CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
7 June 2012
Company News
Bentley Systems Makes $300,000 Commitment to Habitat for Humanity of Chester County for Coatesville, Pa., Housing Project
Habitat for Humanity of Chester County (HfHCC) announced today that Bentley Systems, Incorporated, has committed $300,000 over six years to the Habitat for Humanity of Chester County program. The money will be used to support Cambria Homes, a $4 million, 82 single-family home community being developed by HfHCC in Coatesville, Pa. The donation is being made through Pennsylvania’s Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP). Under NPP, business firms can receive a sizable state tax credit for making a substantial and long-term commitment of at least five years in support of a neighborhood organization that’s undertaking a project for affordable housing, community economic development, community services, crime prevention, education, job training, or neighborhood assistance.
“The need for reasonably priced homes in Coatesville is immediate and crucial to the well-being of families in the area living in unstable and substandard housing, as well as to the long-term economic growth of the community at large,” said Anne-Marie Walters, Bentley global marketing director and member of the HfHCC board of directors. “Through Cambria Homes, the good people at HfHCC, along with the organization’s many volunteers, are empowering hard-working Coatesville families to acquire, often for the first time, new homes of their own. We are gratified that Pennsylvania’s highly innovative NPP program enables us to participate in this worthy endeavor that aligns with one of our company’s underlying goals – sustaining society.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Bentley Systems to help build affordable housing for families in need,” said Chip Huston, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Chester County. “The neighborhood we are currently working on in the city of Coatesville will yield 45 homes – giving 45 families the opportunity to be homeowners in a community in which their families can thrive. Bentley Systems is making the dream of homeownership a reality for three of those families.”
In 2004, HfHCC partnered with Community Builders, Inc., a non-profit development corporation, to begin building Cambria Homes. In 2009, HfHCC purchased from Community Builders what remained of the 12.5-acre site to build the remaining 45 homes in this development over the next 10 years. Constructed on the grounds of the former Oak Street public housing project, the new community is designed to address and rectify the negative impact of an area dominated for more than 30 years by a crumbling public housing complex.
The site has now been transformed into a vibrant neighborhood of tree-lined streets and families who take pride in home ownership and contribute positively to society. In addition to making a financial commitment, the new home owners are required to invest sweat equity by participating in the construction process. This adds to their sense of accomplishment and gives them further incentive to leverage this new infrastructure for future generations. Adding to the sustainability of the neighborhood is the availability of public transportation, which enables residents to commute to employment opportunities east and west of the city, including Philadelphia.
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