September 2016
Events & Campaigns

NHT Director of Federal Policy Ellen Lurie Hoffman will speak.

NHT Director of State & Local Policy Laura Abernathy will speak.

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Welcome to the 
NHT Team!
Director of Finance

Communications and Fundraising Coordinator

 
Assistant Vice President

Sustainability Associate

  
Raisa Johnson
Policy Intern


Sustainable and Affordable: Stormwater Management at Galen Terrace Apartments 

Have you seen NHT's latest video? Galen Terrace Apartments in Washington D.C. showcases how housing can be affordable while also helping to improve the health of the city's Anacostia River. A new stormwater management system at the property will reduce the harmful impact of excessive and polluted runoff entering local waterways. Not only does the environment benefit from the system, so does the property's bottom line. The system will reduce the building's growing water bill by lowering stormwater management fees, and it could even be a source of revenue via D.C.'s novel Stormwater Retention Credit (SRC) trading program.
  

So how does the stormwater system work? With the help of the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) and the D.C. Department of Energy & Environment's (DDOE) RiverSmart Communities program, a stormwater planter was constructed that included retention walls and natural infiltration materials such as sand, rocks, and soil. The property's residents even flexed their gardening skills by adding native plants. The new landscaped area will diffuse, absorb and slow down rainwater before it can enter a nearby storm drain and adversely impact the water quality of local streams and rivers.  

 

"The stormwater management system at Galen Terrace is one of a series of investments we have made to improve the quality of life for residents," said NHT Sustainability Development Manager Jared Lang. "Developed by NHT/Enterprise and Somerset Development, Galen Terrace was the first rehabilitated property in D.C. to meet all of the 'green' criteria under the Enterprise Green Communities Initiative."

 

Today, the Anacostia River is too polluted for swimming and fishing, but hopefully with more stormwater renovations like the one at Galen Terrace, city residents will someday soon be able to enjoy all that the river has to offer. 


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Staff Column
5 Best Practices for Tenants Looking to Enact TOPA Rights
Edward Pauls, Assistant Vice President

StaffColumn
How often do you hear tenant stories about building owners selling their property, forcing the families living there to unexpectedly vacate? It's an all too frequent reality for renters, especially those who reside within multifamily affordable housing buildings. But renters may have recourse, especially in Washington, D.C. where tenants' rights are protected under the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). 

Recently, the Urban Institute published a series of case studies, one of which included one of the National Housing Trust's properties, Monseñor Romero Apartments. The Monseñor Romero case study outlines the tenants' successful enactment of TOPA rights after the property owner's decision to sell the building following a devastating fire.

Rallying numerous tenants to purchase an entire apartment building is not an easy feat, but these five takeaways from the Monseñor Romero experience will help anyone looking to enact their TOPA rights:

Monseñor Romero Apartments Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
1. Establish a Tenant Association 
Ensure that the tenant association is properly formed with signatures from more than 50 percent of tenants in the building.  If an association already exists, tenants have 30 days to respond to an offer of sale.   If no association exists, tenants have 45 days to form an association and respond to the offer of sale.

2. Hire an Experienced Lawyer
An attorney with deep experience in TOPA transactions is an absolute necessity.  The process is very complex and not entirely logical, so tenants need someone with experience to help guide them through it.

3. Research Building Managers Thoroughly
Picking the right partner to own and operate the building is key.  Don't be swayed by promises of large payments or rich amenities, which may be illusory or dependent on large rent increases.  Focus on a developer who has a strong track record of delivering quality work and has good relationships with tenants.

4. Identify Reasonable Wants and Needs
Be clear and up front with the attorney and partners about priorities and get them to commit to those items in the development agreement. But be realistic about necessary compromises.

5. Maintain a Flow of Constant Information
Keep members of the association informed and involved as the process moves forward.  Good communication is key for such a complex and long undertaking.

For more information about Notice and Purchase Opportunity Laws, click here or visit PrezCat.com.

For more information about the National Housing Trust's Energy Efficiency for All efforts, please contact Todd Nedwick (tnedwick@nhtinc.org).

  

The National Housing Trust urges you to comment on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Energy Incentive Program (CEIP)! We need your help to push for affordable multifamily housing as a priority within the program.

The open comment period deadline for the CEIP has been extended to Nov. 1.
 
The CEIP is a program within EPA's Clean Power Plan (CPP) that would provide states with incentives for making energy efficiency and solar power investments in low-income communities.  The CPP requires states to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.  The CEIP would reward states for taking steps to reduce energy usage in low-income communities as part of their strategy to meet their carbon emissions standard.  The value of the incentives provided through the CEIP could amount to as much as $1.2 billion.

NHT is recommending several changes to EPA's proposed design of the CEIP to ensure that owners and residents of affordable multifamily housing can benefit, including the following:
  • Use 80% AMI as the threshold for qualifying low-income households;
  • Designate as presumptively "eligible" without the need for further income certification any household participating in a federal or state housing assistance program; and
  • Include solar projects that benefit owners of affordable housing, in addition to residents.
For more information about the CEIP and to comment, visit the EPA website or contact Todd Nedwick ( tnedwick@nhtinc.org).
President's Message
PresidentsMessage
The NHT Preservation Model: Innovative, Complex and Replicable

Michael Bodaken, President
 
After a devastating fire in Monseñor Romero Apartments, an affordable apartment building in D.C.'s rapidly gentrifying Mount Pleasant neighborhood, National Housing Trust Enterprise Preservation Corporation (NHT/Enterprise) worked with residents, the local government, and community leaders to rehabilitate the property, preserve the affordability, and return residents to their homes. Featured in the Urban Institute's recent Anatomy of a Preservation Deal policy brief, Monseñor Romero Apartments highlight the complexities of preserving existing affordable housing while demonstrating that meeting the demand is not insurmountable. Though the tragedy of this fire is unique, the techniques used to preserve these homes are entirely replicable. 
 
Renovating Monseñor Romero included rebuilding the ravaged first tower to perfectly match the second tower, retaining the historic character of both buildings and garnering critical support from the community and the Mount Pleasant Historic Association. Knitting NHT/Enterprise's commitment to achieving historic designation with its commitment to sustainability was at times challenging, but NHT/Enterprise worked with tenants to develop energy efficiency solutions that met their needs.  As the p0licy brief reminds us, "the acquisition and restoration of Monseñor Romero Apartments provides key lessons for other housing practitioners and policymakers for its neighborhood context, acquisition strategy, and its physical rehabilitation strategy centered on both historic preservation and green building."

Monseñor Romero Apartments
Preserving and improving affordable housing in areas with easy access to jobs, good schools and healthy spaces is crucial to building healthy communities.  That's why NHT/Enterprise continues to develop housing communities similar to Monseñor Romero
 
But we can't do this work alone and we strive to show that our approach is replicable across the nation. By focusing on real estate development, rehabilitation, financing, and housing policy, NHT/Enterprise has preserved affordable units for tens of thousands of vulnerable families and seniors.  By embracing innovation and incorporating sustainable technologies into all its rehabilitated properties, tenants are living in both healthier and more affordable homes.
 
The case studies presented by the Urban Institute as part of their Anatomy of a Preservation Deal series detail how other developers are also combining funding sources, employing policy tools, and forming collaborative relationships with stakeholders to preserve critical affordable housing. (Note: All the case studies featured in Anatomy of a Preservation Deal come from members of The National Preservation Working Group (PWG), a national network of housing developers and advocates convened by NHT to secure effective housing federal policy.) Read more about these innovations in preserving affordable housing from around the country on PrezCat.