Affordable Housing

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SEATTLE — GMD Development and WNC & Associates have closed a deal to begin construction on Victory Northgate, a six-story affordable housing developing in north Seattle. Located at 1000 Northeast Northgate Way, Victory Northgate is slated for completion in April 2026. The community will offer 13 studios, 101 one-bedroom units, 17 two-bedroom units and 51 three-bedroom units, as well as 6,800 square feet of commercial space with 77 underground parking stalls. The 182 affordable apartments are targeted for families earning up to 60 percent of the area median income. The first-floor commercial space is tentatively reserved for a daycare facility run by the YMCA of Greater Seattle. Victory Northgate will meet all mandatory criteria required by the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard, Washington State’s sustainable building framework. Sustainable features will include Energy Star-rated appliances; high-efficiency mechanical systems, windows and insulation; low-flow plumbing components; LED lighting throughout the property; and 90 percent drought-tolerant landscaping. The deal was structured with 4 percent LIHTC equity, a construction and permanent loan through Citi Community Capital and a $25.5 million soft loan from the City of Seattle. AOF/Pacific Affordable Housing Corp. is participating as the nonprofit co-general partner.

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ATLANTA — In order to satisfy long-term affordability commitments, builders and designers of affordable housing must be well educated about the sector’s exacting design and construction rules, which are typically driven by the source of a project’s funding. A panel of construction experts speaking at the InterFace Affordable Housing Southeast conference held Thursday, May 9 at Cobb Galleria Centre shared insights about how their industry is meeting these standards today. The inaugural conference hosted by France Media’s InterFace Conference Group and Southeast Multifamily & Affordable Housing Business magazine drew approximately 170 industry professionals. Energy efficiency, teamwork and accessibility were three themes running through the discussion. Accessibility in multifamily construction refers to features that enable people with disabilities or limited mobility to navigate common areas and individual units comfortably and safely. Many of these building features are required by various laws. “Get your consultants, architects and contractors to help you put the deal together,” advised Ross Haynes, chief executive officer of Roswell, Georgia-based Community Construction Group. The company focuses on construction and renovation of affordable housing projects.  “That team is there to understand the code requirements that affect the job, including energy programs and accessibility,” added Haynes. Specific energy-efficiency requirements for affordable housing vary. …

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— By John Williams, president, CIO and COO of Avanath Capital Management — It’s no secret that the dire shortage of affordable housing is an ongoing issue throughout the nation. The National Multifamily Housing Council reported in 2022 that the United States would need to build 4.3 million new apartments by 2035 to meet demand. The report also stated that the nation’s number of affordable housing units declined by 4.7 million from 2015 to 2020. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem. Both local and federal governments are taking steps to address the lack of supply in the market. President Biden’s 2024 Economic Report to Congress, for instance, prominently featured plans to increase the supply of and access to affordable housing. In the meantime, however, stakeholders must think outside the box to identify innovative ways to provide attainable housing. One effective way to do this, beyond the standard avenues, is through public-private partnerships. Public-private partnerships are a strategy that can benefit a wide range of stakeholders — including investors, developers, institutional owners, operators, property managers, service providers and leaders in nonprofit and government entities. In addition to serving renters with lower incomes and other specialized needs, actively pursuing these partnerships …

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NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Cleveland-based multifamily developer The NRP Group has completed Renaissance at Lincoln Park, a 179-unit workforce housing project in New Rochelle, located north of New York City. Residences feature a range of income restrictions.  The project included the construction of a 22,000-square-foot Boys & Girls Club facility with a gym, basketball court, recording studio, demonstration kitchen, administrative offices and other rooms for work and play. The NRP Group developed the project in partnership with Guion Renaissance Housing Development Finance Corp. (HDFC), Kensworth Consulting, The Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle and The City of New Rochelle. Construction began in January 2021.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — A partnership between the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA), MRP Realty, CSG Urban Partners LLC and Taylor Adams Associates is nearing completion of The Iris, a 430-unit apartment community located at 1133 N. Capitol St. NE in Washington, D.C.’s NoMa district. The public-private partnership, along with property management firm Greystar, began tours and accepting lease applications last month at the 380,000-square-foot property. The first move-ins will begin next week. The Iris is a 13-story community featuring studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, 20 percent of which will be reserved for households earning 60 percent or less of the area median income (AMI). Monthly rental rates start at $1,820, according to Apartments.com. Amenities include a rooftop pool, dog park, coworking space, fitness center, sports bar, outdoor kitchen, private dining room, reading library and a mail and package center, as well as two levels of subterranean parking. The design-build team includes general contractor CBG Building Partners and architectural firm Moya Design Partners. The Iris represents Phase I of the three-phase adaptive reuse of the former DCHA headquarters site.

