By JOSEPH FITZGERALD

NORTH SMITHFIELD — The Meadows, an affordable senior housing community that opened last year and is now home to nearly 100 seniors, is being honored as a winner in the 15th Annual Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award competition.

Presented to the nation’s most outstanding Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties, the national awards program celebrates the best in affordable rental home development.
The Meadows, located of Greenville Road, was selected among entries from 19 states and was honored at a Capital Hill luncheon in Washington, D.C. earlier this week.
Developed by NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley (NWBRV) in partnership with Rhode Island Housing, Citizens Bank, Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission (HRC), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Town of North Smithfield Community Development, NeighborWorks America, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and the National Equity Fund (NEF), The Meadows opened its doors in spring 2008.
The community provides 80 new apartments, which became home to nearly 100 low-income seniors in North Smithfield. Several apartments are handicapped accessible, while the remaining units incorporate universal design features for handicapped adaptability. The facility also includes a large community room, a physical therapy and wellness room, and offices for health and social service providers.
See MEADOWS, Page A-2
The Meadows was among 20 recipients of Rhode Island’s voter-approved $50 million housing bond in November 2007, receiving $1.2 million of the Building Homes Rhode Island (BHRI) funds. The community is among the first in the nation to combine LIHTC with HUD’s Section 202 program, which helps to expand the supply of affordable homes with supportive services for the elderly. The program provides very low-income elderly with options that allow them to live independently, but in an environment that provides support activities such as cleaning, cooking and transportation.
“As one of the recipients of BHRI funds, it is particularly gratifying to see The Meadows receive this recognition,” says Susan Baxter, chairwoman of the Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission. “We congratulate our partners at NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley for effectively combining available resources to create homes seniors can afford, while providing the services they need. Rhode Island voters can be proud of the role they played in this success.”
“Developing high-quality, service-enriched housing for seniors – a population with fixed incomes and specific needs – can be challenging, especially here in Rhode Island where almost 69 percent of our seniors are low income,” said Richard Godfrey, executive director of Rhode Island Housing. “The Meadows is a great model of what can be done. We had 400 applicants for these homes, which shows we still have a long way to go.”
“The success of this endeavor is a great example of what can happen when the right partners come together,” said Joseph Garlick, executive director of  NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley. “Our funding partners and the Town of North Smithfield, in particular, were tremendously supportive in helping us move ahead with this initiative and see it through to fruition.”
“Citizens Bank is committed to funding innovative programs like The Meadows so people can remain in the communities where they have lived, worked and raised their families,” said Joseph J. MarcAurele, president of Citizens Bank, Rhode Island. “We would like to congratulate NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley on winning this well-deserved national award for this wonderful and unique project.”
Rhode Island Housing is a self-sustaining public agency, which generates its own operating income, without state funding. Rhode Island Housing provides low-interest loans, grants, education, advocacy and consumer counseling to help its customers rent, buy and retain their homes. It also offers special programs to ensure that these homes are safe and healthy.