SNHS receives 'Bringing You Home' Award
BEDFORD, N.H. – New Hampshire Housing recently presented Southern New Hampshire Services with the 2012 Bringing You Home Award. The award recognizes exceptional and innovative contributions to affordable housing in the Granite State.
Southern New Hampshire Services was selected for its work on Hallsville Court Senior Housing, a project that added much-needed affordable senior housing and services to the Manchester community. Throughout the project, Southern New Hampshire Services collaborated with community members and city officials to preserve the neighborhood’s character and history. They also incorporated renewable energy technologies, including solar panels, into the project’s design.
FROM LEFT: Dean Christon, Executive Director of New Hampshire Housing; Gale Hennessy, Executive Director of Southern New Hampshire Services; Debra Sevigny, Housing Director at Southern New Hampshire Services; Deborah Gosselin, Program Operations Director at Southern New Hampshire Services; Cristina Cataño, Hallsville Court manager; Kenneth Ortmann, Vice Chair, Board of Directors of New Hampshire Housing
“The housing development and management teams at Southern New Hampshire Services deserve much credit for making Hallsville Court come to fruition,” said Gale Hennessy, Executive Director of Southern New Hampshire Services. “Along with HUD staff here in Manchester, we are honored to merit New Hampshire Housing’s selection, but more importantly to be able to provide safe, clean and affordable housing to hundreds of area seniors for generations to come.”
Award nominees are judged on a variety of criteria, including response to an important state housing need, commitment to the long-term resiliency and diversity of communities, promotion of energy innovation, and promotion of effective partnerships. Winners receive a cash prize.
Renewable energy technologies are incorporated into the design of Hallville Court through the use of solar panels.
“This year’s Bringing You Home Award winners are leading examples of how to use dedication, innovation, and effective partnerships to meet the need for affordable housing in New Hampshire,” said Dean Christon, Executive Director of New Hampshire Housing. “We thank them and all of the nominees for their outstanding efforts to create housing and services for local residents.”
Southern New Hampshire Services is a community action agency. Its mission is to provide activities designed to assist low-income participants, including the elderly poor, to secure and retain meaningful employment, attain an adequate education, and make better use of available income; to ameliorate the causes of poverty within the community; to meet urgent and immediate individual and family needs, including health, nutrition, housing and employment-related assistance; and to address the problems and barriers which block the achievement of self-sufficiency.
The rich history of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church and School that were located on the site of Hallsville Court are preserved through a park that features statuary and other artifacts from the original structures.
CATCH Neighborhood Housing was also recognized in the awards program. The Concord-based organization was selected for its Mennino Place project. Located in downtown Concord, the project transformed a blighted lot into affordable housing for nearly 70 people. The new building is also contributing to the growth and redevelopment of the city’s Arts District on South Main Street, as thirteen percent of its residents are local artists. CATCH Neighborhood Housing offers a full spectrum of housing services throughout Merrimack County. Its mission is to strengthen communities by creating opportunities for permanently affordable, quality housing for people otherwise not being served.
