Affordable Housing

FOXBOROUGH, MASS. — MassDevelopment has provided $22.2 million in tax-exempt bond financing for an 80-unit affordable seniors housing project in the southern Boston suburb of Foxborough. These units represent the first part of a multi-phase project that will add 200 affordable seniors housing units to the local supply. All of the one-bedroom units will be rented to households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), though 20 units will also be available for households earning up to 30 percent of AMI. The developer, an entity doing business as Walnut Street Phase One 4 LLC, is a joint venture that includes Affordable Housing and Services Collaborative Inc., Peabody Properties Inc. and The Onyx Group. Citizens Bank purchased the bond.

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ATLANTA — Nonprofit organization City of Refuge has broken ground on its Transformation Center, a new 38,000-square-foot facility at 1343 Joseph E. Boone Blvd. on Atlanta’s west side. Scheduled to open in fall 2025, the project marks the most significant initiative within the City of Refuge “Breaking Barriers. Building Momentum.” campaign, according to the organization. Situated on the former American Legion lot near the City of Refuge campus, the $15.2 million center will comprise three stories featuring an Entrepreneurship Hub with a classroom, offices and lab; a market or grocery store; medical and mental health clinic; an onsite credit union providing financial services; and 25 multifamily residential units adjacent to the main building. The residences will include apartments in a mix of two- and three-bedroom layouts, with one four-bedroom unit. Thirteen of the units will be reserved for residents earning at or below 30 percent of the area median income (AMI). Invest Atlanta will provide a $2 million BeltLine Tax Allocation District (TAD) grant to fund the residential component. City of Refuge has also received a $3 million federal New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) through Atlanta Emerging Markets and Capital One. The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and TogetherATL are …

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SAN DIEGO — Berkadia, on behalf of sponsor Lincoln Avenue Communities, has arranged $151 million in financing for Sea Breeze Gardens, an affordable multifamily property in San Diego. The financing includes a $53.5 million Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity investment and $97.5 million in bonds that were credit enhanced by Freddie Mac. Situated within the Lincoln Park neighborhood of San Diego, Sea Breeze Gardens is a rehabilitation project and once complete will feature 268 units across 36 two-story walk-up residential buildings. The unit mix consists of 100 two-bedroom units and 168 three-bedroom units. Twenty-seven units will be designated for residents earning up to 30 percent area median income (AMI), 27 units at 50 percent AMI and 212 units at 60 percent AMI. Additionally, the property will offer three employee units, and the community will meet the requirements for mobility and sensory access with a total of 27 units for mobility impairment and 11 units for sensory impairment. Tim Leonhard and Chris McGraw of Berkadia secured the financing for the borrower.

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Pacific-Wind-Carlsbad-CA

CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO) and C&C Development have opened Pacific Wind, an affordable housing community in Carlsbad, approximately 30 miles north of San Diego. Located at 3875 Sydney Way, the 89-unit property replaced 22 1950s-era duplexes. Pacific Wind features five two- and three-story garden-style walk-up buildings with two play areas for low-income working families and individuals who make between 30 to 80 percent of area median income. The community is already fully leased to more than 300 residents. The property features a clubhouse with leasing and resident service offices, a multi-purpose room with a kitchen and a learning center. Funding sources for the $56 million project include Bank of America, California Municipal Finance Authority, City of Carlsbad and National Equity Fund, as well as federal tax credits. The project team included Bassenian Lagoni Architects, M Zaki Design, JAG Interiors, C&C Construction Services as general contractor, Candela Engineering as electrical engineer, Gouvis Engineering Consultants Group as structural engineer, SWS Engineering as civil engineer, TAD Engineering as MEP and VBK Consulting as project manager.

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Montgomery Mill Apartments in Windsor Locks, Conn.

Frustrated by high costs and a lending crunch for market-rate multifamily projects, savvy mainstream developers are seeking opportunities to build affordable housing. But what constitutes opportunity in a sector reliant on agency lending, community stakeholders and controlled rents? Definitions of “opportunity” in affordable housing vary widely, and favorable elements often involve additional and unique challenges. Not only must developers identify opportune site conditions, but they must also evaluate prospects to compete for funding, secure municipal approvals and win community support. And they need to complete the project within required timeframes in order for the asset to qualify as a good opportunity. REBusiness asked experts from two firms at the forefront of affordable housing development about what affordable housing “opportunity” looks like — and about the strategies they use to transform promising sites into viable projects. Beacon Communities is an established developer of affordable, market-rate and mixed-income housing, while Bohler’s land development consulting and site design services have helped clients identify and act on commercial real estate opportunities for more than 35 years. “We look at any development opportunity through three lenses,” says LeAnn Hanfield Curtin, vice president of development at Beacon. “Those are the availability of sites, ability to get …

