EAH Housing, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the provision of attractive but inexpensive housing, has just announced the launch of Cathedral Gardens, a rental housing project for families that it envisions will help build a more sustainable future. Now still undergoing construction, the Cathedral Gardens is strategically and centrally located near downtown at 638 21st St. Oakland, Alameda County, California, just 1/4 mile from BART, adjacent to an AC Transit bus line, and a few blocks away from a grocery store and pharmacy. The soon-to-rise community consists of 100 apartment homes built on an ideal in-fill site. The development incorporates a mix of new construction and historic rehabilitation. Two new buildings, one three-stories and the other four-stories, will be constructed on either side of a rehabilitated 110-year-old historic Rectory building. The four story building is constructed over a sunken structured parking garage with a landscaped podium deck to provide usable outdoor space for tenants. The upcoming low-cost Leed Gold-certified community housing project is offering such amenities as underground parking, bicycle parking for residents, on-site laundry, a tot lot, a fitness room, a community room with TV, a computer center, an after-school homework center and elevator access, among many other attractive features. It will also have an on-site professional staff to help the residents in their day-to-day activities. Each apartment unit is wheelchair accessible and comes with energy-efficient appliances and windows, a garbage disposal, wall-to-wall carpeting, cable hook-up, a private balcony, a private patio, walk-in closets, granite counters, a complete set of electric appliances and more. Meant to be an affordable housing project, Cathedral Gardens is an "income restricted community." To qualify for residency, the annual household income of an applicant needs to fall within a certain specified income range. Affordable rents are restricted in accordance with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, the Section 8 Project-based (PBS8) Voucher program, and other Regulatory Agreements. Cathedral Gardens is a public/private joint venture between the Oakland Housing Authority and EAH Housing. The two organizations came together to address a dire need for more affordable housing in the City of Oakland, which boasts the third highest population in California's San Francisco Bay Area. As with other EAH projects, Cathedral Gardens conforms with the nonprofit developer's "Building Sustainable Communities Initiative" that was launched in 2009 to ensure that sustainable principles are reflected throughout the design, development, and management of the communities and in its corporate operations. This initiative benefits the wellbeing of EAH housing project residents by improving the health and safety of their homes, and in turn, reducing residents' impact on the environment - creating a healthier planet for us all. In building communities, EAH makes it a point to always incorporate what it calls the three E's of sustainability: Environmental Quality, Economic Integrity, and Social Equity. EAH Housing is a non-profit developer of affordable housing projects that is meant to be sold or rented at below-market rates for the area median income. The organization has received multiple national awards from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for property management, eleven design awards and numerous commendations from legislators on the federal, state and local levels. EAH properties are located throughout California and Hawaii. They range from the rural, low-density complexes in California to the 32-story Kukui Tower in Honolulu and include homes for seniors, large and small families, persons with disabilities, student housing and affordable home ownership.
EAH Housing is the author of this article on Building Communities. Find more information, about Cathedral Gardens here