SystemVision Program. SystemVision guarantees that a home’s heating and cooling consumption will not exceed a set, very low level, usually $32 per month for a 1,200 square foot home. Since it began collaborating with Advanced Energy on SystemVision in 2001, the N.C. Housing Finance Agency has invested $4 million to finance more than 1,000 homes with the SystemVision energy guarantee.
Housing North Carolina Award winners are:
- Hawthorne House in Burnsville, a group residence for adults with developmental disabilities, developed by Northwestern Housing Enterprises.
- Partnership Village III in Greensboro, transitional apartments for families and individuals who had been homeless, developed by Partnership Homes, Inc., which was created by Greensboro Urban Ministries and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro. The City of Greensboro also contributed financing to the development.
- Eastway Village in Durham, a mixed-income community of homes and condominiums, developed by the City of Durham.
- Springfield Gardens in Charlotte, family apartments, developed by Crosland, LLC, the City of Charlotte, and the Charlotte Housing Authority.
Criteria for selection included affordability; design (attractiveness, energy-efficiency); contribution to the community; sustainability as affordable housing; and features such as services for residents and creative partnerships.
Hawthorne House, Burnsville
Hawthorne House is an eight-bedroom home in Burnsville for adults with developmental disabilities. The building was kept to a single story to fit easily into the mountainous setting without impacting the view.
The resident’s rooms are 186 square feet, handicap-accessible, and include a private bathroom and small kitchen. The house features a TV lounge, living room, kitchen, dining area, a porch with a picnic table and grill, a laundry room, and a management office.
Yancey Residential Services provides 24-hour on-site resident services, including personal care, meal planning and preparation, medication administration, laundry, case management, and social activities.
Hawthorne House is situated in a neighborhood near many services and amenities, including the county medical complex, the community college, schools, police and fire, a grocery store, a post office, and a library. In addition, Yancey County provides on-demand transportation services for residents of the home. Most residents also participate in supported employment in the community.
Residents receive HUD rental vouchers through the Northwestern Regional Housing Authority so the maximum rent and utilities are 30% of each resident’s income. Hawthorne House received financing from the N.C. Housing Trust Fund and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as miscellaneous grants.
Contact: Ned Fowler, vice president, Northwestern Housing Enterprises, Inc., 828-264-6683.
Partnership Village III, Greensboro
Partnership Village is a transitional housing community in Greensboro for homeless single persons and families, many with disabilities. It represents an innovative part of the city’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. The 12 two-bedroom apartments comprise the third phase of a 68-unit development that provides a continuum of services and housing oriented to help residents achieve a stable housing situation.
The apartments are 827 square feet. One unit is fully accessible, with two others outfitted for deaf and visually impaired tenants. The on-site community center includes a daycare, enabling parents to take part in supportive services and classes. These include case management, job training, and financial counseling. Drug and alcohol treatment and spiritual support are also available.
In addition, the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, which aided in the development, offers classes to prepare residents to become Habitat homeowners. At least 11 former residents of Partnership Village have succeeded with that goal.
The maximum rent is 30% of each tenant’s income. The Greensboro Urban Ministries provides up to $200 a month in rental assistance per resident. Partnership Village III received financing from the N.C. Housing Trust Fund and the City of Greensboro, as well as donations from the community.
Contact: Bob Kelley, president, Partnership Homes, Inc., and executive director, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, 336-275-4663.
Eastway Village, Durham
Eastway Village is a mixed-income community of 30 single family homes and 16 condominiums. The development is a result of efforts by the City of Durham to redevelop a two-block area that had been identified as one of the most troubled in the city. The City also used a wetlands restoration grant to improve Goose Creek, which borders the new neighborhood.
The single-family homes at Eastway Village range from 1,100 to 1,400 feet and consist of three bedrooms and two or two-and-a-half baths. The homes feature front porches facing a tree-lined street.
Energy-efficient features include Energy Star appliances and SystemVision construction, which guarantees low energy costs for homeowners. In addition, 14 of the homes will be certified under the Green Building Initiative Program sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange and Chatham Counties.
