Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning and Development Services

TO:	Margene Swarts, Assistant Director
FROM:	Danelle Dresslar, Management Analyst
DATE:	May 12, 2011
RE:	Planning and Development Services recognized with awards

The City of Lawrence’s affordable housing program was honored for its strong stance on green priorities when Tenants to Homeowners, Inc., received a 2011 Leadership in Affordable Housing award from the Climate Protection Partnership Division of the EPA. 

The program was selected for an award by regional representatives from the EPA and HUD. The award recognizes affordable housing developers that demonstrate innovative use of Energy Star guidelines and products to provide significant energy savings and reduced emissions of green house gases that are related to energy consumption.

“Many people erroneously believe that green means unaffordable. We hope this program’s recognition shows that energy efficient, sustainable building measures can be taken that still allow a home to be affordable to build AND affordable to heat and cool, ” said Rebecca Buford, executive director of Tenants to Homeowners, Inc.

The housing trust program provides a one-time subsidy that allows homes to be sold at $20,000-$50,000 below market value to buyers with stable but modest incomes. In exchange, it resells at a price that allows the owners to earn equity while keeping it affordable to the next income-eligible buyer. This way, the original subsidy is recycled to help many people become homeowners.  For more information on Tenants to Homeowners, Inc. visit their website at www.tenants-to-homeowners.org.  To find out more about the Energy Star program, please visit www.energystar.gov.

Additionally, The City of Lawrence Community Development Division, in partnership with the State of Kansas Department of Commerce and Tenants to Homeowners, Inc. received recognition by being awarded a “Best Practice” award by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Kansas City regional office for the Rhode Island Roost Affordable Rental Housing development at the 1100 block of Rhode Island Street.  A presentation of the project was made at the HUD Best Practices conference in Independence, MO on April 28-29, 2011.  This project was funded by Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant funds.