ABINGTON, MASS. — MassHousing has funded a $34.8 million loan for the refinancing of Woodlands at Abington Station, a 192-unit affordable housing property located about 20 miles south of Boston in Abington. The property consists of eight buildings that house 78 one-bedroom apartments and 114 two-bedroom apartments. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, community room, tennis courts and a playground. The borrower, Beacon Communities LLC, will use a portion of the proceeds to fund capital improvements and preserve the property’s affordability status.
LOS ANGELES —Grandbridge Real Estate Capital has provided a $30.4 million first mortgage loan secured by Sunset at Normandie Towers, a 148-unit Section 8 senior living facility in Los Angeles. Artin Anvar originated the refinancing transaction through HUD’s 223(f) loan insurance program. The loan features a 35-year term and 35-year amortization. “The owners of Sunset Normandie were able to lock a very low fixed rate for 35 years allowing for the preservation of the much-needed affordable housing in Los Angeles,” says Anvar. “As a repeat HUD borrower they were able to capitalize on the low rate environment while also taking equity out of the property.”
By Robert Walton, Trimont Real Estate Advisors U.S. lawmakers may be on the cusp of adopting the most far-reaching affordable housing legislation the nation has seen in decades. Despite ongoing discussion of a House-approved spending plan’s overall price tag, congressional leaders hope to forge agreement on FY 2022 appropriations as early as Feb. 18, the end date of a continuing resolution funding the government. Expanded tax credits under a budget agreement could pave the way to creating thousands of additional rental units for households with low and median incomes, helping to address a housing supply gap that has dashed hopes and opportunities for a large and growing segment of the population. Affordable housing initiatives expected in the 2022 federal budget range from an expansion of low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) allocations to states, to the creation of several new tax credits to incentivize development and rehabilitation of affordable housing in a wider range of product types and income levels. Those could include a middle-income housing tax credit to promote affordable rentals for families with incomes closer to their local median but who struggle to afford median rents. A neighborhood homes tax credit would target development and rehabilitation of affordable single-family …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Merchants Capital has secured $115 million in total financing for Parkside 8 and Parkside 10, two workforce housing developments located in Washington, D.C. The borrowers, City Interests Development Partners and Ravinia Capital Group, are co-developing the overall project. Bridge Investment Group is managing the Opportunity Zone strategy on behalf of the developers. The construction timeline was not disclosed. Merchants Capital secured $56 million in construction financing through Merchants Bank of Indiana, as well as $59 million in permanent financing through Freddie Mac Non-Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) forward commitments and Freddie Mac permanent loans. Upon completion, Parkside 8 and 10 will feature 230 residential units and approximately 14,000 square feet of retail space. Within the new properties, select units will be reserved for residents earning between 80 percent and 120 percent of area median income (AMI). The multifamily buildings are part of Parkside, a 3.1 million-square-foot master-planned development that will include between 1,500 and 2,000 residential units, up to 50,000 square feet of retail space and 860,000 square feet of office space. Parkside will also feature a one-acre park and a new pedestrian bridge that crosses over Kenilworth Avenue and Interstate 295. Additionally, Parkside offers four neighborhood …
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — KeyBank Real Estate Capital has provided a total of $48 million in financing for Eastway Park Apartments, a 132-unit affordable seniors housing development in Charlotte. The financing includes a $14.3 million construction loan, $8.4 million equity bridge loan and $13.3 million Fannie Mae mortgage-backed security (MBS) as Tax-Exempt Bond Collateral (MTEB). In addition, KeyBank subsidiary Key Community Development Corp. (KCDC) is investing $12 million of 4 percent Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity to support the development. The nonprofit borrower and developer, Harmony Housing, did not disclose a construction timeline for the project. Eastway Park will include age-restricted units for those 55 years of age and older. The property will serve households earning a range from 30 percent to 80 percent of area median income (AMI) and will be subject to an agreement ensuring ongoing affordability for at least 30 years. Out of the 132 units, 40 of the one-bedroom units will have project-based rental assistance and veterans’ preference by way of Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Vouchers from Inlivian, formerly known as Charlotte Housing Authority. The development will provide supportive services to tenants including a shuttle service. The development team has also contacted organizations such as …
