National Church Residences Announces Affordable Housing Finance Magazine Reader’s Choice Award for first RAD for PRAC in Texas

First RAD for PRAC Community in the State Wins in Preservation Category

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – Affordable Housing Finance Magazine announced that National Church Residences’ Lennox House, has won in the preservation category of their 2023 Reader’s Choice Awards. The formal public presentation of the award will take place at a ceremony on November 13, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.

“The project is preserving critical affordable housing for our aging seniors,” said Tracey Fine, senior director of housing development. “As part of the preservation, Lennox House is also contributing to the overall revitalization of downtown Grand Prairie.”

The renovated community is in the heart of downtown Grand Prairie across the street from city hall and is pivotal to an area wide rejuvenation effort.

Community Impact

Lennox House originally opened in Grand Prairie in 1951 as a stylish, 110-room hotel designed by Dallas real estate magnate, Leo Corrigan. As motels became more abundant along the interstate over a 30-year period, the hotel eventually fell into disrepair and closed its doors in 1985. In 1993, National Church Residences converted the property to a 40-unit housing complex, under the federal Section 202 Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC), bringing the community back to life.

To modernize the property and address critical repairs, Lennox House received a competitive 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) in 2020 for a substantial renovation. The City of Grand Prairie provided a Resolution of Support passed at City Council in February 2020. Without this formal support, the Lennox House application would not have been competitive.

Improvements were made to meet accessible design requirements in common areas, apartment units and onsite amenities; including accessible parking and building entrances, elevator improvements, an updated community room with kitchenette, interior ramps, accessible common laundry room and public restrooms. Additionally, mechanical ventilation was added to improve the indoor air quality. Energy efficient LED lighting also was installed throughout the building, including occupancy controls to dim lighting in areas when not in use. Services at Lennox include an exercise room, an art room with an art club, food services through a partnership with the North Texas Food Bank, financial coaching for debt relief through Primerica, an outdoor community garden, and local transportation services to doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping and the local Senior Center.

Lennox House recently became Texas’ first Section 202 PRAC property to convert under the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration program using low-income housing tax credits. The community is located within the Grand Prairie Downtown Revitalization and TIRZ Zone. This renovation contributes to the anticipated $220 million in private and public investment to the downtown area.

About National Church Residences

Originating from a Christian commitment of service, National Church Residences provides an array of health care services and a variety of housing options to 46,000 seniors. The nonprofit organization is driven by a vision to scale for mission impact by advancing better living for 100,000 seniors by 2030, wherever they call home. With more than 360 communities across the United States, it is the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of affordable senior housing and the largest manager of service coordinators. The organization also offers a variety of additional senior living options, home and community-based services, as well as permanent supportive housing for the formerly homeless and disabled. For more information, visit us at NationalChurchResidences.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Partner Acknowledgment

Developer: National Church Residences

Architect: Alliance Architects

General Contractor: FTK Construction

Major Funders: National Equity Fund, KeyBank; Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs; City of Grand Prairie

Photo Credit: Rick Bryant