CLPHA Press Room

From the Housing Authority of Baltimore City's press release:

Today, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) joined with elected officials, McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS), development and community partners, and residents to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of Perkins Square, formerly known as Perkins Homes, providing 103 new mixed-income housing units.

Perkins Phase 1 is part of the mixed-use, multi-phase redevelopment of the Perkins, Somerset, Oldtown (PSO) Transformation that is made possible with the support of $40 million in Choice Neighborhood Implementation grants awarded to HABC since 2018. The total PSO redevelopment includes one-for-one replacement of the Perkins public housing units interspersed with workforce and market rate units.

The Perkins Square community will encompass 796 of the total 1,651 new mixed-income units being developed across the entire PSO. MBS is the lead development partner for Perkins Square, working in concert with Beatty Development and Cross Street Partners.

“Providing affordable and low-income housing is critical for our communities,” said Janet Abrahams, HABC’s President and CEO. “HABC, along with its partners, has collaboratively demonstrated a commitment to neighborhood revitalization through redevelopments like Perkins Square.”

“We thank Mayor Scott and HABC for the opportunity to support the transformation of Perkins where families and children may thrive,” said Vince Bennett, President, McCormack Baron Salazar. “One of the greatest needs in our cities is high quality affordable housing and through public-private partnerships and leveraging public resources and combined with private debt and equity, the choice neighborhoods program can help achieve great outcomes and support community resiliency.”

The community includes a mix of replacement public housing, additional affordable housing, and market-rate rental housing. Phase 1 has accessibility and vision/hearing-impaired units within a range of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities and features include internet access, community kitchen, in-unit washer and dryer, on-site leasing center and supportive services office, computer lab, a fitness center, underground parking, and a playground.

As part of the ribbon-cutting celebration, HABC, MBS, and partners hosted a block party to welcome back Perkins Square residents. The festivities included guided tours of common areas and staged units, food trucks, music, games for all ages, and vending tables for community partners and local businesses to provide information and resources. Participants included state and local officials, development team partners and representatives from the Perkins Tenant Council, City Springs School and residents.

Phase 1 is one of nine phases for Perkins Square. On its heels, will be the completion of Perkins Phase 2, set for delivery in Fall 2024. That phase will feature 156 mixed-income rental units, with 76 set aside for legacy Perkins residents.

Originally built in 1942, Perkins Homes had outlived its useful life such that its complete demolition was necessary. Construction for Phase 1 of Perkins Square began August 2022, led by Commercial Construction, a local minority led firm.

Kevin Johnson, CEO of Commercial Construction, said "This project has been a beacon of opportunity, putting Baltimoreans to work and opening doors for numerous MWBE firms. We are proud that our team prioritized local minority partnerships, reflecting our commitment to community and economic empowerment. The quality of construction goes beyond physical structures—it respects and uplifts the dignity of every resident, setting a new standard for what affordable housing should represent.”

The project, designed by Hord Coplan Macht, has received the 2022 American Institute of Architects Chesapeake Bay Chapter Honor Award, the 2022 American Institute of Architects Maryland Chapter Unbuilt Award, and the Maryland Building Industry Association Award for exceptional affordable housing design.

Visit the PSO Transformation page for more information about the entire project.

From NBC 4 Los Angeles:

Vanessa Bryant joined Nickerson Gardens residents Monday for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of refurbished gym at the public housing community in Watts.

Nickerson Gardens, managed by the Housing Authority of Los Angeles, was chosen for the project by the widow of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The decision was made, in part, because it's the former site of the Boys and Girls Club where Kobe Bryant hosted his "Mamba League" youth basketball program.

"The site is a special location for my family," Vanessa Bryant said. "He used basketball to teach life lessons to young boys and girls.

"It serves as a reminder to all the boys and girls who play here that they are loved."

Watch the local news story. 

From the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles' website:

On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) joined Mercy Housing California to celebrate the grand opening of 6th Street Place. Located at 401 E. 6th Street in Los Angeles' 14th Council District, there are 93 Project Based Voucher Units and one Manager unit. Developed by Mercy Housing California designed by TCA Architects and Relm and built by Suffolk Construction, 6th St Place is specifically designed to accommodate homeless individuals. The designs feature modular constructions sustainably built with cost-effective strategies that support the local community.  On-site programming and support services for residents are provided by The People Concern, including case management, physical and mental healthcare, legal services, employment training, and peer support. HACLA's estimated project contribution is $56.8 million in HAP over the 20-year contract. 

Read HACLA's website article.

From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:

More than 120 seniors with low income, including several with medical frailties, who otherwise may struggle financially in San Diego’s high-cost housing market now have homes with affordable rent at Levant Senior Cottages, a development in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) that celebrated its grand opening today.

“I’m not going to call it an apartment. I’m calling it a home. I can’t believe the quality of it,” said Earl, a cancer survivor who will receive rental assistance from SDHC at Levant Senior Cottages. “I have a place here I can be proud of – a place where I can put up my children’s pictures. I can decorate. There’s actually room to put a TV, which I haven’t had in some time.”

Levant Senior Cottages in the Linda Vista community consists of 126 affordable rental apartments for seniors ages 55 and older with low-income. These units will remain affordable for the next 55 years. There is also one manager’s unit.

“We must be honest about the crisis our region is facing and decide when enough is enough. Today, we are seeing the very first property to open doors on land offered by the County through an initiative to use excess County sites to develop affordable housing. This also a first step for many more positive projects to come,” said County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, whose district includes Linda Vista, where Levant Senior Cottages was built. “We know that we must do more—we don’t have a choice—we must do more to alleviate the housing burdens for all the people in our region.”

