Frequently Asked Questions

Decorative image of a nice kitchen with a wooden floor.

How does Behold support sustainability?

Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.

Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations. Sustainability is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment.

In ecology, sustainability is how biological systems endure and remain diverse and productive. More recent accounts have broadened the idea of sustainability to include social wellbeing, resilience and adaptation across four domains: ecology, economics, politics and culture.

In economics-centered accounts, sustainability requires the reconciliation across the “three pillars” of sustainability: economic demands, environmental resilience, and social equity. Housing to Behold uses Green design through Modular Construction methods which uses processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition.

Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating greener structures, the common objective is that green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by: Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources; Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity and reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation.

This requires close cooperation of the design team, the architects, and the engineers at all project stages. The Green Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.

What is housing affordability?

Traditionally, affordability is housing cost that does not exceed 30% of a household's gross income. Income may come from other supportive agencies, stipends, supports or entities.

Housing to Behold is made affordable by working with the tenant, other agencies, businesses, investors, and governments to facilitate affordability. Traditional measures of housing affordability ignore transportation costs.

Typically a household’s second-largest expenditure, transportation costs are largely a function of the characteristics of the neighborhood in which a household chooses to live. Location matters.

Compact and dynamic neighborhoods with walkable streets and high access to jobs, transit, and a wide variety of businesses are more efficient, affordable, and sustainable.

The market rent or purchase price of Housing to Behold is calculated using the average monthly housing and transportation cost on the Housing and Transportation Affordability Index located at http://htaindex.cnt.org/ and as well as other factors.

What are Behold’s energy efficiency measures?

Behold’s Energy-efficient new homes and apartments include six principal energy-efficient features identified by the EPA to reduce the cost of power usage, including: Effective insulation; High-performance windows; Tight construction and ducts; Energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment; Energy-efficient products (Energy Star) and Third-party verification. See http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/documents/pdf/affordable_housing.pdf for more information.

How do I qualify?

Current information on the Application process for Housing to Behold - The qualifications may also be based on HUD or funder requirements for rental or ownership for market based, low income, very low income qualified individuals and families. Qualified applicants will be selected from those who have qualified in the jurisdiction where Behold housing is built, i.e. Current Phoenix residents will be considered for Phoenix housing.

Behold may elect to participate in the Arizona Department of Housing and other jurisdictional housing programs. Homes will be built for a variety of housing users, not solely people with disabilities or functional needs. Recipients of foster care, veterans and other systems will be considered.

What is the current status of Behold?

Behold is currently in its development phase. Once housing stock is available (anticipated to be 2016-17) the application process will be opened. Check back with us often.

Do we really need more accessible affordable housing in Arizona?

The current housing system in Arizona is fraught with barriers to securing affordable, accessible housing for people with disabilities. The affordable housing market for people with disabilities who require specific amenities for barrier-free housing is very tight.

In 2009, Arizona public housing was 93 percent occupied, with 7 percent of units vacant, which may or may not be available or accessible to people with disabilities due to a number of reasons. For example, in 2010, 8 percent of HUD-funded multi-family units had accessible features, but many of these units were restricted to seniors ages 62 and over or were simply not affordable (www.huduser.org).

The supply cannot keep up with the demand. Out of 16,145 HUD units available across the state of Arizona, only 486, or three percent of the available units designated for non-elderly people with disabilities, were subsidized by a federal, state or local government program and built with accessible features (http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id+DOC_13016.pdf.)

There needs to be a range of housing options form which to choose. And this currently does not exist in Arizona. HUD regulations generally do not apply to single family homes. These regulations, while all well and good, still may not meet the needs of people who have severe disabilities or who have disability accommodations needs for hearing, sight, breathing or other sensory limitations.

Modular homes can readily accommodate the principles of Universal Design from the beginning. (http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/disabilities/inhousing)

What is the modular construction process?

Modular construction is a process in which a building is constructed off-site, under controlled plant conditions, using the same materials and designing to the same codes and standards as conventionally built facilities – but in about half the time. The factory-controlled process generates less waste, creates fewer site disturbances and allows for tighter construction.

Construction of modular buildings occurs simultaneously with site work, allowing projects to be completed in half the time of traditional construction. Once assembled, they are virtually indistinguishable from their site-built counterparts. http://www.modular.org/htmlPage.aspx?name=why_modular

What governs the tenant’s relationship with Behold?

