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Putting a New Face on Public Housing |
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"We boast that we have public housing homes in every neighborhood of Lexington," states Austin Simms, executive director of Lexington-Fayette Urban County Housing Authority (LFUCHA). The recent recipient of a National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials' (NAHRO's) National Award of Merit in Housing and Community Development, LFUCHA is collaborating with Lexington-based architects Sherman-Carter-Bernhart (SCB) and local public housing residents to destroy public housing's stereotypical image. In the late 1970s LFUCHA began developing scattered-site housing in neighborhoods across Lexington, Kentucky, and currently boasts an inventory of more than 230 single-family homes—35 percent of all public housing units. Established in the late 1970s SCB was involved primarily in designing and building single-family and multifamily market rate housing in Kentucky. Simms approached SCB with his idea of incorporating market-rate housing's development techniques in developing public housing. The idea made perfect sense to both parties. If future residents of a home help design it, they better understand budgetary limitations, mechanical features, and maintenance requirements. Overcoming neighborhood opposition. "Scattered-site housing is a demonstrably better housing choice for families than concentrated high-density projects," states James Hogan, author of Scattered-Site Housing: Characteristics and Consequences. The social problems associated with monolithic, concentrated projects—high crime, drug trafficking, segregation, neighborhood decay, hopelessness, and isolation—are addressed through the scattered-site approach. Neighborhood opposition to public housing placement often is strong. Simms and his team help alleviate this opposition by involving the local community early in the decisionmaking process. "Public housing residents have just as much right to live in these neighborhoods as anybody," says Simms. Limiting the number of units in a particular neighborhood and ensuring that the housing is of the same architectural style as the surrounding homes addresses two problems associated with high-density projects and leads to the creation of an integrated community. The 1999 NAHRO Agency Award of Merit recognized the design excellence of the Catera Trace, Heartsbrook Lane, Wilson Street, and Rosemary Street developments. Though the style of housing varies with location, all of the units fit unobtrusively into the neighborhoods in which they are located. Catera Trace, in east Lexington, is composed of 23, 2- to 4-bedroom single-family homes located on cul-de-sacs—a typical suburban Lexington feature. The 17 units of the Wilson Street development are located in downtown Lexington. Maintaining the existing downtown style, a low wrought-iron fence surrounds 1- to 3-bedroom brick-fronted homes. "What we are trying to do is develop un-public housing by seamlessly blending in with the neighborhood," comments Simms. The small number of units in each neighborhood limits the perceived impact that sometimes accompanies locating public housing, making the receiving communities more comfortable with the development. "We are seeking to eliminate the institutional look of public housing through good design," states LFUCHA Deputy Director Peggy Burch. LFUCHA's deinstitutionalization effort is working so well that sometimes the architect will receive phone calls inquiring about purchasing the homes during the construction phase, relates Simms, showing the success of scattered- site housing. Creating partnerships. To accomplish its mission, LFUCHA, SCB, and public housing residents teamed up to create homes into which people would look forward to moving. Through preference surveys, design charettes, and other participatory techniques, LFUCHA creates homes that do not cost any more to build than other scattered—site homes but require additional staff time and support to involve residents and respond to their needs. Prospective residents are involved in choosing paint palettes and discussing design elements that they would like to see in their homes. The architect works with the resident during site design, room layout, and landscaping. Computer-aided design software helps the public housing authority (PHA) staff and the residents see a variety of room configurations during the design stage. Operating as a regular developer, the housing authority ensures that the home designs are what the resident wants, limited only by the budget per unit. Building homes, not houses. "We have helped change the face of public housing in the Lexington area," says Principal Architect Steve Sherman. "Because Austin [Simms] and his staff were willing to take the chance and allow the residents to become involved in the process, we have all benefited by building homes, not just houses," adds Sherman. The residents understand that there are budget limitations. The design team provides the client with specification books and sheets that list the cost of each feature. The client must then make tradeoffs and determine what is most important for the home. Because the residents express their desire that the homes look just like others in the neighborhood, the elements incorporated into the homes are the same elements currently included in all new housing construction. Including features such as raised-panel doors adds character to the homes at a lower cost than the standard doors found in most public housing, claims Sherman. Residents are sometimes skeptical about the sincerity of the approach used by SCB and the PHA, but Sherman notes that after showing a group of residents the design he had developed, one resident commented that SCB had really listened to their requests. Meeting more than housing needs. One of the added benefits of scattered-site housing is public housing residents are dispersed into all areas of the city, and no longer limited to impoverished areas. "We have begun to deinstitutionalize public housing," says Simms. While conducting a post-occupancy evaluation of the clients, Sherman asked one resident what she thought of her new home. She replied, "For the first time in his life, my son is proud to tell people at school where he lives." Sherman adds that stories like these are the major benefits that result from this process. "Building a beautiful house is fulfilling, but helping to create a home that the resident is proud of is what it is all about," says Sherman. For more information, contact: Austin Simms, Executive Director, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Housing Authority, 300 West New Circle Road, Lexington, KY 40505, (606) 281–5060. Or see: "Good Work," by LaTonya Rajah-Gibbs, Journal of Housing and Community Development, November–December 1999. Or see: Scattered-Site Housing: Characteristics and Consequences. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, 1996.
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