Families moved into these new units at High Point at the end of last monthSEATTLE—July 21, 2005—An important milestone was achieved last month as families, most of them long time High Point residents, moved into the first 46 rental units at the redeveloped High Point.
At the same time, national investors attending a Green Communities Investor Summit toured High Point to see how this new master planned community integrates sustainable features into the site layout and the new town homes.
“The entire new High Point neighborhood will be a model for healthy development that benefits the environment,” said Tom Phillips, Senior Development Manager at High Point. “High Point is the first large-scale development in the country that features low-impact sustainable design in a dense urban setting and has been the attention of community and investment groups interested in Built Green concepts.”
A group from the Green Communities Investor Summit that took place in Seattle this month checked out the many healthy features in the High Point homes. Green Communities is a partnership between The Enterprise Foundation, The Enterprise Social Investment Corporation and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The Green Communities Initiative is a five-year, $555 million initiative to help build more than 8,500 homes that provide significant health, economic and environmental benefits to low-income families and communities across the country. Developers, like Seattle Housing Authority, must meet specific Green Communities criteria to participate in the initiative. These cover a wide range of building practices that provide significant and healthy benefits to residents.
The new rental units being used by the residents and viewed by the visitors include cost-saving, gas-operated hydronic heating systems, which have on-demand hot water supply. Whole house fans with two-speed timing switches will remove moisture in the units and airtight drywall will be used to reduce moisture penetration and inhibit mold growth. Also contributing to the environmental features of the units are flooring with recycled content and energy-efficient windows that will block UV rays.
The new units also include modern appliances, like washers, dryers and dishwashers, explained DeVonn Chambliss, SHA property manager at High Point. These units are also attractive to residents since they are convenient to parks, shopping areas, a public library and healthcare facilities.
All of the residents who lived at the original High Point are entitled to return to the redeveloped site. Therefore, families moving into the first block have a long history of living in the community. These new units and other units to be created off the High Point site are part of Seattle Housing's one-for-one replacement plan for the redevelopment.
The entire first phase will provide 344 homes built by the Housing Authority and will be complete in the spring of 2006. One hundred forty-four of these units are work-force level rental units and 200 are designated for public housing residents.
When fully complete, the 120-acre redevelopment will be home to about 1,600 households in rental, market-rate, for-sale and senior housing.