The site and the units/credits associated it were included in municipality’s Third Round Plan - one of only four in the State to be granted substantive certification by COAH before the courts threw out the old rules.

Late in 2006, HSI agreed to purchase the site and assumed the obligation to develop the property for affordable housing rental units.  After introducing our organization to the Township, the landowner’s agreement with the Township was assigned to HSI. 

2007 was spent on concept and schematic design, engineering and other predevelopment studies.  After a couple of meetings, our final concept was well received by the Township’s technical review committee and in February 2008 we had our first appearance before the Planning Board for project approval.  On February 14, 2008 HSI closed on the property.

HSI is proud to be working in collaboration with the Township to build and manage ten family rental units in Washington. 

The Design
The size, configuration and existing conditions (several dilapidated buildings) of the site are juxtaposed against the number of units required by the Township, COAH requirements for bedroom distribution and apartment sizes, and RSIS (Residential Site Improvement Standards) and other mandates for site development.

After several design iterations, we finally embraced a design that mimics the long standing use of the property - a farmhouse, a barn and outbuildings.  In fact, while the existing structures will be demolished, several of the new apartments will be built in the exact footprint of the structures while borrowing many of the same architectural elements of the original buildings.  Additional apartments will be provided in an attached barn-like building, making the scene reminiscent of a Shaker village farmstead.

The site plan (Click for the Drakestown Rd. Site Plan [PDF]) was designed to maximize as much uninterrupted open space as possible (not a lot, considering the site is under an acre in size).  We also wanted to orient the buildings to maximize passive and active solar gain.  The resulting site plan was such that all the buildings have a southern orientation that will permit us to utilize solar panels for common electrical needs.  Meanwhile the buildings are located in such a way as to create a small formal courtyard while also preserving some green space along Drakestown Road.  Parking has been located as close to Lotus Boulevard as possible to provide access from that street, utilizing the buildings to partially screen the parking, and keep site lighting away from the adjacent property owner.

Green Building
In addition to the above efforts to capture solar and open space benefits, the project will be “green” in many ways.  We anticipate meeting or exceeding the State’s green building program requirements for affordable housing.  Examples of green building aspects include but are not limited to: Energy Star rated buildings; using cement board siding instead of vinyl; recycling the demolition materials and waste from new construction where possible; low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints and caulks; reclaimed hardwood or bamboo flooring instead of carpeting; high efficiency toilets, faucets and showerheads; compact fluorescent lighting; recycling collection areas in each unit; and more.

Tenants and Tenant Selection
The ten apartments will be income-restricted for households with Very Low, Low and Moderate incomes.  This equates to, on one end of the spectrum, a one-bedroom household making about $18,000 that would pay $387 per month.  On the other end of the spectrum, a moderate income household in a three bedroom apartment could be earning $48,000 and pay $1,091 per month.

Who are these folks? It could be a receptionist for a local business…a single-parent working for the Township…a widower on social security…a mom working as a nurse at Heath Village and a dad at the local supermarket…a teacher’s aide at the child care center in town.  They are people who are our neighbors in the community, and people that we interact with every day.

State requirements mandate a lottery selection process for leasing up the apartments.  Rules also mandate a minimum amount of regional and statewide outreach to notify residents of the housing opportunity.  That notwithstanding, our philosophy is that there is an indigenous need for affordable housing in the towns we partner with.  We commit to our host municipalities that we will engage in active outreach in the community so that we receive the most applications from the immediate area—which in turn increases the odds that households with existing ties to the community will be selected in the lottery.

Applicants must meet income guidelines and pass a credit and background check.  Annual leases are utilized and enforced, and state guidelines for bedroom occupancy are strictly maintained.  At Drakestown Road, bedroom minimums and maximums would translate into a minimum occupancy of 20 persons and a maximum of 40 persons.  At our other properties, occupancy is approximately 1.2 persons per bedroom, on average.  If this average held to form at Drakestown Road, then there would be 24 people living in the apartments.

Property Management and “Service-Enriched” Apartments
HSI/HD owns and manages the rental properties we develop.  We have a successful interdisciplinary model for keeping our properties looking good and assisting our tenants in maintaining an upward track.

We select Property Managers with proven track records managing affordable housing developments.  The Property Manager is charged with adhering to subsidy funding program requirements, leasing properties in accordance with income requirements, performing credit and background checks on prospective tenants, pursuing appropriate actions for lease violations, working with HSI’s facilities management staff to coordinate work orders, and contracting with vendors for property maintenance, among other duties.

Property maintenance is handled by HSI’s facilities management staff.  Our skilled personnel perform regular preventative maintenance tasks and respond to maintenance requests in a timely manner.  Local contractors handle routine grounds and parking lot maintenance (landscaping, snow removal, etc.) and licensed contractors (plumbing, electrical) are hired as needed.

Our unique model utilizes a Community Outreach Specialist to provide what we call a “service enriched” environment within our apartment communities.  This full-time HSI employee (an experienced social worker) is charged with providing programs and services to our portfolio of rental properties.  Our tenants can take advantage of these services if they wish.  Programs encouraging greater self-sufficiency (budgeting, first-time home buying, healthy living, etc.) are offered year round for tenants.  Additionally, tenants may call or meet with the Community Outreach Specialist for individual assistance in dealing with any problems they may be experiencing or anticipating.  Our Specialist will either provide the required counseling or, if the subject matter is outside their area of expertise, refer the tenant to the appropriate agency or resource.