Rehabbing Old Houses into Affordable Housing
Alumna Isabel Thornton grew up in the Rust Belt town of Roanoke, Virginia. After graduating from USC, she eventually returned home and took note of the city’s beautiful Victorian homes, many vacant and in a state of disrepair. Linking her experience in affordable housing with her passion for historic places inspired her to create her non-profit Restoration Housing. In this episode of Save As, Isabel talks with Trudi about how her organization is successfully rehabilitating neglected houses into unique high-quality affordable rental housing.
Villa Heights project – front facade (before). Photo courtesy Restoration Housing. 
Villa Heights project – front facade (after). Photo courtesy Restoration Housing. 
Villa Heights project – rear facade of house (before). Photo courtesy Restoration Housing. 
Villa Heights project – rear facade of house (after). Photo courtesy Restoration Housing. 
Villa Heights project – interior stair (before). Photo courtesy Restoration Housing. 
Villa Heights project – interior stair (after). Photo courtesy Restoration Housing. 
Villa Heights project – ground floor room (before). Photo courtesy Restoration Housing. 
Villa Heights project – ground floor room (after). Photo courtesy Restoration Housing.
SHARE:
Featuring
Isabel Thornton (MHP ’13) is the Executive Director of Restoration Housing, which she founded in 2014 out of a passion for historic preservation and affordable housing. She received a BA in Architectural History from the University of Virginia and a Masters of Historic Preservation degree from the University of Southern California.
She serves on the Real Estate Development Committee for Community Housing Partners and the Blue Ridge Interagency Council on Homelessness. She is also a board member for Carilion Medical Center. Isabel lives on a farm in Botetourt County with her husband and four children.
Learn More
Defining the City of Gardens: The Conservation of Pasadena’s Bungalow Courts by Isabel (Rutherford) Thornton
Restoration Housing is a nonprofit organization that develops affordable rental properties benefiting limited-income individuals and families through the preservation of neglected historic structures. Restoration Housing’s business model combines historic tax credits, in-house schematic drafting, tax credit syndication, and construction management. Through this model, we are able to support the preservation of timeless buildings, provide affordable rental options, and strengthen families and communities.
326 Dale Avenue Virtual Tour – 326 Dale Avenue is complete after a year-long rehab overhaul! This circa 1890 Queen Anne will house four previously homeless individuals in partnership with ARCH Services. What was once a blighted property on a dead-end street is now the brightest house on the block.
820 Dale Avenue in Roanoke, VA is complete after more than a year of planning, stabilization, and construction! The circa 1899 Folk Victorian home had a significant hole in the roof resulting in a large portion of the first and second story floor systems to collapse into the cellar when acquired in 2020. What was once in very real danger of being a vacant lot and a lost piece of Belmont’s historic fabric is now a beautifully restored home for a family in need.
920 Stewart Avenue in Roanoke, VA is complete after a 9-month rehabilitation! The circa 1904 Folk Victorian home sat vacant for many years before Restoration Housing’s acquisition. It now provides high quality, affordable rental units to two low-income families. This is Restoration Housing’s third project in the Belmont Historic District.
Villa Heights in Roanoke, VA was completed in 2019 after a year-long rehabilitation. The circa 1820 Classical Revival home sat vacant for 10 years during which time it was heavily damaged by fire before Restoration Housing’s acquisition in 2017. It now provides high quality, affordable rental space to nonprofit organization serving the surrounding community.
Restoration Housing – Check out the Video Library!
National Park Service – Historic Tax Credits
Heritage Housing Partners (Pasadena-based historic affordable housing developer)
USC Heritage Conservation Programs
Your Hosts
Co-host Trudi Sandmeier is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Director of Graduate Programs in Heritage Conservation, and Professor of Practice at the USC School of Architecture. Her work centers on the conservation of the recent past and the impact of under-recognized communities on the historic built environment. Read more in her USC faculty bio.
Co-host Cindy Olnick serves as both Associate Director of Heritage Conservation at USC and a communications consultant for heritage conservation, historic preservation, and the built environment. Read more in her USC faculty bio.
Podcast producer Willa Seidenberg taught audio journalism and podcasting at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, while pursuing a USC Master of Heritage Conservation degree. She retired from teaching and earned her degree in 2023.
A 20-year broadcast journalist and an inaugural fellow with USC’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, Willa founded Annenberg Radio News, the university’s radio news operation; and Intersections South LA, a reporting lab and community website for South Los Angeles.
With photographer William Short, Willa created two oral history/photo projects: A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War and Memories of the American War: Stories From Viet Nam.
