A graduate student team from the University of Texas at Austin won the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) third annual Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition. As hud.portal tells MHProNews, the Austin team was one of four team finalists to come up with a plan to redevelop the public housing project Monteria Village in Santa Barbara, California.

“It’s amazing to watch our next generation create a plan for the future of affordable housing in a way that helps low-income families become self-sufficient,” said Katherine O’Regan, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. “As we celebrate the third year of this competition, our hope is to continue this creative and forward thinking when it comes to affordable housing.”

MHProNews has learned separately the structure was built in 1973, and has 28 units. Initially, the students were asked to decide if it was more feasible to demolish the building and begin anew, or not.

In addition to planning, design and finance, the multi-disciplinary students had to learn the needs of the residents, zoning, leveraging opportunities, as well as complying with the Santa Barbara Housing Authority standards for safe and sustainable, affordable housing.

The U of Texas team, awarded $20,000 for 1^st place, was lauded for their site plan connecting homes and social spaces, and for including an education center that would provide school and job training for the community. The judges also noted their water conservation plans—water being a hot topic in Austin.

The University of Maryland, which took $20,000 for 2^nd place, recommended four-story multifamily development, new construction, which would include a food co-op, a community center and access to a nearby community garden. ##

(Photo credit: hacsb.org–Monteira Village, Santa Barbara Calif.)

Article submitted by Matthew J. Silver to Daily Business News-MHProNews.