Wabash Estates Receives Vanguard Award

Baltimore, MD — Wabash Estates Co-op, a 57 unit affordable senior housing community received the Vanguard award from the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) as its best newly constructed multifamily housing community under 100 units.

The Vanguard award celebrates success in the multifamily affordable housing industry by recognizing and benchmarking new, quality multifamily affordable housing development. The National competition is open to all affordable multifamily housing communities that are less than three years old. Affordable is defined as a property participating in a government funded, insured or otherwise sponsored program that results in rents that are below market. Each project application is judged based on the financing techniques implemented, the projects goals/impacts, green building aspects, design, and innovative programs/services provided.

Wabash Estates was developed in response to the great need for quality, affordable, safe senior housing in the Grove Park/Arlington neighborhood of Baltimore, MD. The demand was so high that over 400 people applied within five hours of opening in 2014. The co-op was funded by a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 202 Capital Advance, a HUD predevelopment grant and a three-year Project Rental Assistance Contract. Some of the features of Wabash Estates include thoughtfully designed interior and common spaces for promoting interaction and cooperation among residents as well as a service coordinator to assist the residents in accessing needed community-based services. Wabash Estates also includes a large community kitchen, numerous green spaces, courtyards, a community room, sundry shop, computer center and library.

Most importantly, Old Court Estates Co-op is managed under CSI’s unique cooperative management system in which the building is democratically controlled by the residents. The volunteer-based cooperative management system leads to increased activity among residents and has contributed to better health, decreased isolation and longer happier lives among the senior population.