Policy Notes: POAH testifies on Massachusetts housing bond bill:
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Elevating Performance over Process: Read Amy Anthony's post on the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing blog. |
New Hampshire Community Development Week:
New Hampshire officials hold press conference at Sugar River Mills to u rge full funding for HOME program.
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Revitalization Continues in Chicago:
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Property Notes:
Best view in Boston
Fenway Park can be seen from the roof of Kenmore Abbey, one of the six affordable properties acquired by POAH in 2012. |
Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve and steward affordable rental housing to provide stability, hope and economic security to low- and moderate-income individuals and families. POAH owns and operates close to 8,000 affordable homes at 63 properties in nine states and the District of Columbia. For earlier editions of this newsletter see our Archives.
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Greetings,
All eyes are on Washington these days, with the sequestration cuts taking effect and FY14 budget work now well underway. We see good reasons for optimism - the President's FY14 budget proposal would do much to safeguard key affordable housing programs like Project-Based Section 8, and proposes innovative improvements to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit as well.
Looking beyond the immediate budget battle, the recently released report of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Housing Commission proposes sweeping, positive changes to the nation's housing policies which would both promote better outcomes for assisted households and make better use of our constrained resources.
Whatever the outcome of those Washington conversations, POAH - and our partners and industry colleagues - will remain focused on delivering positive results for our residents, present and future. We are pleased to share some of our stories here including one about a beautiful renovation of a historic building in Boston; a property manager's creative use of mobile technology in the leasing process; and an update on the revitalization of the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. Thanks for your ongoing support and partnership.
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Franklin Square House renovation honors legacy as affordable housing |
POAH and the architects at The Architectural Team have spent the last six months renovating Franklin Square House, a historic brick and granite building in the South End of Boston with a fascinating history as a luxury hotel that once hosted Teddy Roosevelt, Diamond Jim Brady, the Prince of Wales and President Ulysses S. Grant.
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Do Energy Benchmarking Requirements in Affordable Housing Make Sense? |
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Toby Ast, Director of Energy Management |
Energy costs are not a big part of the decision making process for our residents, therefore little competitive advantage can be gained through investments that reduce tenant energy bills. Sensible policy makers recognize this disconnect and have taken steps to encourage building owners to undertake "green" initiatives. Given the current market incentives, these all make sense for reducing energy consumption but often increase owner capital costs without a corresponding reduction in operating costs. Absent a major policy shift on the utility allowance, benchmarking could, perhaps, provide a way to tie conservation investments to increased site revenue. read more |
IPad will enhance leasing process at Rhode Island property |
"If a picture is worth 1,000 words, imagine what we can do with a slide show and a virtual tour!" says Lenore Coughlin, Property Manager at Cherry Hill Apartments in Johnston, Rhode Island. Cherry Hill's proposal for incorporating an IPad into the leasing process won Preservation Housing Management's first ever IPad Leasing Contest.
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