Letter to the Editor: Introducing the Inter-Church Council Housing Corporation

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Michelle Cassell, Editor

The Local Reporter

June 30^th, 2025

Michelle,

After reading your recent article concerning Elliott Woods, I would like to introduce the Inter-Church Council Housing Corporation (Inchuco) to you and your readership.  Inchuco was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in the early 1970s to provide HUD-assisted affordable housing on two sites, Chase Park and Elliott Woods.  Inchuco has owned both Chase Park and Elliott Woods for over fifty years. Fourteen years ago, both properties underwent a multi-million dollar rehabilitation, which included upgrades like the addition of air conditioning.  Yet still these older properties sometimes require substantial repairs in addition to rehabilitation.  For example, we recently relocated a stream and reworked the entrance drive to Chase Park after a storm caused substantial damage.  This year alone, we have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the properties in addition to routine maintenance.

As we assessed the needs of both properties and we contended with disruptions like the pandemic, the rise in insurance rates as insurers sustain enormous losses in weather events, and the increased cost of goods and services, it has become clear that the oversight of these apartment complexes has reached the effective limits of a small volunteer nonprofit board.  Inchuco feels that our mission to provide assisted affordable housing and conduct rehabilitation would be better served in professional hands. 

We are under a purchase contract with a national firm that works with HUD-assisted affordable housing.  Transfer of the property would permit rehabilitation of the scale necessary to address property needs and maintain affordability.  We believe we are assuring the long-term health of the properties as HUD-assisted affordable housing. 

To address any confusion, the calculation of the tenant portion of rent for those units that receive Section 8 project based assistance will remain unchanged as a percentage of the tenant family’s adjusted income, regardless of the total unit rents paid by HUD to the property owner.  Federal funds pay the difference between the tenant payment and the rents approved by HUD.  Furthermore, the rents outlined in the recent notice would only apply to the units that receive Section 8 project based rental assistance.  All units at both properties remain subject to a 2011 use agreement,  which imposes affordability requirements on both properties. 

We expect the rehabilitation anticipated with the transfer of the property would preserve the apartments and other improvements at Chase Park and Elliott Woods and improve the quality of life of residents for the long term.  We understand RPM, the current property manager, would continue to provide management services for the apartments under the current plan.  Inchuco remains committed to the best interests of the tenants and the community.

Simon Vincent

Inchuco Board President