PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
For more information, contact Floyd Tortalita:
505-552-7528 or [email protected]
Pueblo of Acoma Housing Authority to celebrate Cedar Hills, new housing development, on Thursday, April 5 with ribbon-cutting ceremony
Pueblo of Acoma, NM — The Pueblo of Acoma Housing Authority (PAHA) and Acoma community will celebrate Cedar Hills, a new 30-unit multifamily housing development, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 5 at the site of the development, 74 Pinon St. Acoma Pueblo, NM 87034.
In addition to new townhomes, the development includes a 1,3552-square-foot community building, picnic pavilion, bike and walking path, playground, open recreation space and a full-court basketball court. PAHA, the Tribally Designated Housing Entity of the Pueblo of Acoma, is the developer and manager of the homes and is hosting the community celebration. Members of the public and media are welcome to attend the ceremony and lunch that follows.
Integrated into the side of a hill, the development is a beautiful addition to the Pueblo of Acoma community. PAHA worked closely with Travois Design, the architect, to design the buildings to resemble the original Pueblo architecture and communal lifestyle.
“It was extremely important to PAHA that the project design incorporate the aesthetics of the Pueblo architecture and to create spaces that will enhance the sense of community and tighten the social fabric,” PAHA Executive Director Floyd Tortalita said. “It’s been exciting to see all of it come together, from when the idea was drawn on a napkin, to the construction drawings, through construction and now to completion. We are excited for families to begin moving in and enjoying the development.”
Much of the design inspiration comes from Acoma’s “Sky City.” Close to the project site, Sky City is the Pueblo’s original village sitting atop a 367 ft. tall mesa that has been inhabited since 1150 AD, making it the longest continually inhabited community in North America. The streets are narrow dirt conduits created by the densely situated pueblos that make up Sky City. Outdoor spaces are located on roofs and other horizontal surfaces created by the dwellings themselves. PAHA wanted to make a modern dwelling place that drew inspiration from the original place of their people, and that is what became the driving concept behind the project’s design. The Pueblo of Acoma Housing Authority (PAHA) has already been recognized for the development. It won a 2017 Best Practice Award for outstanding achievement in housing in New Mexico at the New Mexico Infrastructure Finance Conference (NMIFC) in Oct. 2017.
Funding for the townhomes and amenities was primarily provided through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, with an award from the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA). PAHA committed to close the gap between the development cost and the LIHTC investor proceeds, including the required infrastructure for the project. Other development partners include Travois (consultant), Raymond James Tax Credit Funds (investor) and Pavilion Construction (general contractor).
About the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program
The Low Income Housing Tax Credit program was developed by Congress is 1986, and its regulations are provided for in Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code. It was created to encourage private investment in the construction or rehabilitation of housing for low-income families. The IRS makes tax credits available to each state, and the states are responsible for developing Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs) and determining which projects receive awards. Investors are interested in buying tax credits to reduce the amount of taxes they owe the federal government. Tax credits offset taxes on a dollar-for-dollar basis for a 10-year period. Tribes can raise the equity they need for building projects through the LIHTC program, which lowers the amount a tribe will need to contribute to the project. It does not need to repay this equity but must follow all regulations for the 15-year compliance period.
About the Pueblo of Acoma Housing Authority (PAHA)
The Pueblo of Acoma Housing Authority’s (PAHA) mission is to provide decent, safe and affordable housing opportunities and services for low-income and non-low-income Pueblo of Acoma families, residing on and off the reservation, while preserving and enhancing traditions and natural resources thereby promoting the general welfare of all Pueblo of Acoma people. For additional information regarding the new development, contact Floyd Tortalita, executive director, at 505-552-7528.