CREJ

/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / DECEMBER 2017

ELEMENTS

Affordable Housing

ince its advent in 1973,

the Colorado Housing

and Finance Authori-

ty has been the leading orga-

nization in the investment of

affordable housing and com-

munity development, with over

$13.2 billion invested into Col-

orado’s economy. Although this

housing concept has been fund-

ed for the past 44 years, affordable

housing has become paramount

recently as rising population rates,

low unemployment rates and in-

creased employment growth have

caused a disparity in the housing

supply. These accelerated growth

factors have caused the state, local

municipalities, and the AEC com-

munity to bring affordable hous-

ing to the forefront to help meet

this growing need in Colorado.

As more AEC firms enter this

market sector, it becomes crucial to

understand CHFA’s guiding prin-

ciples. According to the 2017 Low

Income Housing Tax Credit Quali-

fied Action Plan, the main guiding

principle for affordable housing is

to “support rental housing projects

serving the lowest income tenants

for the longest period of time.” This guiding princi-

ple dictates longevity in these housing projects and

specifies that building owners must hold the prop-

erty for a certain number of years. This drives the

need for durable materials with timeless designs

and modifiable space options for adaptability and

flexibility of usage.

In the last 10 years of working on affordable

housing developments, we have noted design

trends influencing this market sector, including an

increase in senior affordable housing, smaller res-

idential units but with larger community spaces,

and a greater focus on the aesthetics, which results

in quality affordable housing developments.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest re-

port in June, the nation’s older population is still

growing with 49.2 million people aged 65 and over

in 2016. These baby boomers are more active, with

Sara Webb,

AIA

Senior

Associate, ej

architecture

Affordable Housing Guiding Principles, Design Trends

The exterior stair tower on this affordable housing renovation apart-

ment added a new energy to the project with a geometric pattern that

will glow at night.

The addition of front porches for the redesign of the Iris Hawthorne homes provided the community with a way

to connect with their neighbors