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CHICAGO — Chicago-based developer and property manager Habitat has opened OC Living, the first multifamily building at the $200 million Ogden Commons mixed-use development in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. Located at 1325 S. Washtenaw Ave., OC Living consists of 92 units, 90 percent of which are affordable. The four-story building features a mix of 23 studios, 60 one-bedroom units and nine two-bedroom apartments. Amenities include a rubber-surfaced children’s lot with play structures, bike racks, a walking path, landscaped lawn, 110 parking stalls, a package room, resident lounge, fitness center and social services offices. Developed by Habitat along with Sinai Health System, Alecko Capital and the City of Chicago, Ogden Commons is among the city’s largest opportunity zone projects. Upon full build-out, the development will consist of 120,000 square feet of commercial and retail space along with more than 350 mixed-income housing units. The first phase of Ogden Commons was a 45,000-square-foot commercial building completed in 2021 that is home to Sinai Health System’s One Lawndale Express Care Clinic, a Wintrust Bank branch, La Catedral Café & Restaurant and Momentum Coffee. The second phase is slated for completion by 2026. McHugh Construction and Bowa Construction are the general contractors. Bank of …

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden administration has called on Congress to pass rent-control legislation that would affect more than 20 million rental homes across the country. Under the proposed rule, landlords with more than 50 units in their portfolios would forfeit federal tax breaks if they raise rents annually more than 5 percent on their existing units. If passed, this rule would be in force beginning this year and would last through 2026. The plan would include an exception for new construction and for units currently undergoing substantial renovation or rehabilitation. Failing to hit the 5 percent cap, owners would lose out on what’s known as “faster deprecation” write-offs. According to Investopedia, property owners can deduct market value loss and the costs of buying and improving a property from their taxes. Most multifamily industry leaders are against rent control for several reasons but chiefly because they say such measures reduce the incentive to build more housing or to renovate and improve existing properties. Ahead of the White House’s announcement, which was released this morning, numerous public policy groups spoke out against the proposal. “This legislative proposal will not create a single new unit while raising costs on the very residents …

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ANNVILLE, PA. — Berkadia has arranged $12.8 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity financing for Carmany Place Apartments, a 48-unit affordable housing project in Annville, an eastern suburb of Harrisburg. The property will consist of three buildings with 30 two-bedroom units and 18 three-bedroom units that will be reserved for households earning between 20 and 80 percent of the area median income. Brian Blanchard of Berkadia secured the equity on behalf of the sponsor, Völker Development. Fulton Bank purchased the tax credits and also provided construction debt for the project.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Merchants Capital has provided $17.1 million in construction financing for The Marvetta & Anthony Grimes Family Center, a 36-unit supportive housing development in Indianapolis. The property will serve households recovering from addiction. Merchants Capital provided $9.5 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) equity financing, and Merchants Bank provided a $7.6 million equity bridge loan. Financing from The Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority included a $750,000 Development Fund Loan in addition to 9 percent LIHTC financing as part of the Emerging Developer 2023 Rental Housing Tax Credit General Set-Aside. Additional partners included First Merchants Bank and The National Bank of Indianapolis. The developer, 2 Thirty-Eight Properties LLC, is building the project in collaboration with Seeds of Hope to accommodate a shortage of recovery centers in the area. RealAmerica Cos. is the development consultant and general contractor. RealAmerica Management will serve as the property manager. Volunteers of America Ohio and Indiana and Seeds of Hope will provide onsite services and support for families in recovery, and St. Mary’s Early Childhood Center will provide daycare services. The development will comprise two two-story buildings with 24 two-bedroom units, 12 three-bedroom units and an onsite daycare center. Tenants will be referred …

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Oakhouse-Dallas

DALLAS — Locally based developer Mintwood Real Estate has begun leasing Oakhouse, a 219-unit mixed-income residential project in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. Mintwood developed the project in partnership with Mirasol Capital and New York City-based MSquared. Approximately half the units are reserved for households earning 80 percent or less of the area median income. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, dog park, children’s play area and a resident lounge. WDG Associates designed the project, and Rogers O’Brien served as the general contractor. Independent Financial provided construction financing.

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