Chester County Housing Authority earns award of excellence

SPRING CITY >> The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) recently honored the Housing Authority of the County of Chester (HACC) and Mission First Housing Group with the prestigious 2018 Award of Excellence in Design for the Whitehall Apartments.

Mission First Housing Group renovated the historic Whitehall Inn and constructed a new addition to create 48 permanent supportive housing apartments for veterans in need — the Whitehall Apartments. Mission First developed The Whitehall in response to a local need for housing for at-risk veterans and a national effort to end veteran’s homelessness. The key project building block was a 15-year voucher contract from the Housing Authority of the County of Chester, which translates into $5 million in housing assistance. The Whitehall was built using Passive House design standards for energy efficiency, which will reduce utility usage by 80 percent over standard construction.

“These agencies are leaders in the housing and community development industry,” said NAHRO President Carl S. Richie Jr. “Their innovative approaches improve the lives of their residents and revitalize their local communities, and I am proud to celebrate their achievements.”

The 2018 NAHRO Awards of Excellence winners were selected by regional juries from a pool of this year’s 193 Awards of Merit honorees. The Housing Authority of the

County of Chester was one of only 19 winning agencies. Awards of Excellence programs must improve resident outcomes, resolve problems, and be replicable by organizations of similar size. They must also produce tangible results, such as cost savings, enhanced productivity, improved client services, and better service coordination.

“Our industry is continuously finding new ways to address changing local needs and to create opportunities in their communities,” said NAHRO CEO Adrianne Todman, “Congratulations to this year’s leaders in innovation!”