TULSA, Okla. — The City of Tulsa is getting national recognition for a historic renovation.
The Altamont Apartments is one of the five community development projects in the country to receive the Audrey Nelson Award from the National Community Development Association.
The building, which is now known as the Altamont Apartments, was originally built in 1930. At that time it was a hotel. However, it fell into disrepair and remained vacant for decades, until the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma bought it in 2003.
After quick updates, the Association made the building available for those who needed affordable housing.
In 2015, Mental Health Association was able to secure over $2.9 million of funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the “HOME Funds" program through the City of Tulsa, the National Housing Trust Fund of the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, and private equity within the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma to start a major renovation for the Altamont Apartment building.
During the four year renovation, builders put in central heat and air, new windows, new bathrooms, new kitchenettes, re-did office space, commercial kitchen, and dining room area to the complex. The renovation was completed in Spring 2019.
The full renovation project was submitted by the City of Tulsa to the National Community Development Association who awarded the Altamont Apartment historic renovation with the Audrey Nelson Award. The building will formally receive the award on January 30.
Now, homeless assistance programs in the City and County of Tulsa are set to receive a $2.9 million boost.
The grant funds are part of the $8.3 million award given to Oklahoma by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The Altamont Apartments, managed by the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma, is one of the 14 assistance programs receiving funds from the HUD grants.
The Altamont Apartments provides permanent supportive housing for formerly chronically homeless people with disabilities. The apartment complex has 24-hour staffing for all 35 apartment units.
“The real winners of these awards are the residents of the Altamont who have a wonderful, disability accessible building to live in,” said the Chief Housing Officer Gregory Shinn.
With the funds they are receiving from the HUD grants, Shinn says they will be able to continue serving people in the City of Tulsa and County Communities.
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