Housing Authorities Honored with National Award

The Dunedin Housing Authority (DHA) and the St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) recently received national recognition for their achievement in revitalizing the local community. The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) honored the housing authorities with a 2012 Award of Merit in Housing and Community Development for Program Innovation: Community Revitalization. The award recognized DHA and SPHA’s collaboration in the development of the mixed-income Fairway Gardens Apartments as an innovative solution to address local housing needs.

DHA Chairman David Kelly said, “As a small agency, the cooperative relationship between regional housing authorities is critical to our success. Our partnerships have allowed us to rebuild our housing programs, providing more options for quality rental housing for those in need. It is a Best Practice of which we are very proud.”

SPHA Chairman Joseph Lettelleir said, “This national award reinforces the importance of the strong relationships established between the municipal housing authorities, including St. Petersburg, Dunedin, and Clearwater, as we work together to fulfill our missions of service. By collaborating on projects like Fairway Gardens, we are able to maximize our resources, minimize the expenditure of tax-payer dollars, and create more affordable housing opportunities regionally.”

Under an interlocal agreement, SPHA provides executive management, property management, and maintenance services to DHA. SPHA staff assisted DHA’s Board of Commissioners in an exhaustive search of available multi-family facilities and single-family homes throughout the City of Dunedin and surrounding areas, leading to the two building, 20-unit apartment complex in Clearwater. The Clearwater Housing Authority (CHA) Board of Commissioners also supported and approved DHA’s efforts to acquire Fairway Gardens Apartments. As a direct result of these partnerships, DHA was able to leverage relationships and conserve funding for the purchase of Fairway Gardens in October 2010.

Now at full occupancy, Fairway Gardens offers beautiful, affordable, and sustainable apartments to low-income families and is a contributor to the revitalization of its neighborhood. Through this development, DHA also has been able to reestablish its public housing program and to create an affordable housing program, offering hope for self-sufficiency and a better way of life to its low-income residents. More information about Fairway Gardens can be found online at www.fairway-gardens.com.

DHA and SPHA’s collaboration also was nominated for a prestigious NAHRO National Award of Excellence.

The purpose of the NAHRO awards is to give national recognition to the achievement and innovation of housing and redevelopment agencies throughout the country; to provide additional opportunities to inform the public of the best in housing and community development, and to create a resource bank of information on significant, innovative activities performed by agencies.