A competition to design affordable housing for ex-convicts and their families in Syracuse, NY http://t.co/rES0r7DW4k pic.twitter.com/0PgSh9sS7H
— Architects Newspaper (@archpaper) March 18, 2014
Through the generous support of Enterprise Community Partners an early stage affordable supportive housing development named Freedom’s Gate received a Pre-Development Design Grant. The grant brought together the project partners including the Syracuse Housing Authority, Center for Community Alternatives and Norstar with four architectural firms to explore design ideas at the early stages of development.
The project’s goal is to create an affordable and supportive housing project with specific services for formerly incarcerated people and others with past criminal justice system involvement in Syracuse. It is also intended to be a model of community reintegration, an example of how people with past criminal justice involvement can live side-by-side within the larger community members. The project is based on a highly successful model, “Castle Gardens” developed by the Fortune Society, a respected reentry organization based in New York City.
The purpose of the grant is to connect developers and architects with the end goal of providing quality affordable housing that strengthens the social and physical fabric of low- to mid-income communities and neighborhoods.
The process, run by UPSTATE, will result in the selection of the project architect. Firms who presented included: Curtis+Ginsberg Architects, So-IL, SWBR and ISA. These firms presented a diversity of design solutions in this pre-development stage helping the development team evaluate and compare options to make informed decisions; identify problems and challenges early on define the project Intent and priorities.
To learn more about affordable housing programs click here: LIHTC explained graphic
Marc Norman 