In this Issue of the RADBlast!:

• Lawson House RAD Conversion Recognized for Modernizing Historic Housing that Serves the Most Vulnerable

• Updated Training on Resident Engagement and Protections in Public Housing RAD Conversions

• Save the Date: RAD Resident Rights Office Hours

• New PBRA Lease Addendum

Lawson House RAD Conversion Recognized for Modernizing Historic Housing that Serves the Most Vulnerable

Lawson House Exterior View

Lawson House was a historic, but severely outdated building in Chicago that had served as the headquarters for the YMCA and more recently served the formerly unhoused through a McKinney-Vento Section 8 contract with the Chicago Housing Authority. Through RAD, the Holsten Real Estate Development and Management Corporation renovated 583 single room occupancy (SRO) units into 409 studio apartments with modern in-unit kitchens and baths, as well as other significant improvements and amenities.

Holsten received several awards for its $128 million renovation, modernizing the affordable homes for residents including:

• The Polk Bros. Foundation Affordable Rental Housing Preservation Award from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation 2024 Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards;
• The Merit Award for Renovation & Adaptive Reuse over $20 Million from the Chicago Building Congress;
• The Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the American Institute of Architects Illinois; and
• An Honor Award in Design Excellence from the American Institute of Architects Chicago.

The property is under a new long-term contract with the Chicago Housing Authority and will better serve the unhoused, not only through modern living amenities but through long-term operating assistance and deep supportive services. View the short video to learn about the impact of this renovation. 

To learn more about RAD for Mod Rehab and Mod Rehab SRO, visit our website or contact us at rad2@hud.gov.

Updated Training on Resident Engagement and Protections in Public Housing RAD Conversions

A newly recorded training is available for PHAs and public housing residents that provides information on the rights and protections available to residents impacted by public housing conversion through RAD. This update incorporates all changes made over the last few years to improve resident rights and engagement requirements, and is a critical resource for any PHA undertaking a RAD conversion. 

Save the Date: RAD Resident Rights Office Hours

The Resident Engagement & Protections Team is holding office hours on October 23^rd at 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm ET to answer questions concerning residents impacted by a RAD Conversion or the newly recorded RAD Resident Rights training (described above). Please note that the team will be available until questions are no longer received, so residents are encouraged to join the call as soon as possible. We look forward to the opportunity to engage with residents!

New PBRA Lease Addendum

Since RAD's inception, public housing properties converted under RAD have been required to incorporate additional resident rights into their Section 8 leases. To ensure RAD residents are informed of their rights and simplify the inclusion of these requirements into the lease, we created an updated RAD PBRA Addendum to the Section 8 Model Lease that can be a standard attachment to the Model Lease. This lease addendum will be used in all public housing conversions to PBRA. The new RAD Lease Addendum updates the previously used House Rules and all RAD-specific resident rights are incorporated into this new form. The new Lease Addendum can be found here on the RAD Resource Desk Document Library.