Pinellas County Housing Authority Wins National Merit Award for Landings at Cross Bayou

The Pinellas County Housing Authority has been chosen as a recipient of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Awards of Merit: Project Design for Landings at Cross Bayou. The official presentation of the award took place in Portland, Ore. on July 15 during NAHRO’s Summer Conference.  Erin Ellis, PCHA’s Construction Manager, attended the presentation ceremony.

“The NAHRO Awards of Merit Program was created to give national recognition to NAHRO Member organizations that have found innovative ways of making a difference in the communities and the lives of the people they serve” said, NAHRO President Steve Merritt.

Landings at Cross Bayou is the result of public-private partnerships providing mixed-financing for 184 apartment homes. Built in 1970, every unit was taken back to the exterior concrete walls and remodeled from the inside out. Each unit has Energy Star appliances, ceramic tile floors, cherry wood cabinets, and central air conditioning.  The project has completely new infrastructure and common area buildings.  On-site is a Community Center with a warming kitchen, lounge, library, business center, and a fitness center. The “new” community also has a Youth Center which includes a state of the art computer lab, a large gathering room, and a playground with a full-size basketball court.  The project was co-developed by the housing authority and Norstar Development USA, L.P. and was designed by Bessolo Design Group, Inc.

“This program celebrates achievement and honors the work that our members do each and every day to ensure a safe and affordable place to call home. Showcasing the efforts of housing agencies and agency officials through NAHRO’s Awards of Merit” said, NAHRO Acting CEO John Bohm.

“We hope that the general public, community leaders, private industry and government itself will become inspired to reform and enhance existing housing and community development programs and in addition create new ground-breaking programs and services to meet the housing needs our nation’s most vulnerable citizens.”

The 2016 NAHRO Awards of Merit recognize outstanding achievement in housing and community development programs in five categories. Administrative Innovation recognizes innovative methods in areas such as maintenance, community relations, and interagency cooperation. Program Innovation — Affordable Housing includes special programs for homeownership, public/private partnerships, and innovative financing. Program Innovation — Community Revitalization includes innovative use of programs in areas such as economic development, neighborhood preservation, and creative financing. Program Innovation — Resident and Client Services includes innovative use of programs such as special activities for children, families, and the elderly, anti-drug programs, social services, and self-sufficiency. Project Design includes efforts such as new housing design, housing modernization, enduring design, and landscape design.

About NAHRO

NAHRO, established in 1933, is a membership organization of 20,000 housing and community development agencies and professionals throughout the United States whose mission is to create affordable housing and safe, viable communities that enhance the quality of life for all Americans, especially those of low- and moderate-income. NAHRO’s membership administers more than 3 million housing units for 7.6 million people.