FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Development Teams, Subject Matter Experts, Local Leaders and Former West Calumet Residents collaborate
November 15, 2017 (EAST CHICAGO) – Two Midwest-based developers and their teams completed an intensive two-day workshop today at the former Carrie Gosch Elementary School in East Chicago, Ind. as part of the Moving Forward 3.0 Program. Miller-Valentine Group (MVG) and UP Development worked closely with subject matter experts, local leaders and former residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex in the workshop, which served as the next step in providing two new affordable housing developments in Lake County.
The Moving Forward 3.0 workshop, organized by Energy Systems Network (ESN) and hosted by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), kickstarts the process for MVG and UP Development in taking a systems-level approach to solving the challenges of affordable housing and transportation by considering the development as an integrated system rather than isolated elements.
The purpose of the workshop is to encourage innovative thinking by collaborating with national experts, convened by ESN, to share the latest strategies in energy efficient building design, transportation models, and poverty alleviation practices and services – all with an eye toward improving quality of life for residents. As such, including the voice of the customer in the workshop process was a critical aspect of this year’s program.
“It was important for us, and the two developers, to work this week not only with experts from across the country but with former residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex,” said Jacob Sipe, executive director of IHCDA. “This is their community and their perspective, and feedback will be critical to ensuring these new developments meet the needs of individuals in search of affordable housing in Lake County.”
At the conclusion of the workshop, the development teams applied their learnings in a design exercise, incorporating them into a high-level design for two sample sites. These designs were shared with local leaders and state agencies.
”Energy and transportation technologies are changing at a rapid pace,” said Paul Mitchell, president and CEO of ESN. “This workshop process helps developers of affordable housing understand new trends to integrate into their design plans in ways that will lower costs and provide high quality of life for residents. As we are entering our third year of this program, we are also benefitting from some best practices, such as net-zero energy designs and car sharing systems.”
In February, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued an Executive Order for Declaration of Disaster Emergency in East Chicago. One of his requests in this order was for IHCDA to find ways to encourage the new development of affordable rental housing in the East Chicago area. To do so, IHCDA elected to use the state’s Moving Forward program.
“We are pleased to continue efforts to identify and encourage the financing of new development for affordable rental housing in and around East Chicago,” said Governor Eric Holcomb in a May 2017 statement. “The Moving Forward program affords us the unique opportunity to bring two energy efficient affordable housing developments to Lake County.”
MVG and UP Development will spend the next 12 months identifying a site for their affordable housing developments within Lake County and creating a detailed design plan that follows the goals outlined in the workshop. In the fall of 2018, the developers will be able to submit Rental Housing Tax Credit (RHTC) applications of up to $750,000 each under the General Set-aside* next year. Following the awarding of tax credits, construction is expected to be approximately a 12-month process with a grand opening anticipated in late 2019.
The Moving Forward program currently has four affordable housing developments in progress across the state: Fort Wayne, Bloomington, Indianapolis and Lafayette. BWI, LLC broke ground on its development in Fort Wayne, Posterity Scholar House, in September 2017.
Click here for more information about the Moving Forward Program. Click here for additional information and updates regarding the Disaster Emergency in East Chicago.
*Per the 2018-19 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), IHCDA will reserve 10% of its RHTC for the IHCDA General Set-aside. Under this set-aside, IHCDA reserves credits for developments that further the Authority’s mission, goals, initiatives, and priorities irrespective of the ranking by evaluation factors. The QAP states that the Authority will exercise its sole discretion in the allocation of the IHCDA General Set-aside.
###
IHCDA, chaired by Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, provides housing opportunities, promotes self-sufficiency and strengthens communities in order to build an Indiana with a sustainable quality of life for all Hoosiers in the community of their choice. For more information, visit www.ihcda.in.gov or www.in.gov/myihcda.
Energy Systems Network (ESN) is a non-profit focused on growing the advanced energy technology sector. ESN is building an energy ecosystem that integrates all aspects of the energy landscape: energy generation, distribution, the built environment, and transportation. ESN leverages its network of global thought leaders to develop integrated energy solutions to increase quality of life for today and tomorrow. The collective focus is to: reduce costs, emissions, and waste; influence policy; and advance technological innovation. For more information, visit www.energysystemsnetwork.com.
Media Contacts
Brad Meadows
Communications Director
Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority
[email protected]
(317) 234-1745
Melissa D. Roberts
Director, Communication & Development
Energy Systems Network
[email protected]
(317) 501-4136
