National Sponsors of NAHMA’s 2017 Communities of Quality® Awards Program
Sponsored by HD Supply Multifamily Solutions and Navigate Affordable Housing Partners.
Five Developments Receive NAHMA Communities of Quality Top Honors
The National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) announces five communities were selected as the 2017 winners of its annual Communities of Quality (COQ) Awards program. Since 1992, these awards have honored the best multifamily affordable housing communities across the country.
Entrants are judged on how they manage the physical, financial, and social conditions of their properties, and on how well they convey their success in offering the highest quality of life for their residents.
The 2017 COQ Awards were presented at NAHMA’s annual winter meeting, March 4-6, in Washington, D.C.
“This year, we had 46 entrants proving that the Communities of Quality Awards program continues to thrive and to be a point of pride for all the contenders. There is no other award that focuses so comprehensively on the everyday life and management expertise of affordable housing properties,” NAHMA Executive Director Kris Cook, CAE, said.
NAHMA congratulates the winners:
- Exemplary Family Development: Powdermill Village, Westfield, Mass.; Owner: Peabody Westfield LTD Partnership; Management: Peabody Properties Inc.; AHMA: NEAHMA
- Exemplary Development for the Elderly: Clayton Mews, Clayton, N.J.; Owner: Clayton Providence House; Management Company: Community Realty Management; AHMA: JAHMA
- Exemplary Development for Residents with Special Needs: Roebling Arms, Roebling, N.J.; Owner: Multiple Sclerosis Association of America; Management Company: PRD Management Inc.; AHMA: JAHMA
- Exemplary Development for Single Room Occupancy Housing: Paul Braswell Residential, Cleveland, Miss.; Owner: Life Help Region IV Mental Health; Management Company: The Columbia Property Group; AHMA: SAHMA
- Outstanding Turnaround of a Troubled Property: Casa Farnese Apartments, Philadelphia, Penn.; Owner: Casa Farnese Board of Directors; Management Company: PRD Management Inc.; AHMA: PennDel AHMA
About the Sponsors
About HD Supply Multifamily Solutions: With 50,000-plus items and free, next-day delivery on most items to most areas, HD Supply Multifamily Solutions is your source for maintenance supplies, fabrication, installation, and renovation services. Over 700 account representatives serve more than 130 markets, providing personalized service backed by the strength of a national company. To order, call 1-800-431-3000 or visit hdsupplysolutions.com.
About Navigate Affordable Housing Partners: Based in Birmingham, Ala., Navigate Affordable Housing Partners is HUD’s Section 8 PBCA for Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, and Connecticut. With a strong reputation for customer service and training, Navigate oversees a portfolio of more than 70,000 units and has a history of developing, owning, and managing HUD-assisted properties in Alabama. For further information, visit navigatehousing.com.
Powdermill Village
Exemplary Family Development | Westfield, Mass.
Powdermill Village is made up of 250 apartment homes and townhouses spread across 12 buildings in Westfield, Mass., at the foothills of the Berkshires. The community features an outdoor pool, playground, basketball court, and large community space, and is home to more than 250 youth and a large Russian immigrant population.
The Powdermill Village Tenant’s Association has built relationships with local civic, religious, and government agencies to deliver structured programs focused on character development, respect for diversity, teamwork, and peer leadership. Partners include the Westfield Police Department, the YMCA of Greater Westfield, the Boy Scouts of America, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The most impactful partnership, with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield, delivers annual all-inclusive on-site summer programming funded through a MassHousing Youth Resident Activities Program grant. Seniors and residents with disabilities also have access to the Peabody Resident Services Home Care program for daily living assistance.
Clayton Mews
Exemplary Development for the Elderly | Clayton, N.J.
Clayton Mews is a 55-plus Low-Income Housing Tax Credit senior community made up of 103 one-bedroom units in Clayton, N.J. Half of residents earn at or below 50% of area median income, and the remaining residents earn below 60%. The community is highly recommended by the Housing Authority of Gloucester County and the New Jersey Division of Community Affairs.
Resident programming includes Silver Sneakers chair exercises, movie nights, bingo, health screenings, crime and scam prevention classes presented by the Clayton Police Department, and an annual dinner with the mayor. Kennedy Hospital provides a licensed nurse for in-unit appointments, and Fox Rehab offers monthly health seminars and free screenings on site. Residents also give back through the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program and an annual Veterans’ Day ceremony with Stockings for Soldiers.
Roebling Arms
Exemplary Development for Residents with Special Needs | Roebling, N.J.
Built on land donated by the town of Roebling and opened in 1998, Roebling Arms is a two-story, 24-unit barrier-free facility designed specifically for residents with mobility impairments, including five residents with service animals. Accessibility features include 36-inch wide doors, raised electrical outlets, wheelchair-accessible sinks and cabinets, roll-in showers, and emergency pull cords in bathrooms and bedrooms.
The community room hosts birthday parties, bingo, movie nights, and holiday luncheons. A gazebo overlooking a county park with wheelchair-accessible walkways provides outdoor gathering space. The property has received the New Jersey Apartment Association Property Manager of the Year award every year since 2008, and Maintenance Technician of the Year five times since 2010. Resident programming is driven by the “Residents Host” program, which puts activity planning in residents’ own hands.
Paul Braswell Residential
Exemplary Development for Single Room Occupancy Housing | Cleveland, Miss.
Paul Braswell Residential is a Section 811 Supportive Housing group home in Cleveland, Miss., with 12 single-room units providing round-the-clock supervision seven days a week. The property serves as a transitional residence helping individuals move from institutional settings to supervised independent living, with an average stay of six months and longer-term placement available for those who need it.
Residents receive training in daily living skills including meal preparation, laundry, medication management, grooming, social skills, and housekeeping. Progress is tracked using a “Road to Independence” form requiring a minimum score of 60 over eight weeks before a resident is considered for discharge. Three dietitian-developed meals and snacks are provided daily. The center maintains fully funded reserves, 100% rent collection, no vacancies, and a perfect REAC inspection score.
Casa Farnese Apartments
Outstanding Turnaround of a Troubled Property | Philadelphia, Penn.
Casa Farnese, originally known as Casa Fermi, opened in 1966 as the first senior affordable housing community of its kind in Pennsylvania, featuring 288 apartments across 18 floors with Italian granite, private balconies, and expansive common areas. By 2003, decades of inadequate rent increases against rising costs had produced an annual deficit of $110,000, deferred maintenance with no records, inconsistent bookkeeping, and appliances unchanged since 1966.
PRD Management, hired in 2003, implemented spending controls that generated $46,000 in savings in the first year, established a comprehensive maintenance plan, increased rents by 28%, and secured financing from four sources for repairs. A 2010 collaboration with Drexel University’s engineering students identified energy conservation measures and marketability improvements. The property underwent an $11 million renovation between 2014 and 2016 while remaining fully occupied, and celebrated its 50th anniversary with a rededication party for residents in 2016.