Round Barn Manor entrance

Round Barn Manor is an elderly low-income housing apartment complex subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Residents 62 years of age or older who meet income qualifications may apply for residency. Round Barn Manor is owned and operated by Apartment Investment and Management Company (Aimco), a real estate investment trust.

Round Barn Manor is owned and operated by Apartment Investment and Management Company (Aimco), which manages a wide array of apartments throughout the United States. Aimco was established in 1975 as a real estate investment trust. The company rents and leases its apartment units to a diverse base of residents. It also provides management services to third-party owners” (Aimco, “Company Description”). As of September 2011, Aimco owned or managed 565 properties in 38 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Construction on Round Barn Manor began in 1976, funded by the Illinois Housing Development Authority. Round Barn Manor officially opened in 1978. In 2007, Round Barn Manor underwent its “most major” renovations in its 30-year history. Renovations, which cost $3 million and began on the third floor and worked downward, included remodeling the kitchen and bathroom in each unit; replacing the heating and cooling systems; installing new roofing, siding, and windows; and landscaping (News-Gazette, $3 million renovation underway).

Also in 2007, a resident computer lab was established with funds from Round Barn Manor’s operating budget. Upgrades to the computers and lab equipment continue to be provided through the facility’s operating budgets. A student from the University of Illinois came to teach a five-week computer literacy course for residents. In these classes, the student came to the Round Barn Manor lab and worked with residents on questions, demonstrating anything they wanted to know and working one-on-one with residents to improve computer literacy skills. The response to the classes was good, and those—along with classes provided through the Champaign Public Library and Urbana Adult Education—have also helped Round Barn Manor residents increase their computer skills and interest levels.

Because of Round Barn’s lengthy history, administrative functions have seen the most changes over the years, particularly the documenting systems: changing from hard copy files to electronic file storage, converting from completing documents on a typewriter to using Microsoft Word, and using cell phones to communicate with residents rather than two-way radios or pagers.

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