Bringing New Life to Lennox Chase

Our mission is not just to bring affordable housing options to the Triangle; it’s to bring comfortable, cozy, and homey affordable housing options to our community. That’s why it’s important for us to revisit our aging properties to find ways to revitalize them for our residents. 

Lennox Chase, which is a 37-unit supportive housing community, was starting to show signs of age with its outdated carpeting, furnishings, and community spaces. Before starting the rehab project, our first step was to meet with the residents to include them in the process. 

Vice President of Asset Management, Rodney Brown, who led the project, says, “It was important to us that our residents had a voice in the upgrades because, at the end of the day, it’s their home.” 

Manager of Resident Services, LaTonya Mckoy, organized and facilitated multiple focus groups, talking to residents about what was most important to them during the remodel. Following those conversations, the residents took part in an interactive exercise, where the Resident Services team presented different ideas for furnishings, lighting, artwork, and more. The residents used pushpins to cast their votes on the proposed design ideas.

The majority of the residents showed an interest in nature and abstract design elements, which was ultimately reflected in the end result. During these focus groups, DHIC also learned that the residents wanted to replace the current lighting with a warmer, more inviting option and wanted to incorporate more greenery into the space. Beyond that, the residents decided collectively that they wanted to revamp some of the community spaces to be more functional for their needs. 

One change was turning the computer room into a fitness center. “When Lennox Chase was originally built, it was before most residents had internet access in the palm of their hands. By talking with our residents, we realized that the computer room no longer served them, so we changed the space to a fitness center, based on their requests,” Rodney explains.

For many residents, it was their first time having a say in the design elements of their living space. After voting on different concepts, one resident exclaimed, “I didn’t even know I had taste! I’ve never been part of making decisions like this before and I appreciate that our opinions are valued.”

The end result is a completely revamped space, on par with luxury apartments in the area. Best of all, we’ve heard nothing but great things from the residents. From the new wall colors to the updated carpeting, and everything in between, Lennox Chase is now a warm and inviting community that people are proud to call their home.