Milwaukee is setting a “green” standard for affordable senior housing development, as exemplified by Westlawn Gardens, a 345-unit public housing project, and Olga Village, a 37-unit apartment building for low-income seniors on the city’s south side. Westlawn Gardens, part of a neighborhood revitalization project, achieved LEED-ND (Neighborhood Development) Stage 3 Silver Certification, the highest rating for neighborhoods under current LEED standards. It is the world’s first development to achieve that rating, which recognizes smart growth and green building practices in an urban environment.
The neighborhood includes a 30,000 square-foot community garden, a sustainable food production program, and geothermal heating and cooling systems in the apartment buildings. One of those buildings has 47 units reserved for seniors. Phase 1 of the $82 million project, which began in 2010, was financed with $76 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), the largest LIHTC award in the state’s history.
The Olga Village project, completed in 2011, also received LEED Silver certification for implementing environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient approaches in its design and construction—such as the 26 solar panels on its roof, condensing gas boilers that cut energy use for hot water by 63%, and ground-source heat pumps that are expected to produce a 62% decrease in the energy required for heating and cooling purposes. Olga Village was also financed with LIHTC from WHEDA, with additional funding from HUD and the City of Milwaukee.
