Originally built in 1915 as the Rockler Fur Building, Bimosedeaa now reopens its doors to help serve the local community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This historic redevelopment is tailored towards the Native American Community and was developed by @Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaboration (Beacon) in conjunction with the Red Lake Nation. Standing seven-stories tall in the Warehouse Historic District, this 48-unit supportive housing development aims to assist the Native homeless population with all units focusing on accepting those at 30% of the area median income (AMI) or lower. Bimosedaa also provides 24/7 security services with professionals trained to serve those with mental illness and de-escalation techniques to help include a wide range of residents into this affordable housing development.

In response to the Wall of Forgotten Natives homeless camp evictions, the development emphasizes culturally relevant services tailored towards members of the Native American Community as well as other supportive services, provided by Avivo, to help residents exiting homelessness. Bimosedaa, named after an Ojibwe word meaning “lets walk together,” strives to bring people together, to unite people who would otherwise be forgotten on the streets and have lost their communities, and to restore their dignity and quality of life.

Bimosedaa is a 2025 AHF Readers' Choice Finalist in the Historic Rehab category. Learn more about the development here.

The Foglia Residents at the Chicago Lighthouse opened its doors in October 2024 and stands as a beacon welcoming people into the local district and community. Located in the Illinois Medical District in Chicago, this nine-story development developed in conjunction by Brinshore Development and the Chicago Lighthouse provides 76 units of accessible and affordable housing, with 18 studios, 40 one-bedroom units and 18 two-bedroom apartments.

The Foglia Residences are the first multi-family project in the district and, most notably, is the first residential project in the United States financed through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) that serves people who are blind or visually impaired. The building is also adjacent to co-developer the Chicago Lighthouse, a social service agency dedicated to serving people who are blind, visually impaired, disabled, and Veterans in the United States. This proximity allows an organization with deep knowledge and compassion for the needs of the community to help and provide services necessary to guarantee resident and community success. As the Braille wallpaper throughout the building reads, this development brings “peace, joy, family, community, and hope.”

The Foglia Residences at the Chicago Lighthouse is  a 2025 AHF Readers’ Choice Finalist in the Urban category and received the For-Profit Real Estate Development Award at the 2025 Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards.

340+ Dixwell Apartments combines high quality affordable housing with environmentally safe construction to create an innovative solution for families being displaced due to the gentrification of New Haven, Connecticut. This development was one of the first affordable housing communities built with mass timber, an innovative new building technology typically used for high-end residential and commercial uses. Due to the unique construction, 340+ Dixwell Apartments took less time and labor to create, will be more durable, and emits much less carbon in manufacturing, while having a welcoming natural environment with exposed wood paneling.

Beulah Land Development Co. (BLDC) has been working on the development of this site for more than a decade with a vision of creating a safe, stable, and affordable place to live using quality and environmentally sustainable materials, which was achieved alongside partners HELP Development Corp. (HDC) and Spiritos Properties. This development provides 55 affordable units, out of a total of 69 units, with 14 units restricted to households earning 25 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), 4 units between 25 percent and 30 percent AMI, 28 units between 30 percent and 50 percent AMI, and 9 units at 60 percent AMI.

340+ Dixwell Apartments is a 2025 AHF Readers’ Choice Finalist in the Family Housing Category.

Previously a market rate-building constructed in 2006, Market Street Village has been earnestly transformed into 229 units of affordable and supportive housing for Veterans experiencing or exiting homelessness as well as moderate-income/workforce housing in downtown San Diego, California. Nearly half of the units will be restricted to tenants earning 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and the intent is to rent the remaining 115 units to low-income Veterans with Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers. Developer Community Solutions Inc. (CS) have also partnered with Wakeland Housing Development Corporation to provide services on-site including a tenant wellness coordinator who will offer other wraparound services.

Market Street Village is a Class A asset in a highly desirable neighborhood in downtown San Diego yet was converted to affordable housing much more cheaply and efficiently than building new housing in that area due to the property tax exemption. By using CS's Large Cities Housing Fund, the developer was able to compete with market rate buyers, provide affordable rents for a majority of the units, and prevent existing residents from being displaced due to rising rents. Market Street Village is a prime example of why converting existing units and developments into affordable housing is an economically efficient strategy to alleviate housing concerns and increase the affordable housing stock.

Market Street Village is a 2025 AHF Readers’ Choice Finalist in the Preservation category.

Situated in San Jose, California, Solaire Apartments provides 130 units of affordable housing, half of which are permanent supportive housing for people who are homeless, exiting homelessness, and frequent users of safety net services. This development focuses on households earning no more than 50-60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). As a GreenPoint Rated Gold building, the development is fully electric with a solar photovoltaic system, features drought-resistant landscaping, and contains units specifically adapted for those with disabilities.

To help improve their supportive housing, Eden Housing, the developer, consulted experts to utilize trauma-informed design at the Solaire Apartments. This design includes carefully selected colors and tones, increased visibility in stairwells, and enhanced accessibility, which promote a safe and healing environment. Solaire Apartments has an abundance of outdoor space to aid residents in relaxing and regulating emotions, as well as resident services provided by both Eden Housing and HomeFirst, a homeless services organization. In addition, the growing downtown neighborhood creates many job and social opportunities for the residents at Solaire Apartment.

Solaire Apartments is a 2025 AHF Reader’s Choice Finalist in the Permanent Supportive Housing Finalist.

Photo credit: Alberto Gamazo