New Ideas... New Perceptions
These are exciting times for Cook Inlet Housing Authority...
In this edition of Breaking Ground, you'll learn about CIHA's plans to actually "break ground" on the first development within the Creekside Town Center boundaries at the corner of Muldoon and DeBarr Roads this spring. It's been a challenge to meet our affordable housing goals while staying true to the original town center principles, but we believe it's the right thing to do for our community - and we believe we've come up with a recipe for success.
Because of the unique nature of this project, we're taking an approach that is somewhat new to us: the development will incorporate about 60 percent affordable units with the remaining units being made available to families regardless of their income.
The property will reflect and maybe even exceed the high-quality development standards that CIHA has become known for, but this mixed income strategy will also work to avoid segregation of lower-income families. We know there is wide-spread misperception about the "kinds of people" who live in affordable housing developments... We also know the vast majority of our clients to be hard-working, productive and important members of our community... Maybe Creekside Town Center - where people from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds may work, live and play together - will help to overcome some of the stigmas associated with affordable housing and the lower-income families who live there.
In addition to the news of this brand new development, I'm excited to report some wonderful milestones in Mountain View. All but one of the latest "immediate ownership" homes built by CIHA in Mountain View has sold - and we have strong prospects for the one remaining home. We're so thrilled to be able to provide these beautiful new homes for deserving people like Angel Stewman who gives her fist-hand account of life in Mountain View in this edition of the newsletter.
CIHA is also celebrating (near) completion of the 2006 Ideal Home, a contemporarily designed home born of a housing forum and design competition CIHA presented last March during Alaska Housing Finance Corporation's semi-annual housing institute. The competition brought a lot of great new ideas to the fore, and much was learned through construction of the winning design by MayerSattler-Smith/Friends of H4H. The home's design was modified to provide full accessibility for individuals with disabilities and is now for sale to a qualified and deserving family. CIHA and its affiliate Cook Inlet Real Estate Services will be hosting an open house on Sunday, April 15. Mark your calendars and drop by 532 North Bragaw in Mountain View to check out this very unique and affordable new home.
Thanks as always for your continued support of our work and the families we serve. We appreciate your advocacy. Together we can change the "face" and thus misperceptions of affordable housing by building one home and helping one family at a time.
Respectfully,
Carol