Echo Ridge Community Center
Constant Improvement New developments for the Topeka Housing Authority Focused on providing accessible, affordable housing, the Topeka (Kansas) Housing Authority places a priority on its applicants, tenants and participants, and creates housing competitive in the market with fiscal strength and integrity. Following these goals, the agency has a new development in Echo Ridge. “With Echo Ridge, we really want to change the overall perception of public housing,” says Trey George, Executive Director of the Non-Profit Development Arm for the Topeka Housing Authority (THA). “Low income individuals do not need to live in squalor, and so our target is to build beautiful communities going forward. If we just have better built, better looking communities, our residents are going to feel more pride about where they live and hopefully take better care of things.” FUNDING BENEFITS The new development brings the Topeka Housing Authority’s current portfolio to nine complexes
with a total of 744 public housing units. Funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) allowed the agency to elevate Echo Ridge to a new level and incorporate abundant amenities and green features. “A project like Echo Ridge for a housing authority would be nearly impossible to fund without that grant,” George says. “There were 16 housing authorities across the United States that were awarded ARRA funds, and we were one of them. Having $10 million dropped in your lap and given specific deadlines for when you have to spend the money really fueled the ability to add all these nice green amenities.” Some of the community’s features include a community center, a teaching kitchen with attached garden and a play area for children. George says that the ARRA funds allowed the organization to create the truly unique environment at the site.
Topeka Housing Authority Executive Director Trey George Location Topeka, Kansas
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