Bendix Anderson • 9 min read
During Bernie Husser’s two-year term as chair of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NH&RA), which ends at the annual meeting in March, the organization has launched its Preservation Through Energy Efficiency initiative, fought for affordable housing in Congress and watched over the launch of a new federal program to recapitalize public housing. Husser has been in the business of affordable housing for more than two decades.
Thomas Amdur • 3 min read
You might be thinking, “Why is NH&RA hosting a symposium on public housing revitalization now?” And maybe even, “Why should I care?” After all, most of our readers are LIHTC developers and owners of HUD-assisted properties, not housing authority staff. Furthermore the days when HOPE VI was funded annually at $600 million+ are way back in the rearview mirror. Yes, we may be forced to do more with less, but the need is great, the opportunities are numerous, new resources are available (I think you’ve heard me mention RAD before in this column) and perhaps most importantly, it is going to require the creative acumen of the private sector to solve the growing number of challenges housing authorities face.
Megan Houston • 8 min read
There is common consensus now that the pursuit of energy efficiency is not only the right and civic thing to do, but can offer substantial savings to those paying the bills, be they owners or tenants. But to be most effective, there has to be some way of quantifying and calculating that efficiency.
A. J. Johnson • 6 min read
In 2011, the CDFI published New Markets Tax Credit, Compliance and Monitoring Frequently Asked Questions, designed to help NMTC users understand the rules governing the program. It was updated this past December, and here we outline the most relevant revisions and changes.
Mark Olshaker • 6 min read
When the term “historic Texas building” is mentioned, almost everyone conjures up the same image: the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, with its heroic evocations of Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and Colonel William Travis. But Texas’ rich history has generated many lesser-known structures well worth preserving. And in 2013, the state legislature went a long way toward promoting their creative and functional re-use, through the passage of House Bill 500: the Texas Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit.
Joel Swerdlow • 6 min read
An estimated 70 percent of multi-family, affordable housing (MFAH) in western Pennsylvania is more than 30 years old—and most of these units are wasting as much as half the energy they use.
Mark Olshaker • 10 min read
On any given morning, the manager of any rental apartment or housing complex can expect to be barraged with a diverse array of questions, comments and complaints from tenants. They may range from no heat or cooling or hot water, to dripping faucets, noise, cooking odors or smoke from next-door, burned-out light bulbs in the hallway, lost keys, balky appliances, perceived rudeness from a staff member or someone else’s car in an assigned parking space. Each manager has his or her own roster of recurring “favorites”.
Bendix Anderson • 6 min read
This December, work finished on a renovation that’s likely to cut the total energy used at a home for very low-income seniors by more than a third.
Joel Swerdlow • 7 min read
A young mother working full-time takes classes leading to a degree in emergency response management. With this degree will come a new career and improved life for her family. Before leaving the building, she buys fresh produce and groceries, and at the bus stop on the public plaza near the main entrance, chats with neighbors.
Jennifer Atkinson • 4 min read
The housing industry is well acquainted with the impact of the Baby Boomer generation reaching the age of retirement, the impending need for affordable housing to support this population, and eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare. However, the marriage of assisted living with Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) senior properties is relatively new and is a significant opportunity for those who can reconcile the two programs.
Thomas Amdur • 4 min read
The National Council on Aging reports that 10,000 people will enroll in Medicare EVERY day over the next ten years. America is aging – and I’m guessing this is not a surprise to our readers – everyone in the affordable housing business has probably seen dozens of articles and presentations about the current and future housing, healthcare and personal finance needs of the baby boomers.
David M. Abromowitz • 5 min read
As the Greatest Generation moves through their 80s and 90s, and as millions of Baby Boomers turn 65 each year, suitable, affordable housing options for older Americans become more pressing. But as a recent Joint Center for Housing Studies report demonstrates in statistical depth, those options are far from existing in sufficient numbers and variations.