TOPEKA HOUSING AUTHORITY/PINE RIDGE PARTNERSHIP WINS 2014 AD ASTRA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PARTNERSHIP
WICHITA – September 12, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The Kansas Housing Conference is pleased to announce that the 2014 Ad Astra Award for Excellence in Partnership goes to Topeka Housing Authority/Pine Ridge Partnership.
Accepting the Ad Astra Award in Wichita, John Johnston, President and CEO of Topeka Housing Authority, said, “Hundreds of volunteers and more than a dozen funding sources have contributed to the Pine Ridge Partnership. Through their efforts and support, a low income neighborhood is transforming into a success zone. We very much appreciate KHRC’s acknowledging this work.”
The Pine Ridge Partnership is an innovative collaboration of many local business and personal supporters, dedicated to improving the Pine Ridge Community. Primary Stakeholders are Topeka Housing Authority, THA Inc., Topeka Public Schools, The United Way of Greater Topeka and the residents of Pine Ridge. The Partnership’s focus is on education, empowerment, sustainable living solutions and instilling a sense of pride in the residents and the community they live in.
Topeka Housing Authority owns and manages Pine Ridge. They provide deep subsidy public housing units to the resident. Topeka Housing Authority also has donated the use of four buildings to the Partnership. Without Topeka Housing Authority, the Partnership would not be possible. Topeka Public Schools – USD 501, provides the curriculum and teaching staff at Pine Ridge Prep and Parents As Teachers. United Way of Greater Topeka has provided funding to help cover the teachers’ salaries, a nutrition grant for the meals, the summer school program and the oversight of the Young Leaders Society. There have been over 35 individual or business partners on one level or another and most are ongoing that have helped to make the Pine Ridge Partnership the dynamic organization that it is.
Other Ad Astra award winners honored at this year’s Kansas Housing Conference include:
Special Achievement in Affordable Housing – Rural
Pioneer Estates – Garden City, Kansas
Special Achievement in Affordable Housing – Urban
St. Margaret’s – Kansas City, Kansas
Innovation in Housing and Community Development
The Reserves at Cimarron Valley, Phase l – Dodge City, Kansas
The annual Kansas Housing Conference and Ad Astra Awards are overseen by the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. Each year, the awards honor individuals and organizations who demonstrate excellence in developing affordable housing, shaping housing policy and creating innovative housing solutions to meet the daily needs of low and moderate-income Kansans. The Ad Astra Awards celebrate housing leaders who consistently make a positive impact on their communities, as well as showcase best practices of housing developers, housing authorities, community service organizations, and others
CONTACT:
Keri Renner – Communications Director
Kansas Housing Resources Corporation
611 S. Kansas Ave, Ste. 300
Topeka, Kansas 66603
(785) 217-2012
