Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.Affordable Housing Finance (AHF) readers have recognized National Community Renaissance (National CORE)’s affordable housing community of Day Creek Senior Villas as the Best Green Development in the nation during voting for AHF’s 2021 Reader’s Choice Awards.

The development is National CORE’s first zero net energy community, providing 100% of its own electricity needs through an on-site solar energy system. Other sustainable design features, such as high-efficiency HVAC systems and drought-tolerant landscaping, have led to Day Creek Senior Villas receiving LEED for Homes Gold certification.

AHF’s 2021 Reader’s Choice Awards recognize the best affordable housing developments nationwide in 2020 and 2021. The formal public presentation of the awards will take place at a ceremony at 3:45 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Day Creek Senior Villas provides 140 beautiful apartment homes for seniors with qualifying maximum incomes between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income, working to address the rapidly growing need for affordable housing for seniors. National CORE’s long-term supportive services partner, Hope through Housing, provides health and wellness programming for residents of Day Creek Senior Villas.

“Day Creek Senior Villas is a first for National CORE in so many ways,” said National CORE President and CEO Steve PonTell. “It is our first zero net energy community and it is the first time we combined 4% and 9% low-income housing tax credits to leverage private and public funding. We also established a groundbreaking partnership with the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP). But at the end of the day, it is our relationships with our partners that led to a stunning senior community that will provide a good quality of life for the residents who live there.”

As the first affordable housing developer to sign the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2030 Commitment, National CORE has pledged to design and develop housing in ways that combat the effects of climate change. For three consecutive years, National CORE has been recognized by the US Green Building Council as a LEED Power Builder, which recognizes developers with the highest proportion of LEED certified homes in their portfolio. This year, National CORE was one of 12 developers nationwide, and the only nonprofit affordable housing developer, to be named a LEED Power Builder. As it works to double its portfolio over the next five years, National CORE will continue to build more zero net energy communities like Day Creek Senior Villas, while making renovations to achieve higher sustainability across its existing portfolio.

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About National Community Renaissance (National CORE)

National CORE is one of the nation’s premier affordable housing developers, building award-winning communities and creating a platform for individual and community change. National CORE creates strong, healthy communities where residents can thrive. In partnership with the Hope through Housing Foundation, National CORE provides impactful resident programs and services to help children and teens achieve success, improve families’ financial well-being, and promote senior health and wellness. For more information on National CORE, please visit www.nationalcore.org.