Tax Credit Advisor Article Archives

The large map shows the city of Baltimore broken into block clusters, color-coded to designate variables such as home ownership and occupancy rates.

One of the joys of editing this magazine—in addition to the chance to intermingle with and learn from all of you—is the opportunity to tackle topics that make a substantial difference in American lives.

This month TCA takes a deep dive into exciting and innovative strategies in the aging and senior housing space. The physical and lifestyle needs of baby boomers will continue to evolve and the affordable housing industry must develop plans to meet their requirements today and 20 years from now.

As the adult child of the elderly, how can you be most comfortable that your parents’ needs are being addressed?

Not all situations for aging are equal. There are better ways.

Rock ‘n’ roll icon Jimi Hendrix once said, “If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.”
Angela Boyd, a 34 year-old native of Kansas, who earned her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, is using the power of music to end America’s rental housing affordability crisis.

“Tax credit is the major program designed for affordable housing. Unfortunately, it’s not designed for this.”

The Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule issued by HUD last July requires recipients of federal housing and community development funding to foster more inclusive communities, promote equal access to community assets, and combat segregation and concentrated poverty.

Bright-colored images stenciled on walls await as you enter the Genesis community, a new affordable housing development in Washington, DC. These images exemplify what residents of the 27 affordable housing units define as community. Butterflies, birds, leaves, trees, stars and flowers—chosen to represent values like safety, trust, openness and togetherness— are interspersed with smiling images of the residents themselves.

Have you ever considered spending your later years living amongst people with whom you shared a profession? Think of the great stories you can tell over dinner to sincerely interested listeners. After all, nostalgia is a favorite pastime.

You know that old trees just grow stronger/ And old rivers grow wilder every day
Old people just grow lonesome/ Waiting for someone to say, “Hello in there, hello”
– John Prine, 1971

“All our arts colonies,” says Kasey Burke, President of Meta, “integrate into affordable housing ongoing professional scale arts classes and amenities, which are completely free to residents. Programs are built for professional working artists, as well as nonprofessional artists who enjoy the ability to be creative and expressive.”

“Our mantra is: We don’t build housing;
we build communities.”
—Geoffrey C. Brown, President and CEO, USA Properties Fund, Inc.