Cook Inlet Housing Authority’s (CIHA) newest elder housing development, Eklutna Estates, recently received national recognition from two prestigious organizations in the housing industry, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) and the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition (AHTCC). NAHRO awarded Eklutna Estates with an Award of Merit in Housing and Community Development and also entered the property to be considered for its National Awards of Excellence. AHTCC recognized Eklutna Estates with an “Honorable Mention” in the senior housing category as part of the annual Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Awards.
“We are honored to have our work be recognized by these national organizations,” said Carol Gore, CIHA president and CEO. “Affordable housing is not about charity. It is about community. Community is about the residents – the livability of a place; the respect for diversity – whether income, ethnicity or housing choice; the stability of people through jobs, housing, education and smart economic development.”
This is CIHA’s second NAHRO Award of Merit and the third time receiving recognition from AHTCC. In 2005, CIHA won a NAHRO Award of Merit for Kenaitze Pointe. In 2007, CIHA received an AHTCC honorable mention for Mountain View Village in the “Metropolitan/ Urban Housing” category. Last year, CIHA received an honorable mention in the “Rural Housing” category for its work in developing a multifamily housing development in Hooper Bay,
Alaska.
Eklutna Estates is a 59-unit elder/senior rental housing development located in east Anchorage. It is the sixth building at CIHA’s Centennial Village senior campus. Every apartment at Eklutna Estates is fully accessible. The building has many common spaces including a craft area, recreation/game room, library and, one of the most dynamic common spaces, the rooftop “green” garden, which is accessible from the fourth floor gathering space and community kitchen. CIHA celebrated the grand opening of Eklutna Estates on August 3, 2010.
On June 6, CIHA began construction on Loussac Place, the $35 million redevelopment of the former Loussac Manor adjacent to the Chester Creek greenbelt between A and C Streets in Anchorage. Loussac Place will consist of 120 units of mixed-income housing and the ZJ Loussac Community Building, which replaces the former Loussac Manor’s 60 units of housing. CIHA anticipates leasing the first homes June 2012. Call (907) 793-3000 to learn more about CIHA’s developments.