Developed by Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation in partnership with San Diego Kind, Levant Senior Cottages was built on land owned by the County of San Diego and leased to the development for $1 per year for 70 years.  The 4.5-acre site formerly housed a County child welfare center and later became an empty lot.

SDHC awarded 70 rental housing vouchers to Levant Senior Cottages, which is fully leased, to assist residents with their rent. The housing vouchers are tied to the development. When a resident moves on, the voucher remains with the unit to help another senior.

“The blueprint to help us address this crisis is collaboratives like this one,” SDHC Chair of the Board Eugene “Mitch” Mitchell said. “The collaborative—as part of the blueprint for success that will allow us as a community, as a City, to truly address this crisis—must continue. And so, today is a happy day, but I’m excited because I have a feeling that because of collaborations like this, we’re going to have a bunch of happy days in the future.”

SDHC also authorized the issuance of $22.9 million in tax-exempt Housing Authority Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds and $19.7 million in taxable bonds toward the financing for the development. The San Diego City Council, in its role as the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego, approved the bonds. SDHC, the City of San Diego and the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego are not financially liable for the bonds. Private sources of funds, such as revenue from the development, are used to repay the bonds.

Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation served as the lead developer, managing the entitlement phase, financing, design, and construction, and provides ongoing asset management and oversight of resident services at the property.

“So many seniors in San Diego are in crisis, with over 50 percent paying more than half of their income toward rent, struggling to live off fixed incomes while costs are anything but,” Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation President and CEO Rebecca Louie said. “Our seniors are living on the edge no safety net to catch them. But projects like this are that safety net.”

Financing for Levant Senior Cottages also included $19 million from the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s Multifamily Housing Program.

“As the nation continues to face an unprecedented housing crisis, California is leading the way and delivering innovative programs to support and protect our most vulnerable residents while creating long-term affordable housing. We are working to end homelessness, increase housing production and preserve affordable housing for years to come,” said California Department of Housing and Community Development Super Notice of Funding Availability Section Chief Melissa Harty-Swaleh.

The rental units at Levant Senior Cottages will be affordable for seniors with income ranging from 25 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income (AMI), currently $26,550 per year for a one-person household, to 50 percent of AMI, currently $53,050 per year for a one-person household. The new development includes 32 units set aside for seniors identified as frail whose income is extremely low – all of whom will be among the Levant Senior Cottages residents receiving rental assistance from SDHC.

Rents range from $603 to $1,206 per month and will not exceed 30 percent of a resident’s income, according to Wakeland Housing. The utilities for all residential units and the common areas will be paid by the building’s owner.

The design includes 18 single-story “bungalow” type buildings arranged around 2 elevator-serviced two-story buildings connected by a walkway and one large community building that will host on-site services and social activities for residents. Common areas include a large outdoor patio, computer lab, kitchen, laundry room facilities, and space for workshops, classes, community events and social activities.

Units, which range in size from 300 to 500 square feet, include a refrigerator, electric range and oven, storage, a full bathroom, and a patio or balcony.

St. Paul’s Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) will provide wraparound medical and social services for eligible frail and elderly residents at the community. These services include primary medical and specialty care, dental, optometry, prescription drug coverage, nutritious meals and home care services.

Wakeland Housing will also provide resident services and social activities for all residents.

From the Municipal Housing Authority of the City of Yonkers' press release:

 Officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the NYS Office of Housing and Community Renewal were among those who toured a unique senior housing complex in Southwest Yonkers that is being built by the Yonkers Housing Authority and the non-profit Mulford Corporation.

The LaMora Senior Housing complex in the Hollow neighborhood of South Yonkers is one of the few affordable housing projects in the country that uses energy saving Passive House design in a modular construction format. Passive House is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency which results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling. It is estimated to achieve 40-60 percent energy savings over a conventional building design.

The $44 million, four-story building has 60 energy efficient, affordable apartments for seniors and is expected to open in July.

“The La Mora Senior Apartments is an example of what can be done nationally to incorporate sustainable features into affordable housing, said Yonkers Housing Authority President and CEO Wilson Kimball. “Not only is this important for energy savings and reduction of carbon footprint, but for the protection it provides to our seniors. With on-site emergency power generation, the building will be self-contained and less vulnerable to flooding, power outages and other weather-related disruptions.’’

Among those touring the site on May 20 were Richard Monocchio, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing; RuthAnne Visnauskas – Commissioner & CEO – NYS HCR; Wilson Kimball, CEO of the Yonkers Housing Authority; State, County and Yonkers elected officials and representatives of project lead architects Perkins Eastman.

Stuart Lachs of Perkins Eastman also gave a presentation on the features of Passive House construction which focuses on minimizing heat transfer through insulation, air tightness and proper ventilation. (see attached).

All apartments include low-flow plumbing fixtures, Energy Star appliances, individual high-efficiency electric heat and cooling, and LED lighting. The building has a high-efficiency envelope, dual-pane insulated windows, and a central hot water heating and distribution system. An emergency generator will ensure that the building systems remain operable in the event of a blackout.

In addition to the energy saving features, other amenities include a community room with kitchen, two business rooms, fitness center, central laundry, building-wide WIFI, storage units, landscaped courtyard and roof deck.

The project will be included in a national panel discussion in Washington D.C. on June 7 to raise awareness of innovative and affordable housing designs and technologies. More than 4,000 people, including policymakers, housing industry representatives, media, and the public, are expected to attend.