Rockville's newest apartment building has won the 2024 Jack Kemp Award for Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Housing. The honor, which recognizes "exemplary developments that demonstrate creativity in expanding housing opportunities" for mixed-income residents, was presented to The Laureate at 8005 Gramercy Boulevard during ULI's Fall Meeting in Las Vegas. The Laureate was jointly developed by Bethesda-based EYA, Bozzuto, and the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County.
The Laureate was the first development to utilize Montgomery County's new Housing Production Fund as a source of financing. This is the third Jack Kemp Award won by EYA. The award is named for former Republican congressman and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jack Kemp, and was established in 2008. As HUD secretary during the administration of President George H.W. Bush, Kemp sought to increase rent subsidies for low-income Americans, as well as to expand opportunities for home ownership among residents of public housing. He also believed in public-private partnerships in furthering these and other economic goals.
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| Jack Kemp |
"EYA is committed to creating mixed-income housing through innovative public-private partnerships," EYA President and CEO McLean Quinn said in a statement. "The Laureate is an example of how builders can partner with public agencies to address the affordable housing shortage across the country and we are incredibly proud of the design, amenities, and lifestyle our partnership has infused into The Laureate. Innovation, commitment to quality affordable housing and good partnership won this award."
The Laureate is the latest addition to the Westside at Shady Grove development. 25% of its 268 units are designated as moderately priced dwelling units (MPDUs) for residents earning 50% of the area median income (AMI), and an additional 5% are designated as workforce units for residents earning 65% AMI. The developers designed these units to be indistinguishable from the market rate units, incorporating the same high-quality features and finishes as the more-expensive apartments, and designated all 3-bedroom units to be income-restricted. Former Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton had pressed developers to provide affordable 3-bedroom units for families during her time in office.
Photos 1, 2 & 4 courtesy Bozzuto
Kemp, another failed conservative pro-lifer, born-again, full of himself, so-called do gooder. The football hits were too much.
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