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About the Terwilliger Center
The J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing was created in
February 2007. Established by Chairman and CEO of Trammell Crow
Residential and former ULI Chairman J. Ronald Terwilliger, the Center is
addressing one of the most critical issues facing this country by
supporting the development of housing affordable to moderate-income
workers, including teachers, nurses, firefighters, government workers,
and police officers.
Although housing affordable to the workforce is being built, it is
mainly located in outlying suburbs that are often more than an
hour’s drive from the communities where people work. The impact is
manifold. Workers must spend inordinate amounts of time and money to
reach their jobs. The long commutes add to traffic congestion and
pollution, and decrease efficiency. Businesses have difficulty
recruiting and retaining workers—and may ultimately move
elsewhere, to be close to where their workers can afford to live. The
result is a mounting housing-transportation-job cost burden; the average
working family spends over half of its annual income on housing and
transportation costs.
Initially, the Center is focusing on three markets—Atlanta,
Southeast Florida, and Washington, D.C.—with a goal to produce at
least 3,500 units of new workforce housing in the three markets within
five years. As part of its overall program of work, the Center will
develop plans for the production of housing oriented toward people
typically making between 60 percent and 120 percent of the median income
for a specific market; and the housing will be mixed with units offered
at market rates. The Center will also identify barriers to workforce
housing production (such as inflexible zoning and building codes) and
work to eliminate those barriers by raising awareness of the
affordability gap and by advocating changes in public policy.
The Center is led by an Executive Director, supported by a project
director in each of the three regions, and an associate. A National
Advisory Board, chaired by J. Ronald Terwilliger, provides overall
direction.
In 2008, the Terwilliger Center is introducing an awards program,
the ULI J. Ronald
Terwilliger Workforce Housing Models of Excellence Awards, to
recognize best practices in the development of workforce housing by
private developers throughout the United States. Deadline for entry
extended: June 23, 2008.
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