News

Interview with Andy Davenport
Vice President of Real Estate Development
November 2024

Community Housing Partners (CHP) is dedicated to creating quality-built, responsibly managed, service-enriched homes for low-income individuals and families across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. CHP has worked with private and public partners to develop and preserve award-winning homes and neighborhoods. They are a chartered member of NeighborWorks America and a member of Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises (FAHE), Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF), and the Housing Partnership Network (HPN). Since 1975, CHP has invested more than $894 million in communities through real estate development.

CHP’s mission: To create homes and communities that are healthy, sustainable, and affordable.

Notable Projects With Southway & CHP: J. Van Story Branch Apartments, Baltimore, MD;  Primrose Place Apartments Baltimore, MD; Trinity Court, Chapel Hill, NC.

What is your favorite thing about being a part of Community Housing Partners?

I’ve been in the affordable housing industry since 2000, starting with working for the City of Philadelphia, and then from there worked for for-profit developers from about 2007 until I came to CHP. This was a unique opportunity to run a team of really excellent developers, doing good work both in preserving the 6,000 units that CHP owns, all affordable, as well as doing new construction projects from the Carolinas through the Mid-Atlantic. From the first time I met CHP, they impressed me with their corporate culture and the way they approach each other and their partners.

What are CHP’s goals relating to growth over the next few years?

We are seeing tremendous opportunities for growth in North Carolina and Maryland. In addition to the Trinity Court Project, we were recently awarded a 39-unit project in Davidson, North Carolina. We would love to expand our footprint throughout North Carolina, and we have specific expertise in developing rural areas. We have projects in the Asheville area and would also like to expand our work in the Raleigh-Durham area.

What do you look for in a construction partner? 

First and foremost, we’re looking for an organization that understands the regulatory rules and environment in which we work. We need a partner that understands the tax credit program and the state and federal agency rules around construction. And, we look for firms that can navigate multiple regulatory compliance issues.

Additionally, we like firms that have a robust development process. Issues from construction arise when contractors, architects and engineers aren’t on the same page from the beginning to the end. We appreciate firms that do a really strong pre-development process. We also look for transparency and a culture of fair dealing.

What made Southway an ideal partner for CHP?

Southway has a very positive corporate culture. I’ve seen the way their leadership works and it’s clearly not a culture of fear, but one of respect. We also value their straightforwardness and honesty. They are open-minded and creative, where other contractors can refuse to make changes. For example, at Trinity Court we are supplying our own HVAC equipment through our energy solutions team and procurement department. Southway has always been open to working with us to pursue new energy-efficiency savings.

In 2019, Southway worked with us on the J. Van Story Branch project in Baltimore, Maryland. This was a 350-unit, predominantly elderly and disabled rehab, with the residents being moved internally. So we had hospitality suites in the building, we had to core out a new elevator shaft in the 20-story structure to expand service, and several months into construction, the pandemic hit. CHP and Southway navigated all of those challenges on this extremely complex and difficult development, all to successful results.

What is the most interesting part about the Trinity Court project?

We’re partnering with the Town of Chapel Hill directly, which has been great. The site is located on the side of a hill, so that has been challenging from a site standpoint. But we really like that we are redeveloping in a dense area. The site is a little excluded, so we have opportunities to expand onto Umstead park and do something really cool there as well.

Trinity Court will serve both low-income and working individuals and families, allowing them to have a rent payment that allows them to also save for their children’s education and their own personal career advancement.

Southway Builders is proud to work with Community Housing Partners on such impactful projects for our community. Their commitment to being a strong and effective partner to communities and individuals confronting social, environmental, and economic injustices is truly inspiring. Together we hope to not only build homes, but also to serve others to help them achieve their maximum potential.