February 23, 2018
Ronnie Coleman, a resident of Kippax Place Apartments in Hopewell, Virginia, knew that changes were coming when Community Housing Partners (CHP) began renovating his apartment complex. Like many residents, he had questions about how construction on the seven-story building would affect his quality of life.
But when Coleman saw the 50-year-old building’s transformation, his concerns were alleviated. “The renovation is very outstanding,” said Coleman, who has lived at Kippax since 2013, in a recent video. “It’s a beautiful place. You can make this a home where you can live at.”
In December, CHP completed a Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversion on Kippax to bring the 100 units back to like-new condition for its senior and disabled population.
“In all of our development work, we partner with the local community to build high-quality, sustainable homes which meet community needs,” said Samantha Brown, Assistant Vice President of Real Estate Development. “When we build or develop a new property, those residents become a part of the CHP family.”
This was certainly the case for Coleman, who calls Hopewell his home. Throughout last year’s renovations, Coleman stayed in contact with Serenity Wolf, Senior Property Manager at Kippax Place, whenever he had questions or concerns.
“They are here to serve us, to protect us, and to make a home for us so that we can be happy,” he said. “A lot of exciting things have been happening for us with CHP because they just know how to put a smile on your face.”
Added Coleman, “The best part about this company is they care.”
The RAD program gives public housing authorities, such as the Hopewell Redevelopment and Housing Authority a way to preserve the improve public housing properties by converting them to long-term Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment Contracts. All rents at Kippax Place Apartments are subsidized by a new Section 8 contract.
Kippax is one of eight real estate developments that CHP added to its rental portfolio in 2017. The nonprofit’s multi-family housing inventory now totals more than 6,000 units across six states.