Behold will create individual Tenant Agreements for each housing user and will incorporate provision of services required in order to ensure sustainability of the property and independent living. These services will be managed by Behold employees or contractors. Services to facilitate independent living will be sought to ensure independence to the greatest degree possible to encourage visit- ability, accessibility and usability.

Design features of Behold Housing that meet the physical needs of people with disabilities include those required by various federal, state and local agencies and furthermore will include amenities specifically tailored to facilitate independence and which include features found in Universal Design. The Tenant agreement will indicate the expectations of Behold and the Tenant.

What additional services might Behold manage?

Services may include home cleaning, property management for housing users who may need those services due to their ability levels or assistance animal usage. When at all possible, Behold will seek to employ qualified people with disabilities to provide these services. Caregiving contracts may be provided through the Affordable Care Act provisions or Social Security Medicare provisions under Long-Term Care benefits or through other programs as appropriate. Behold may contract with governmental agencies or private agencies to facilitate those services depending on the Tenant’s needs.

What standards do you use?

STANDARDS, CRITERIA, PROCEDURES TO CARRY OUT ACTIVITIES - The following standards and any others required for funding, security, property acquisition, and building homes will be incorporated into Behold’s criteria and procedures:

Davis Bacon Act, 40 U.S.C. 276a-276a-5, and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act at 40 U.S.C. 327-333.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
Executive Order 11063 pertaining to equal opportunity in housing and nondiscrimination in the sale or rental of housing built with Federal assistance.
The prohibitions against discrimination against persons with “handicaps” under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (P.L. 93-112), as amended, and the regulations at 24 CFR Part 8.
The prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of age under the Age Discrimination Act of 1973, 42. U.S.C. 6101-07.
Fair Housing Act Federal Fair Housing Act of 1988, P.L. 100-430.
2010 Americans with Disabilities Act P.L. 110-325.
Architectural Barriers Act of 1966 at 42 U.S.C. 4151-415.
Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended and Section 102 of the HUD Reform Act of 1989.
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).
Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992.
Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970.
Flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, Pub.L. 93 234, 87 Stat., 975, approved December 31, 1973. Section 103 (a) required, on and after March 2, 1974.
Single Audit Act of 1996 and OMB Circular A 133.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Pub. L. 88 352), and the regulations issued (24 CFR Part 1).
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Pub. L. 90 284), as amended.
24 CFR part 58 "Uniform Grant Administrative Requirements" and OMB Circular A-87.

What is Behold’s model for constructing accessible affordable housing?

Construction codes and equivalent facilitation will allow modifications to meet the needs of individuals with severe disabilities in modular constructed housing. Modular construction must meet the same building codes for traditionally built housing, but it does so at a lower cost an in less time. Modular housing facilitates the addition of elements, devices and space considerations required for accessible and usable housing.

Additional criteria, standards and procedures may be integrated with Behold includes any required by capital funders, subsidy layering reviews, HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization program requirements and standards, HOME and CDBG funding requirements, Arizona Department of Housing’s requirements, CSH Supportive Housing requirements for single site accessible housing and procedures to facilitate work with local public housing agencies and others.

What is Behold’s process to develop Housing?

The Modular Construction Schedule & Housing User’s Acquisition Process chart details the order of planned activities.

Modular Construction Schedule & Housing User’s Acquisition Process:

Partnership with Housing funders & Disability Specialists to develop accessible affordable single family homes or apartments.
Funding securement, Modular Building Contract with accessible elements included & Specific Site Location.
Acquisition of Permits, Approvals, Contracts & Building Construction at Modular Housing Plant.
Site Development & Foundation Installation & Infrastructure accessibility of Rights of Ways, Transportation, Employment, Community networking, etc.
Install & Site Restoration development of punch list to refine independent usability of accessible elements (i.e. Restrooms, Kitchen,Electronic components, DME’s, etc.).
Partnership with organization to screen for qualified housing user with disabilities & define housing and other elements required (transportation, education, employment, Right of ways etc.).
Secure contracts for provision of qualified tenant /owner, independent living services, employment, community involvement & housing maintenance supports.
Training of Housing User In tenant responsibilities, contractual service obligations & evaluation expectations.
Involvement of Housing tenant/owner in the review and approvals of site development, foundation installation, infrastructures, accessibility elements, etc.
Involvement of Housing User In the Install & Site Restoration Facilitation of move-in. Completion of punch list by Housing builder & Housing User, to secure sign off of funders & partners.