CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Housing Authority (CHA) is preparing to transform Lincoln Homes with a rebuild that includes modern updates and amenities for low-income families and individuals. The plan has been discussed for the past couple of years, but now it looks like the project is finally picking up steam.
The initiative is being made possible through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, which is a federal housing initiative that allows public housing to be converted into a Section 8 platform. The units will remain permanently affordable to low-income households, with residents paying no more than 30% of their adjusted income in rent.
New developer
The goal of restructuring was to make the local Housing Authority less dependent on federal funds and allow it to take part in the private market as a revenue-producing developer.
Previously, the Authority was working with Kronberg Urbanists + Architects, based out of Atlanta, and Lyle Cook Martin, a local firm, on plans that would involve zero displacement for Lincoln Homes residents. While plans with those partners never came to fruition, CHA has now signed a master development agreement with Gorman & Company for the project.
The team was introduced to the community at a public meeting on Feb. 7, and they detailed their experience with other developments in cities across the nation.
“We specialize in working with residents, community members, boards of commissioners, and others on coming up with creative solutions to reimagine properties,” said William Townes, national market president for Gorman & Company. “We can turn these communities into places of choice where people are really looking and desiring to come and live in our communities.”
The developer shared examples of what the community could look like, some of which featured retail options, dining options and playgrounds.
“We are vertically integrated. And by that, I mean, within Gorman, we have the architecture company, the general contracting company, the relocation service company and the developer all in house. So, we can work in sync to ensure that we get the things necessary to ensure that we deliver a project on time, on budget and to the standards that the community and Housing Authority are sort of looking for,” Townes said.
Resident input
Another aspect of this project is that it will rely heavily on resident engagement.
“Resident engagement is key,” said CHA Interim Executive Director Dawn Sanders-Garrett. “This process of converting public housing to RAD cannot happen without the residents.”
Sanders-Garrett told Clarksville Now the average time frame for this sort of project is about 18-24 months, but that completion time will depend on multiple factors.
“The first thing we will do is put forth a competitive application based on the information that we have,” she said, adding that the style of housing, number of residents and unit mix will be factors that determine how quickly the process can happen.
CHA will put forth an application for state low-income tax credits to be used for project expenditures. The application will be sent to the state in April, with an answer expected sometime in December.
In the meantime, CHA and Gorman & Company will continue to host public meetings to get input from residents about what they would like to see in their community.
“It is important to understand that this process is a process. It’s not going to happen overnight, but every resident that is at Lincoln Homes will be able to have a unit in the new converted property,” Sanders-Garrett told Clarksville Now.
While the project is ongoing, many residents have expressed concern over relocation. Sanders-Garret explained that each person or family living in a unit now will meet with a relocation consultant to make arrangements for relocation during construction when necessary.
