Three Communities Recognized for Outstanding Elderly, Turnaround and Single-Occupancy Property Management
The National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) has selected three properties owned and managed by The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB) for 2011 Communities of Quality® Awards. Representatives from TCB accepted the awards at the NAHMA winter meeting on March 12 in Washington. TCB is a nonprofit leader in urban mixed-income community development and manages nearly 8,000 housing units at over 100 properties in 12 states. TCB had a total of 49 properties recognized as Communities of Quality in 2011, more than any other management company. The company was one of only 15 property managers in the country to receive the Communities of Quality Corporate Partner designation.
Representatives of The Community Builders, Inc. were on hand to accept three Communities of Quality(R) awards at the National Affordable Housing Management Association winter meeting. The nonprofit company manages nearly 8,000 housing units in 12 states. Pictured left to right: Steve Barry, Mark Rivera, Diane Sargent, Ana Nunez, Julia Tonelli, Maria Correia, Scott Ployer, Bill Bransky and Dawn Bryant, all of The Community Builders, Inc. Photo credit: Larry Falkow (Photo: Business Wire)
"At TCB, we are committed to sustaining communities with high-quality housing that serves as a platform of opportunity for our residents," said Dan Lorraine, senior vice president of property management for TCB. "We are honored to have our mission and our work recognized by NAHMA."
The company's three award-winning properties are all located in Massachusetts: Back of the Hill Apartments in Boston, Leyden Woods Apartments in Greenfield and Aurora Apartments in Worcester. TCB is the first company ever to receive three of the five awards presented annually by NAHMA.
Back of the Hill Apartments was recognized in the Exemplary Development for the Elderly category. The diverse residents of this 124-unit, high-rise apartment building have access to amenities including indoor and outdoor community spaces and a French café-style dining area. Located near public transportation and many of the world's best medical and cultural institutions, Back of the Hill offers art classes, fitness classes, health workshops and a speakers series.
Leyden Woods Apartments received an award for Outstanding Turnaround of a Troubled Property. This 40-year-old community of garden-style apartments serves 200 families —including 224 children, nine seniors and 66 disabled residents. When TCB assumed ownership of the property in 1996, the decayed campus was known locally as housing of last resort.
Since TCB has owned and managed the property, new siding, roofs, appliances, carpeting and kitchen and bathroom upgrades have greatly improved the condition and appeal of the buildings. A full-time resident services coordinator facilitated the effort to rid the community of drug activity, and implemented a neighborhood watch program. As the site became safer, more residents became involved in starting a community garden, library and computer lab. Resident-led activities now include a poetry writing classes, workforce development programs for teens and Spanish classes. As a result of these efforts, the Leyden Woods community has experienced a dramatic transformation.
The Aurora Apartments were honored for Exemplary Development for Single-Room Occupancy Housing. The Aurora is an 87-unit, high-rise apartment building in the heart of downtown Worcester that is more than 100 years old. Originally, it was a sparkling hotel where weddings and receptions took place. TCB acquired the property and undertook a complete rehabilitation. The property re-opened as studio apartments and became a safe haven in the downtown area. For whatever length of time Aurora residents remain, they are treated with dignity and enjoy numerous activities, including movie nights, bingo, cribbage, dominoes and an outside horseshoe pit and barbecue.
More information about the complete TCB property management portfolio is available here.
About The Community Builders, Inc.
The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB) is the largest nonprofit developer of mixed-income housing in the United States. Our mission is to build strong communities where people of all incomes can achieve their full potential. We realize our mission by developing, financing and operating high-quality housing and implementing neighborhood self-help initiatives to drive economic opportunity for our residents. Since our founding in 1964, we have constructed or preserved over 320 affordable and mixed-income housing developments and secured over $2.5 billion in project financing from public and private sources. Today, we manage more than 100 properties in 12 states. We are headquartered in Boston with regional hubs in Chicago and Washington.
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Contacts:
The Community Builders, Inc.
Stephanie J. Anderson, 857-600-8332
sanderson@tcbinc.org