TUCSON, MESA AND PHOENIX, ARIZ. — Berkadia has secured a cross-collateralized pool financing on behalf of Arizona-based Christian Care Cos.’ Fellowship Square affordable senior living portfolio in Arizona. The 10-year, $92.8 million loan pool features a 65 percent loan-to-value ratio and three years of interest-only payments. Steve Ervin, Richard Price, Chris Cain and Rafael Nobo of Berkadia collaborated to secure the Freddie Mac permanent refinancing for the borrower. Nearly $89 million in high-interest-rate, first lien, tax-exempt bonds were redeemed with proceeds from the financing. The portfolio includes: Fellowship Square Tucson, located at 8111 E. Broadway Blvd. in Tucson, features 612 independent living and assisted living units in a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans with a private balcony or patio. Community amenities include central dining, transportation services, recreational venues, swimming pools, a fitness center and laundry facilities. Twenty percent of the units must be rented to residents with incomes at or below 50 percent of the area median income (AMI) and 46 of the units are targeted to households at or below 80 percent AMI. The remainder of the units are rent restricted to 30 percent to 80 percent of AMI. Fellowship Square Historic Mesa, located at 35 …
SEATTLE — Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) and Community Roots Housing (CRH) have broken ground on 23rd and East Spring Street in Seattle’s Central District. Situated on a half-acre site, the seven-story building will feature 126 affordable housing units, including 59 studio apartments for households earning up to 50 percent of the area median income (AMI). Additionally, the community will feature 36 one-bedroom and 31 two- and three-bedroom units for households earning up to 60 percent of AMI. The landlord will provide heat, hot water, potable water, sewer and trash collection for the residents. The building’s ground floor will contain space for ACLT’s new headquarters, an affordable commercial kitchen to be used by local culinary entrepreneurs, a community room and bike storage. The design team includes GGLO, DREAM Architects and David Baker Architects. The general contractor group is a joint venture between Absher and MAD Construction, which is an African American-owned general contractor. In addition, 30 percent of the total value of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing work has been awarded to Adept Mechanical & General Contracting, an African American-owned subcontractor. KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment is providing $37.4 million of construction financing and $14.2 million of permanent financing, …
The need for affordable housing has grown, but factors like municipal slowdowns and delays in financing have helped contribute to a lack of supply. Gregg Gerken, head of U.S. Commercial Real Estate with TD Bank, spoke to REBusiness about why the need for affordable housing is at a critical juncture and why this need is so difficult to fill. Finance Insight: What is the state of affordable housing right now? Gerken: There is a supply/demand imbalance. There continues to be a desperate need for more investment in affordable housing, not less. The arrival of COVID introduced more challenges for affordable housing, but the struggle to find high-quality affordable rental housing existed well before the pandemic. Rent prices affect millions of Americans, especially those with low incomes, and rents have only increased. Furthermore, the pandemic has caused an interruption of the supply chain and much-needed new projects have been delayed. Finance Insight: Can you outline a few big-picture national trends that are most impacting affordable housing right now? Gerken: As I mentioned, the imbalance of supply and demand is negatively affecting affordable housing. Rising rental rates mean fewer people will be able to qualify for affordable housing. Coming out of COVID …
SEYMOUR, IND. — Developer TWG is underway on construction of Seymour Lofts, a $10.8 million affordable housing community in Seymour, about 50 miles north of Louisville, Ky. The property’s 50 units will be targeted for families who make an annual salary between $30,000 and $40,000. Project partners include Midwest Support Foundation, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, The Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis and the City of Seymour. Amenities will include a playground and clubhouse. Construction began in December, but a timeline for completion was not released.
GLENDALE HEIGHTS, ILL. — Turner Impact Capital has acquired Ellyn Crossing Apartments, a 1,155-unit workforce housing property in Glendale Heights, a western suburb of Chicago. The sales price of $137 million, as reported by Crain’s Chicago Business, and the number of units mark the biggest suburban Chicago apartment deal ever, according to research firm Real Capital Analytics. With this acquisition, Turner Impact Capital’s housing portfolio now includes nearly 2,800 units in the Chicagoland area and over 11,200 units of workforce housing in metropolitan areas across the nation. These properties serve more than 18,600 low- and moderate-income residents such as teachers, police officers and healthcare workers. These employees often earn too much to qualify for subsidized housing but too little to afford higher-cost housing near their workplaces, according to Turner Impact Capital. “As Americans face double-digit rent increases in markets nationwide, along with limited housing supply and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, our need for housing solutions is more urgent than ever,” says Bobby Turner, CEO of Turner Impact Capital. “Our scalable investment model has uplifted communities far and wide by putting affordable, quality housing within reach for thousands of families while generating strong risk-adjusted returns for investors. The model proves that …