Albuquerque, NM, October 31, 2024 – The ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing has awarded Sol Housing’s PAH! Hiland Plaza in Albuquerque as a winner of the Terwilliger Center Award for Innovation in Attainable Housing.
PAH! Hiland Plaza (PAH) is a mixed-use, multifamily apartment community in Albuquerque's Highland Business District east of Nob Hill. As Albuquerque’s first housing community with a leasing preference for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing, PAH is a model of innovation, accessibility, and sustainability. PAH is one of only a few such developments in the U.S. The leasing preference ensures an affordable housing option for those who rely primarily on visual communication such as American Sign Language (ASL) and contributes to meeting the larger housing needs of Albuquerque. The Universal Design elements and Deaf-focused features in all 92 units provide adaptability for any resident to age-in-place.
The four-story building is designed in the distinctive Streamline Modern style to fit into this historic neighborhood. LEED-H Platinum certified, and Energy-Star rated, PAH promotes a lifestyle less dependent on personal vehicles with easy access to local services and multimodal transportation options such as onsite EV car sharing, the San Mateo ART station, and low-speed Silver Avenue bike boulevard.
“This has been the most rewarding project we have worked on in our organization’s 30-plus years of building a better Albuquerque,” says Sol Housing executive director Felipe Rael, “We are honored to be selected for this prestigious award that recognizes PAH’s innovation and replicability.”
Sol Housing partnered with the Deaf Culture Center of New Mexico (DCCNM) to design this unique community that is also home to the DCCNM’s offices and event space. The DCCNM had a long-time dream of co-located housing and community space free from communication challenges and staffed with Deaf and ASL fluent management, maintenance, and providers. The DCCNM named the community PAH! Hiland Plaza which derives from the adjacent historic Hiland Theater and “PAH!” an expression in American Sign Language meaning “Success!” or “Finally!”
PAH! Hiland Plaza has also received the 2022 Housing New Mexico | MFA Innovation Award and was a finalist in the 2024 Affordable Housing Finance Reader’s Choice Awards.
PAH! Hiland Plaza was completed in 2023 with funding by the City of Albuquerque and utilization of Low Income Housing Tax Credits from Housing New Mexico | MFA. Project architect was Hartman + Majewski Design Group and general contractor was Jaynes Corporation.