{"id":4312,"date":"2012-12-18T05:00:24","date_gmt":"2012-12-18T13:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=4312"},"modified":"2020-12-24T01:12:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T09:12:16","slug":"philanthropic-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/philanthropic-building\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Hands"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘Tis the season of goodwill towards our fellow man, the time of year when many of us pull ourselves away from our desks, away from our daily routines, and remember to lend a helping hand to those in need. Industry leaders throughout the nation are also taking a time-out from regular operations to give back to their communities.<\/p>\n

These outreach efforts extend beyond the necessary yet temporary solutions of food drives and\u00a0 soup kitchen into an arena with long lasting and potentially life changing benefits: housing. By creating safer, greener, and more accessible housing for those in need, industry leaders have found a way to make lasting impact by simply doing what they do best.<\/p>\n

Virginia-based Clark Realty Capital,<\/strong> a Yardi client, initiated The Wounded Warrior Home project which creates accessible homes that are also beautiful and family-friendly.\u00a0 The idea came after Clark Realty Capital real estate developer A.J. Caputo<\/strong> took a tour of Fort Belvoir Virginia with project leader Casey Nolan<\/strong>. As the two explored the premises, they noticed an absence of housing accommodations made for injured veterans. They instantly become interested in a way to address the needs of returned heroes.<\/p>\n

The solution was called The Wounded Warrior Home<\/strong> project. Low- to zero-cost alterations to house plans make the spaces more accessible and accommodating: Oversized windows and contrasts between floors and walls make sight easier for those with visual impairments or brain injuries. Broadening hallways; lowering windows, microwaves, and countertops promote wheelchair friendly access. Such changes make a world of difference for a wounded veteran without adding to building costs. The changes simply require a reimagining of how a home should be built and what it should look like.<\/p>\n

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\"Floor<\/a><\/p>\n

To come up with these plans, Caputo and Nolan contacted noted architect Michael Graves<\/strong>. Using research from IDEO and Graves plans, the team designed and constructed two homes that make functioning easier for injured veterans and their families. Beyond the aforementioned alterations for physical accessibility, the homes were designed with a wounded veteran\u2019s sleep schedule in mind. Peace and quiet are vital for someone who is on heavy pain medications or any other sort of medication that may affect sleep patterns. By placing the bedrooms on a separate wing from the family areas, Graves and his team assured that the veteran could receive as much peace and quiet as possible for precious moments of sleep.<\/p>\n

\"Wounded<\/a>
Images via Multi-Housing News<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two families have moved into the available homes. There is currently a waitlist for houses that are in development, confirming that The Wounded Warrior Project is meeting a need in the community that was previously overlooked.<\/p>\n

The National Association of Home Builders<\/strong> and the NFL Players Association<\/strong> also teamed up to meet need in a specialized community. The two associations volunteered to support Gilgal, Inc.<\/strong>, a nonprofit that provides housing services for homeless women recovering from addictions.<\/p>\n

Volunteers made much needed repairs to Gilgal, fixing subflooring and flooring, correcting water damage in the bathrooms, and replacing ceilings. Once the interior of Gilgal was brought up to par, the volunteers turned their attention outdoors to landscaping projects. The results are a beautiful home and atmosphere in which previously homeless women and their caregivers can operate with dignity and pride.<\/p>\n

\"Gilgal<\/a>
Image via NAHB.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NAHB and the NFL Players Association didn\u2019t just stop there. Maintenance of the home and its grounds are an ongoing necessity that the volunteers have vowed to fill. Once a month, a team will return to Gilgal to perform upkeep on the house and the property. Their presence allows the staff to focus on what matters most: the women\u2019s care, recovery, and healthy future.<\/p>\n

While taking on single-family and multifamily housing developments can prove to be a task, attempting to restructure multiple cities attempts to tackle a different beast entirely. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Architecture for Humanity<\/strong> has created a 5 Point Plan to restore affected regions and help victims get back to normalcy. This long-term project has multiple phases and active entities that work together to make affected areas in New Jersey and New York better than ever. The five points include:<\/p>\n