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BROWN DEER, WIS. — Jewish Family Services Inc. is scheduled to break ground on Woodale Crossing on Thursday, May 16. The 56-unit affordable and supportive seniors housing community will be located at 4114 W. Woodale Ave. in Brown Deer, a northern suburb of Milwaukee. Of the total units, 25 percent will be reserved for persons with disabilities who are in need of support services. Residents will have access to onsite supportive services that include socialization and skill-based programming, social services and independent living support services. Jewish Family Services has a subsidiary, JFS Housing Inc., which develops affordable housing.

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ATLANTA — The investment sales market for the affordable housing sector remains muted for one overarching reason: volatility. Cory Sams, executive managing director of GREA (Global Real Estate Advisors), said that a lack of certainty, especially in the capital markets, is giving buyers and sellers of affordable housing properties pause. “The worst thing for a deal is [interest rates] constantly moving around,” she said. “When they were running up and down, every deal fell apart.” Doug Childers, senior managing director of JLL, estimated that affordable housing transaction volume fell 40 percent in 2023 compared with the prior year. For context, multifamily investment sales overall declined by 61 percent year-over-year in 2023, according to MSCI Real Assets (formerly Real Capital Analytics). Childers and Sams made their comments during the investment sales panel of Interface Affordable Housing Southeast, an information and networking conference held at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta on Thursday, May 9. Interface Conference Group and Southeast Multifamily & Affordable Housing Business hosted the event, which drew approximately 170 industry professionals from across the region. Brian Flanagan, regional director of RBC Community Investments, moderated the investment sales panel. Fittingly, Flanagan kicked off the investment sales discussion by asking the …

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ATLANTA — Berkadia has arranged financing for Englewood Senior, a 160-unit affordable seniors housing development in Atlanta. Located at 413 Englewood Ave. SE, the proposed $72 million development would offer independent living units for seniors earning 60 percent or less of the area median income (AMI). Planned amenities at the property include a fitness center, movie theater, community room and an outdoor courtyard.  Carolyn Whatley and Angela Folkers of Berkadia FHA/HUD secured the construction and permanent financing through HUD’s 221(d)(4) program. The undisclosed developer has also received low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity and municipal funding.

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WICHITA, KAN. — The Annex Group is underway on the development of Union at Purple Heart Trail, a $61 million affordable housing community in Wichita. The property will offer 240 units for households whose income level is at or below 60 percent of the area median income. Completion is slated for early 2026. The project will encompass two four-story buildings surrounded by landscaping and open space. Amenities will include a community center with fitness center, media center, business center, outdoor gazebo, playground, dog park, walking path and picnic areas. Project partners include: HDJ as the architect; Baughman for civil engineering, surveying and planning; Summit LIHTC Consulting; the City of Wichita, which provided incentives and $45.4 million in tax-exempt bonds; and Kansas Housing Resources Corp., which issued the tax credit award. Aegon Asset Management provided $26.8 million in federal tax credit equity and $18.4 million in state tax credit equity, and Bank of America provided $45.5 million in construction financing. Merchants Capital provided $14.4 million for the project.

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HOUSTON — A joint venture between the principals of Westmont Hospitality Group, STOA Architects and DC Partners has delivered Torrey Chase Apartments, a 280-unit affordable housing project in North Houston. The property consists of five buildings that house one- and two-bedroom units that are reserved for households earning 60 percent or less of the area median income. Amenities include a pool, outdoor grilling and dining stations, a dog park and a children’s play area. Frank & Hill Architects designed Torrey Chase, which was 75 percent preleased as of the grand opening ceremony in April.

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