Fahe Provides Retrofits in Senior Citizen Apartments to Improve Quality of Life
Mount Sterling, KY (PRWEB) February 21, 2014 -- Main Cross Senior Apartments, located in Mt. Sterling Kentucky, have recently been rehabbed and retrofitted to become more energy efficient, reduce energy usage, and to help low-income elderly tenants save money on utility bills. Energy efficient building techniques have been proven to produce savings of upwards of $70 per month on utility bills in some situations. Apartment renovations include new energy efficient appliances, carpet, paint, plumbing, and a new Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system.
In 1994, the second and third floors of 11 historic downtown commercial buildings located on Main Street were renovated into 51 units of affordable senior housing.
Fahe, an Appalachian-based nonprofit, helped make the 2013 renovation possible by utilizing Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) along with various other funding. Another source of backing for the project was made possible by the investors of the Housing Equity Fund of Kentucky III (HEKF-III). These investors include Traditional Bank, Community Trust Bank, Kentucky Bank, Whitaker Bank, Springfield State Bank, Peoples Exchange Bank, Cecilian Bank, Forcht Bank, Bank Trust Financial, and Commercial Bank.
Fahe network member Community Housing Partners (CHP) performed the recent rehabilitation and energy retrofit. The project utilized $1,091,951 in the form of HOME funds, $3,305,162 from HEFK-III, $468,261 in Affordable Housing Program Funds from Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB), $184,500 in the form of a permanent loan from Fahe, and a $2,200 owner contribution. The total cost of the energy retrofit and rehab came to $5,052,434.
The 11 buildings used in developing the Main Cross Apartments are on the National Register of Historic Places. The existing exterior building envelope will remain essentially untouched with existing brick and concrete block walls undergoing minor repairs and cleaning only. A new metal ramp that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will also be installed.
Low-income senior rental is at a premium in Appalachia. Apartments such as Main Cross provide vulnerable seniors with quality affordable homes. Fahe and network members work with Appalachian communities to provide funding and consulting to make these types of facilities available.
Fahe is a nationally recognized, regional nonprofit based in Berea, Kentucky that leads a network of 53 Appalachian organizations to create affordable housing and promote community development in AL, KY, TN, VA, and WV. For more information visit http://www.fahe.org
Community Housing Partners is a nonprofit based in Christiansburg, VA that focuses on energy efficient and affordable housing and community development. In 2013 CHP was ranked as one of the nation’s Top 50 affordable housing owners by Affordable Housing Finance magazine and ranked by The National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) as one of the 100 largest affordable multifamily property managers in the U.S. For more information visit http://www.communityhousingpartners.org.
Aaron Phelps, http://www.fahe.org, +1 (859) 986-2321 Ext: 2115, [email protected]
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