See the release from Smart Growth America here!
Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Community Development for All People (CD4AP) received the Richard Baron Affordable Housing Award, part of the 2019 LOCUS Leadership Awards. Since 2012, the LOCUS Leadership Awards have honored real estate developers and investors, companies, and projects who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to public leadership, triple-bottom-line development, and smart growth.
From L-R: Jair Lynch, President of LOCUS, Angela Mingo, Community Relations Director at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Christopher Coes, Director of LOCUS. Ms. Mingo accepts the 2019 Richard Baron Affordable Housing Award on behalf of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Community Development for All People.
The award recognizes the investments that CD4AP and Nationwide Children’s Hospital have contributed to affordable housing in the Southern Orchards neighborhood of Columbus. Since 2009, the Healthy Homes program has built, renovated, or repaired over 300 homes, developing $80 million in affordable housing and restoring over 75% of vacant blighted homes. The partnership started out of a novel approach by the hospital to treat the “neighborhood as a patient” in an effort to improve the health of the surrounding community. Research has shown that substandard housing can drive poor health outcomes, particularly in children. By pouring investments into housing improvements, the hospital aims to reduce hospital readmission rates and improve neighborhood social determinants of health. Redevelopment catalyzed by the Healthy Homes program has occurred along with a reduction in the neighborhood vacancy rate, declines in reported homicides, and improvements in high school graduation rates. While other hospitals across the country are also reinvesting in adjacent neighborhoods, Nationwide Children’s is unique in that they function as co-owners and co-operators of housing in the neighborhood.
Previously, GOPC covered the launch of the Southside Renaissance Fund, a $20 million loan fund that will be used for the financing of community development projects and the acquisition, construction and permanent financing of 170 units of affordable single and multifamily rental housing in Southside neighborhoods. GOPC congratulates Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Community Development for All People for receiving this award, and for their shared efforts in championing neighborhood revitalization.
Winners were announced at the LOCUS President’s Reception as part of the 2019 LOCUS Leadership Summit. The Healthy Homes program has additionally been covered by NPR and CityLab.