Mary,
You are truly unbelievable at the wealth of info you uncover.  Thank you.
I am presently working on a project in New Haven in the Dwight neighborhood
for the National Preservation Trust.  Dwight is one of four neighborhoods
chosen in the US for a review and subsequent modifications and guidelines
for renovations of historic houses in affordable neighborhoods.  In this
neighborhood the major non-profit developers purchase and renovate a home
for 135-165K and sell to owner-occupieds for 95-110K.  The main issues are
the high cost of window restoration and high maintenance cost of painting
wood.  In many cases these houses do not have any sashes and  we are
gathering fairly overwhelming data that the difference in a wood sash
replacent vs vynil clad replacement cost of $5,000 puts the project out of
reach even for the non-profits that are already susidizing an extra
$25,000.  One must remember we are dealing with one of the top ten poorest
per capita cities in the country which has been loosing population since
World War II.  The estimate is that we have 7,500 "excess" dwelling units.
The Dwight nieghborhood is presently only 15% owner occupied.   Under the
Liveable Cities Initiative there are some 256 historic structures slated to
be torn down at an average cost of 20k per.  We are trying desperately to
get monies to at least moth/ball, but the tide is against us big time.

We have just finished four of the five planned neighborhood meetings and
will be putting together our recommendations by March.  I will keep you
informed.  I will contact this fellow for information exchange.

Best,
Leland
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> From: Mary Delaney Krugman <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: "Historic" Tax Credits & Low Inc. Housing
> Date: Friday, January 30, 1998 1:53 PM
>
> Here is a cross-post from the National Trust that might interest some
folks
> out there.
>
> M. Krugman
> ___________________________
> Subj:    Application of Secretary of Interior Standards
> Date:   1/30/98 9:23:42 AM EST
> From:   [log in to unmask] (Bradford J. White)
> Sender: [log in to unmask]
> Reply-to:       [log in to unmask] (Bradford J. White)
> To:     [log in to unmask]
> CC:     [log in to unmask]
>
> According to information available from the National Park Service, a
large
> portion, if not a majority, of the rehabilitation tax credit projects
that
> have been undertaken over the past five or more years have been combined
> with the low income housing tax credit.  Combining the tax credits has
> resulted in the production of thousands of low and moderate income
housing
> units while preserving historic buildings and revitalizing urban areas.
> However, there is a perception in the low income housing development
> community which is shared by others, including some that have been active
in
> the preservation movement, that the application of the Secretary of
Interior
> Standards to low income/rehabilitation tax credit projects has made
> coversion of buildings for low and moderate income housing economically
> infeasible.  Some have said that maintaining interior fabric or complying
> with historic window requirements runs counter to producing economically
> viable low income housing units.
>
> I want to find out what is perception and what is reality.  Please
forward
> actual cases where the application of the Standards has killed a low
income
> housing tax credit project or forced a developer to forego undertaking
the
> project in conjunction with the rehabilitation tax credit program.  In
> addition, examples of successful projects are also needed including
> descriptions of creative preservation solutions.
>
> The purpose of this is to compile as many examples as possible so that
the
> issue can be properly analyzed and allow us to address the real
challenges
> with the development of low and moderate income housing in conjunction
with
> use of the rehabilitation tax credit.
>
> For information purposes I am the immediate past president of the
Landmarks
> Preservation Council of Illinois and Programs and Policy Vice Chair of
> Preservation Action, the national grass roots lobby for historic
> preservation.  The information requested is being compiled independently
of
> these organizations.  I am not representing any organization in relation
to
> this analysis.
>
> Sincerely,
> Brad
> Brad White
> Project Management Advisors, Inc.
> 117 North Jefferson, Suite 303
> Chicago, Illinois  60661-2300
> Ph: 312.207.1764
> Fax: 312.207.1046