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Four Developments Receive NAHMA Communities of Quality Top Honors
- By: admin
- On: 01/13/2017 15:04:03
- In: NAHMA News
Alexandria, Va., Jan. 6, 2017 – The National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) announces four communities were selected as the 2016 winners of its annual Communities of Quality (COQ) Awards program.
Since 1992, these awards have honored the best multifamily affordable housing communities across the country.
Entrants are judged on how they manage the physical, financial and social conditions of their properties, and on how well they convey their success in offering the highest quality of life for their residents.
The 2016 COQ Awards will be presented at NAHMA's annual winter meeting, March 5-7, in Washington, D.C. For details on the NAHMA meeting, visit https://www.nahma.org/meetings/.
“This year, we had 30 entrants proving that the Communities of Quality Awards program continues to thrive and to be a point of pride for all the contenders,” NAHMA Executive Director Kris Cook, CAE, said. “There is no other award that focuses so comprehensively on the everyday life and management expertise of affordable housing properties.”
NAHMA's 2016 COQ Awards program is jointly sponsored by HD Supply Multifamily Solutions, a leading supplier of maintenance and renovation products to the multihousing industry, and Navigate Affordable Housing Partners, a leading provider of consulting and development services to public housing authorities and HUD's Section 8 PBCA for Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia and Connecticut.
NAHMA congratulates the four winners.
Exemplary Family Development
Forest Green Apartments Gainesville, Fla.
Owner: GHC Housing Partners
Management: PK Management LLC
AHMA: SAHMA
Forest Green is a Section 8 family property with 200 units and more than 400 residents—including adults, children, seniors and residents with disabilities—located in Gainesville, Fla. The community strives to create a sense of community through programming such as computer labs, after-school tutoring, adult self-sufficiency classes, health programs and more. An on-site service coordinator acts as a liaison between the residents and other community organizations as well as mediates issues between residents and staff. Forest Green has also forged a partnership with the local police department, which has helped the community become proactive about combating crime. Three community resource officers are assigned to Forest Green allowing relationships to build between the police officers and residents. The officers also coordinate on-site programs for children and adults including Safety Week educational programs and National Night Out. Another partnership, this one with Upper Room Ministries and the University of Florida, allows children to receive extra help with math and reading after school. The mentors help the students overcome test anxiety and reinforce proper classroom behavior besides aiding with homework.
Exemplary Development for the Elderly
Broadway Terrace Apartments Phoenix, Ariz.
Owner: Broadway Towers Inc. DBA Broadway Terrace
Management Company: Mansermar Inc.
AHMA: AHMA-PSW
Broadway Terrace, located in Phoenix, Ariz., is a 100-unit apartment complex designed for adults who are at least 62 years old. To meet the needs of residents, the complex collaborates with several local organizations to provide food delivery, free personal hygiene products, technology education, health and wellness services and other activities. The community hosts an annual holiday party, in conjunction with local companies and through donations, complete with catered dinner and gifts for the residents that range from Roku sticks to pet goodie bags. Additionally, the Duet Agency has provided Broadway Terrace with a machine that allows the user to magnify materials to more than 100 times its original size and projects it onto a 17-inch LCD display to assist residents that have difficulty seeing. Arizona State University's foster grandparents volunteer program engages residents by having them read to at-risk children in surrounding schools. The property has made improvements to the interior of the apartment homes including new flooring, upgraded cabinets, raised toilets and a flat-screen “smart” television in the community room complete with DVD player, satellite service and a Wii console and games.
Exemplary Development for Residents with Special Needs
Bridgeway Apartments Phase 1 & 2
Picayune, Miss.
Owner: St. Francis Academy Management
Company: The Columbia Property Group
AHMA: SAHMA
The Bridgeway Apartments are in Picayune, Miss., and provide supervised living and employment services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The two phases consist of a total of 24 units, an exercise room, laundry facilities, recreational spaces and well-maintained grounds. The property's staff members assist residents with medication management, job discovery, exercise and wellness, community volunteering and more. The residents have their own units that they are responsible for keeping clean and neat, which provides independence while knowing on-site staff is there should the need for help arises. Many of the residents have been there for at least five years, with most moving in 19 years ago when the property opened. All of the residents, except for one retiree, have jobs doing routine janitorial services with local shops and companies ranging from pizza parlors and bakeries to the fire department and chamber of commerce. Staff provides the transportation to the job sites and any on-the-job assistance that might be needed. The residents also enjoy activities such as bowling, visiting the local swimming park, dancing, volunteering and participating in Special Olympics.
Outstanding Turnaround of a Troubled Property
EME Apartments of Conway
Conway, S.C.
Owner: Emanuel-Morris Brown-Ebenezer Apartments Inc.
Management Company: Southern Development Management Company
AHMA: SAHMA
EME Apartments of Conway, formerly Cherry Hill Apartments, is a 50-unit nonprofit with a 100 percent Loan Management Set-Aside Section 8 contract. Originally built in 1969, the property deteriorated to the point that it was placed on the Department of Housing and Urban Development's troubled watch list. In early 2007, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the City of Conway Police Department and the Horry County Sheriff's Department launched a joint operation that resulted in the arrest of 82 individuals at or near the property, which had become overrun with drugs, gang violence and loitering. Boarded windows and doors, potholes, vermin and refuse had become commonplace. Later that year, the board of Emanuel-Morris Brown-Ebenezer Apartments Inc. purchased the property. It was renamed, gained new management and through private funding, began a total rehabilitation inside and out. The transformation included replacing the roof and windows, installing vinyl siding and mounting security cameras, along with other cosmetic changes and upgrades. The interior of all the units received a makeover including central HVAC systems and upgrading tubs, water saving devices, toilets, cabinet doors, windows and flooring. The property now offers after-school programs and homework assistance, computer training for all ages, a summer camp, on-site activities such as music lessons, a bookmobile, health fairs, adult work study and more. In 2015, EME Apartments was named Best Housing Development by the South Carolina State Housing and Finance Authority.
About NAHMA
NAHMA is the leading voice for affordable housing management, advocating on behalf of multifamily property managers and owners whose mission is to provide quality affordable housing. NAHMA supports legislative and regulatory policy that promotes the development and preservation of decent and safe affordable housing, is a vital resource for technical education and information and fosters strategic relations between government and industry. Founded in 1990, NAHMA's membership today includes the industry's most distinguished multifamily owners and management companies. Visit www.nahma.org for more information.
About HD Supply Multifamily Solutions
With 50,000-plus items and free, next-day delivery on most items to most areas, HD Supply Multifamily Solutions is your source for maintenance supplies, fabrication, installation and renovation services. Our 700-plus account representatives serve more than 130 markets, providing personalized service backed by the strength of a national company. To order call 1-800-431-3000 or at www.hdsupplysolutions.com.
About Navigate
Based in Birmingham, Ala., Navigate Affordable Housing Partners is HUD's Section 8 PBCA for Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia and Connecticut. With a strong reputation for customer service and training, Navigate oversees a portfolio of more than 70,000 units. Navigate has a history of developing, owning and managing HUD assisted properties in Alabama and has recently begun providing consulting and development services to public housing authorities. For further information, visit www.navigatehousing.com.
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Media Contact Jennifer Jones, Manager of Communications and Public Relations
National Affordable Housing Management Association
703-683-8630, ext. 100
jjones@nahma.org