Erna P. Harris Court: Supportive Housing for Formerly Homeless in Berkeley “Goes Green”
Date Published: 12/01/2011
Author: California Housing Preservation Corporation
LISC provided a $740,000 construction loan, $350,000 permanent loan, and $75,000 through our green loan fund for the renovation of the Erna P. Harris Court, a supportive housing project for formerly homeless in Berkely, California.
When Berkeley-based Resources for Community Development (RCD) first began working on Erna P. Harris Court in 1991, homeprices in the city were among the highest in the nation, and the City's historically lower income neighborhoods were rapidly gentrifying. Additionally, RCD's vision to transofrm this project also raised fears from neighborhood residents about the presence of formerly homeless in the community.
RCD worked for two years to garner community support and fighting lawsuits delayed the renovation and increased the budget, whereby only minor critical improvements could be completed by 1994. By 2008, it had become clear that more work was required to extend the useful life of the proerty and to keep it affordable for the long term. Advancements in green building would be a critical component in lower the life cycle costs of the property.
The rehabilitation would cost almost $7 million. RCD, working with CHPC, obtained vital Tax Credit financing through Mulitfamily Housing Program and from the ARRA Tax Credit Assistance Program. A critical piece of funding came from LISC in the form of a $740,000 construction loan and a $350,000 permanent loan at a time when conventional lenders weren't willing to fill these gaps. Other financial support came from the City of Berkeley, Alameda county, Federal Home Loan Bank and Wells Fargo.
Bay Area LISC also provided technical assistance to make the project "green". The overall scope of work included energy upgrades, improvements to indoor air quality, and the use of sustainable materials and systems. Moreover, new landscaping includes drought-toleratnt and native plant selections and new filtration systems that will treat 100% of tis storm water before it goes into the San Francisco Bay.
"The technical assistance from LISC was so helpful," said Carolyn Bookhart, Senior Project Manager. "Not only are you saving money in the long-term by creating more energy-efficient systems, but you're also creating a higher quality of housing when you do things like improve indoor air quality. And those improvements directly support our mission."
Erna P. Harris consists of 35 affordable apartments, including 25 studios and 10 one-bedroom homes. Ten apartments serve households below 50% AMI and 24 apartments serve the very low-income at or below 30% AMI. The buiding also provides supportive services includign case management and group counseling provided by Lifelong Medical; employment assistance and training by Tool Works; and mental health services by Bonita House.
> For more information, download the case study.
Topics: --Affordable Housing Preservation, --Green Development
Type: Case study / model practice