Affordable Housing Development Achieves LEED Gold Certification
February 2025
In the fall of 2024, the Chester County Board of Commissioners gathered with representatives from the PA Housing Finance Agency, HUD, Caln Township and Ingerman Family Communities to celebrate the grand opening of a new rental community with both market rate and affordable income restricted rentals at the Willows at Valley Run.
This 120-unit community was constructed in two phases and is fully equipped with modern touches, includes off street parking and other amenities such as two EV charging stations. The Willows are also designed to meet Passive House standards for energy efficiency and has received LEED Gold certification. The Willows are easily accessible to the SEPTA Thorndale station, shopping centers and medical facilities, and provide a very much needed affordable housing option to the residents of Chester County.
Sustainable features such as these are incentivized by the PA Housing Finance Agency by making projects that include such features more competitive for receiving Low Income Housing Tax Credits. High levels of energy efficiency can reduce housing costs over the long-term by reducing energy bills, particularly if bills are paid by tenants.
Plans for the Willows at Valley Run date back to 2022 when the Chester County Commissioners awarded $2.4 million toward the construction of the 120-unit mixed income community on 15.1 acres in Caln Township. This project was also supported by other funding partnerships, including the federal HOME Investment Partnership Program and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's House America initiative. This development is 100% occupied with an open wait list. Learn more about the Willows.
