As homelessness among veterans increases nationwide, a new affordable housing development in Logan aims to provide an alternative for our state’s bravest.
Loganwood Apartments is the first and only affordable housing development in West Virginia to offer a veteran’s preference. This means that units will be made available to veterans first, followed by people with disabilities, then the general population.
“The City of Logan and the Logan Housing Commission have been pretty insistent that they needed a veterans-specific project in Logan for a long time,” said Johan Graham, President of development company AU Associates, Inc. “We’ve partnered with them for years with different projects and they were adamant about the population they want to serve in that city.”
Loganwood features 33 one- and two-bedroom units across four stories. Each unit is fully equipped with Energy-Star appliances, in-unit washer and dryer, ample storage, ceiling fans, central air and heat, and big windows offering natural light. Some units are Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant and include lower countertops, grab bars in the bathrooms, and accessible bathtubs. Elevator access, a fitness center, and a community room are some of the building’s on-site amenities, but the post office, banks, government offices, a library, restaurants, and other services are just a quick walk away.
“We’re close to so many things downtown that it’s a little bit like an urban project,” Graham said. “Everything in Logan is pretty much in walking distance.”
The land itself, donated by the city, presented a bit of a challenge. Graham said crews had to
cut into the hillside to create a flat surface big enough to build the apartments. They also had to install a unique drainage system to prevent future slippage that could threaten both Loganwood and the homes on the hill behind it.
“Everything here was complicated, but not hard, because everyone in town wanted to find a solution,” Graham said. “We had some really challenging problems, but there isn’t anyone here who wouldn’t do anything to help move this project along and it’s just an amazing group of people.”
Loganwood benefitted from a WVHDF construction loan of $5.45 million, a HOME loan of $1.8 million, and nearly $6 million in equity generated through the Fund’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, as well as funding from other partners. [CC1]
To those in Logan County, this development is the product of years of dreaming, forming partnerships, and putting plans into action.
“We’ve been collaborating at the city and county level, and that’s how you make things like this work—collaboration,” said Diana Barnette, President of the Logan County Commission. “Teamwork makes the dreamwork.”