The condominiums range from 1,000 to 1,200 feet. The two- and three-bedroom units have two-and-a-half baths, and feature the same energy-efficient features.
Sales prices for the single-family homes range from $103,900 to $127,900, while the condos sell from $91,000 to $108,000. City housing bond funds were used to finance the development, along with federal funds from CDBG and HOME. Some families have received second mortgages from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency and the City of Durham.
Contact: Larry M. Jarvis, associate director, and Richard Valzonis, senior project manager, City of Durham Community Development Department, 919-560-4570.
Springfield Gardens, Charlotte
Springfield Gardens is a development of 86 family apartments that fits seamlessly into the surrounding multi-use community on the eastern edge of Charlotte. Large windows and a brick foundation make the apartment buildings an attractive addition to the Mintworth community, which includes more than 100 single-family homes and a shopping center.
The two- and three-bedroom garden apartments range from 904 to 1,191 square feet. The apartments feature balconies, ceiling fans and walk-in closets. Amenities include a multipurpose room, a business center, community gardens, a playground, and a pedestrian link to the nearby shopping center. The development includes 10 fully accessible apartments.
Springfield Gardens is part of the Charlotte Housing Authority’s comprehensive Hope VI program, providing relocation for families displaced from recently demolished projects. Families also have first-time home buyer opportunities in the neighborhood, with homes moderately priced between $135,000 and $175,000. The Charlotte Housing Authority helps encourage that transition by offering a Family Self-Sufficiency Program. The program includes classes in life management with a savings program, and is designed to help residents move from assisted housing to full economic independence within five years. This transition also helps make the affordable apartments available for new families.
Rents are affordable to families with incomes below 60% of median, with a quarter of the apartments affordable to those with incomes as low as 30%. The development was financed with a bank loan, federal HOPE VI funds, and federal and state housing credits.
Contact Roger Lewis, vice president and development manager, Crosland, LLC, 704-561-5265.
SystemVision Program by Advanced Energy
Building on a partnership that began in 1990, the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and Advanced Energy have used SystemVision since 2001 to bring high standards of energy efficiency and healthy home construction into the state’s affordable housing sector. Advanced Energy is a public nonprofit building science corporation created by the state Public Utilities Commission.
SystemVision focuses on teachable techniques, attention to detail, and independent performance testing of finished homes. Contractors ensure that the home has tight insulation, a sealed envelope, properly sized and meticulously installed heating and cooling systems, and mechanical fresh air ventilation. The low-tech, high impact SystemVision program has produced:
- More than 1,000 affordable homes built with financing from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency that far exceed ENERGY STAR standards.
- 64 local governments, nonprofits and Habitat affiliates participating in the effort.
- 600 builders, subcontractors, and Habitat supervisors trained in SystemVision construction.
Homeowners get health benefits – fewer occurrences of environmentally caused sicknesses like asthma and allergies, lower medical costs and fewer missed work hours. SystemVision also has a clear impact on the environment. The energy saved by the 1,000 homes would have taken 1.5 million tons of coal to generate. Burning that coal would have produced 3.8 million lbs. of carbon dioxide, and the prevention of that is equal to not driving 4.7 million miles.
“We are very proud of the work Advanced Energy has done and believe that it makes a profound difference to our homeowners,” Said Bob Kucab, executive director of the N.C. Housing Finance Agency. “In these economically challenging times, saving money on energy bills is significant for North Carolina’s working families. Our partnership with Advanced Energy enables us to ensure that homes remain affordable long after they are purchased.”
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The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency is a self-supporting public agency. It has financed 184,000 affordable homes and apartments in the last three decades, including nearly 74,000 homes for first-time home buyers.. To learn more, go to www.nchfa.com or call 919-877-5700 or 800-393-0988.
Contact:
Margaret Matrone, NCHFA, 919-877-5606, mamatrone (at) nchfa (dot) com
Connie Helmlinger, NCHFA, 919-877-5607, cshelmlinger @nchfa.com
