Mercy Housing is so much more than just a landlord. It is a provider of hope. And at Mercy Housing, home is hope!
Based in Denver, Mercy Housing is a leading provider of affordable housing in the United States. It owns and manages 350 affordable housing communities in 22 states. The homes are durable. They are well maintained. The homes provide comfort and take away some stress in that Mercy Housing makes sure residents are not sending any more than 30% of their income on housing costs.
Mercy Housing goes a step further. It works tirelessly to support the more than 42,000 people who call Mercy Housing home through on-site day cares, classes for senior citizens, courses on financial planning and saving, cooking classes and access to affordable food along with access to medical care provided by community health agencies.
Let me re-iterate; Mercy Housing is more than just a landlord!
Mercy Housing is able to build, renovate, recapitalize and manage its communities because of its focus, starting with its pre-development work which is thorough.
I visited a 240,000 square foot community in Seattle, Washington which used to be home to U.S. Naval barracks. When the military facility was decommissioned in the 1990s, the property was left vacant and fell into disrepair.
As a Senior Project Developer, Alisa Luber was a leader in the concept and financing for this adaptive re-use property which is called Mercy Magnuson Place. After two and a half years of planning and then two more years of construction, this Mercy Housing community is home to 148 affordable apartments.
At Mercy Magnuson Place and all Mercy Housing communities, the focus on durability doesn’t end with the construction. On-site maintenance specialists do regular inspections. In addition, every year, regional facilities managers also check interiors and exteriors, looking for areas that need immediate attention and other areas that may need upgrades in the years ahead.
“Our financial partners, our investors .. are really the building blocks of how we do what we do,” Mercy Housing Senior Project Developer Alisa Luber said. “They have to be confident that we are professional and that we are completely thorough, not only with the construction but also with the community, with what we’re looking to develop here. And I would say that we probably repeat with our construction lenders and with out investors well over 50% of the time. We really value the deep relationships we have developed.”
Developing long-lasting and meaningful relationships is at the heart of Mercy Housing. That’s something that residents notice and appreciate deeply.
“They’ve told me that they’ve lived in many different places and have never experienced the way they feel here,” Mercy Housing Property Manager Cindy Tapuro said. “When they interact with the maintenance people, with the resident services team, they feel a sense of home. They feel like we really do care about everything that goes on.”
“Mercy Housing allows people to truly have a foundation, have a home.. somewhere to come home to, be stress-free, provide for their kids and have time with their kids,” Mercy Housing resident Brandie O’Donnell said. “Mercy Housing allows people to live.”
When residents find their resiliency, Mercy Housing’s staff, investors and community partners become even more motivated to help more people find affordable places to live… and to realize that home is hope!
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