Affordable and Senior Housing Communities Are Saying Goodbye to Outdated Features and Hello To Cost-Savings, Sustainable Living
It’s been a game of musical chairs at The Villages of Roll Hill, an affordable housing community that is moving residents around in the midst of a 30-month, $36-million rehabilitation.
Developed by a division of The Wallick Companies, the Cincinnati community is undergoing renovations in eight phases, lasting three to four months, with 85 to 90 units remodeled per phase. A costly and dramatic undertaking, in total, 17 buildings with structural problems that are too cost prohibitive to be fixed will be demolished.
Each of the remaining 703 units—some of which are being converted from two-bedroom to three-bedroom apartments—will undergo $40,000 worth of improvements. Renovations include the addition of central air conditioning, roof, furnace, window and door replacements, and kitchen and bath modernizations—the colors and styles of which were selected by the project’s outsourced design architect. Security also will be upgraded with the installation of 50 cameras, increased onsite security staff and perimeter fencing.
Dave Hendy, Managing Director for Wallick-Hendy Development, says approximately 150 units—many of which are in the buildings that will eventually be demolished—are currently “off-line” and will serve as temporary housing for residents while their apartments are undergoing renovations. The management team is handling the coordination of the relocation effort with assistance from outside consultants who specialize in such work.
The developers are seeking LEED certification, with green features including energy-efficient windows and doors, 95 percent efficiency furnaces, environmentally friendly carpet and paint, low-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets in the kitchens and bathrooms and LED light bulbs in all light fixtures.
“We’re going green not just because it’s the ‘in’ thing, but because we anticipate substantial savings on operational costs,” says Hendy. “Our sewer and water bills have already been reduced by as much as 45 percent for the apartments that have been renovated. We expect our largest savings to come from the installation of the low-flow toilets and flow reducers in the faucets and showerheads, which will be reflected in our water and sewer bills once all eight phases of renovation are complete.”
Financing for the project included a $3.2 million loan from the City of Cincinnati, a $31.6 million loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Affordable Housing Preservation and $1.5 million equity from Fay Limited Partnership. Hendy says obtaining the proper funds was no easy task.
“We were very close to closing in early 2008 when the financial markets imploded and we lost our original financing,” he says. “We had to start from scratch and re-design the renovation plan, given the reduced financing options that were available to us. The process was very complex and took over two years to complete because it was difficult to obtain all of the letters of support that were necessary in order to move forward with the project.”
Although it has been a challenge to secure financing and relocate residents since the renovations began October 2010, CEO Tom Feusse says everyone is thrilled with the improvements.
“The green features are great for some of our seniors because they are all very straight forward and don’t take a lot of work to operate,” Feusse says. “Items such as programmable thermostats are much more user-friendly than they used to be.”
However, Hendy and Feusse both agree that the residents must be educated on how to use the new energy efficient amenities. Consultants who specialize in energy conservation have been hired to assist the management team with these efforts.
“If it’s the middle of winter and people are opening windows because they like the fresh air, it doesn’t matter how efficient the furnace is, [our utility costs won’t decrease],” Hendy says. “We have to educate our residents about the importance of controlling these costs. That can be a challenging task when your residents often have more problems than the average person and are less concerned with going green.”
Green From the Get-Go
After decades of paying expensive utility bills, seniors can finally catch a break at Cypresswood Estates.
The mixed-income, 88-unit affordable senior housing community—developed by the Harris County (Texas) Housing Authority (HCHA)—has been built to exceed the criteria for Platinum LEED and Emerald Green certifications, providing a clean and green environment for its Houston residents.
Two of the community’s buildings—which officially opened Sept. 27 on a first-come, first-served basis—are designed for net zero energy usage, requiring no energy other than what is generated by solar panels. Energy cost savings are then dispersed throughout the entire community so that all residents benefit—not just those who live in net zero usage homes.
Overall, $600,000 worth of solar panels within the community generate enough power to meet up to 60 percent of Cypresswood’s estimated energy needs. Its highly efficient HVAC system, Goodman 15 SEER, coupled with enhanced recycled cellulose and DOW Thermax insulation in all buildings (the clubhouse units’ walls are rated R-19.5 and R-45 in the ceiling) also will reduce energy costs.
“It’s unique—particularly in affordable senior housing—but as we get smarter in terms of development, taking such environmentally friendly measures will be the only way to go if you’re receiving limited resources,” says Guy Rankin, Executive Director and CEO of HCHA. “There is a conventional, green community down the street and we wanted to make this part of town ‘The Green Mile.’”
In keeping with that goal, a rainwater reclamation system—which channels rainfall from the roofs and much of the property’s grounds into storage tanks that supply drip irrigation for native, drought-tolerant landscaping—was installed, decreasing water bills by as much as 80 percent.
Several bicycle storage facilities and six electric-car charging outlets also are onsite to promote a lifestyle that’s healthier for residents and for the environment.
According to Rankin, seniors are the perfect demographic for such initiatives.
“I think 60-year-olds actually get the green movement a lot better than 20-somethings,” he says. “They have a lot of wisdom and they’re on a limited budget, so they’re looking for any way possible to reduce costs. By living at Cypresswood Estates, they can expect to pay 40 percent to 45 percent less on utilities than they would somewhere else.”
Resisdent Shirley Dow agrees. “I am very pleased with the amount of money I save on my electricity,” she says. “My bill is so low, I save over $100 per month in cost. I can now afford to get cable services! I am so happy and grateful with my apartment.”
Rankin estimates that it will take approximately 12 years for the green features—which cost 8 percent to 10 percent more per square foot than their conventional counterparts—to pay for themselves, after which time he expects to see a significant return on investment.
“You have to be in it for the long haul but it will be worth it,” he says.
Although residents’ fixed incomes were the driving force behind Cypresswood Estates’ energy efficient amenities, Rankin says environmentally aware building practices and the use of sustainable or recycled materials will also benefit the entire Houston community. Walking trails and sidewalk surfaces are made of recycled concrete, building materials were purchased within a 300-mile radius and construction waste was recycled.
“What we’ve done at Cypresswood Estates is proof that affordable housing can be built and maintained according to green design standards that are discussed frequently but executed rarely in low- and moderate-income housing,” Rankin says.
Fifty-seven of the 88 units are income restricted.
Lauren Boston is NAA’s Staff Writer. She can be reached at lauren@naahq.org or 703/797-0678.