DALLAS — Bellwether Enterprise has provided a $12.2 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Villas del Solamar, a 212-unit affordable housing property in Dallas. Anthony Tarter of Bellwether originated the loan through Fannie Mae’s Healthy Housing Rewards program, in which the sponsor, San Diego-based Comunidad Realty Partners (CRP), will self-impose rental restrictions. As such, CRP is restricting 60 percent of the community’s units are reserved for renters earning 60 percent or less of the area median income and will receive a discount on the interest rate of the loan.
ANNAPOLIS, MD. — Pennrose and the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA) have broken ground on the Newtowne 20 revitalization at 810 Brooke Court in Annapolis. The redevelopment will replace the previous public housing property with new apartments, a new community building and open space. The project is slated to be complete in spring 2022. The Newtowne 20 redevelopment will replace the former 78 units with energy-efficient apartments in a mix of both stacked and garden-style apartment buildings with a central green space. Plans for the site also include a 3,500-square-foot community clubhouse with amenity spaces, new basketball court and a tot lot. Previous Newtowne 20 residents have been temporarily rehoused and will have the opportunity to return to the new development once complete. The Newtowne 20 redevelopment involves a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program that enables housing authorities to convert public housing properties to a more stable Section 8, voucher-based model. This program allows housing authorities to leverage private funding sources for projects like Newtowne 20. The owner, a joint venture doing business as Newtowne 20 LLC, is funding the roughly $24 million project with multiple layers of capital sources, including multifamily bonds, …
MACCLENNY, FLA. — Affordable Housing Investment Brokerage Inc. (AHIB) has arranged the sale of Baker Manor Apartments at 680 S 6th St. in Macclenny for just over $2.5 million. Kyle Shoemaker of AHIB represented both the California-based purchaser, The Grey Rock Group, and the undisclosed seller to complete the transaction. Built in 1974, the 50-unit Baker Manor features 12 one-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom units. Rents in the building range from $655 to $924 per month. Amenities include a playground, pool that underwent renovations in 2018, a laundry facility, community room and an onsite management office. Baker Manor is located close to Interstate 10. The community currently has a waiting list of approximately three years.
2020 was a year of job losses and difficulties for many. There was a great deal of need for affordable housing but also challenges for those seeking to provide it. Process delays caused by COVID-19 and slowdowns in funding hampered efforts to develop affordable housing, according to Gregg Gerken, Head of U.S. Commercial Real Estate with TD Bank. The question is: will the affordable housing and workforce housing industry be better served by 2021? The problem of affordable housing is one seen in many communities, irrespective of geography. “I think some communities have the equivalent of workforce housing, which in many cases is affordable. But when you get into a lot of the more expensive urban areas and densely populated cities there’s this issue of supply and demand — there just isn’t enough supply of affordable housing to really reach the demand,” Gerken says. How have government programs and policies affected the affordable housing sector? How will renters and landlords be impacted by these programs going forward? What happens after the end of the eviction moratorium? Watch the interview for Gerken’s insights on affordable housing development. This article is posted as part of REBusinessOnline’s Finance Insight series. Click here to subscribe to the Finance Insight newsletter, a …
LOS ANGELES — USA Properties Fund Inc. has started construction of Vintage at Woodman, a 239-unit affordable seniors housing community in the Panorama City neighborhood of Los Angeles. Units will be restricted to residents at least 55 years old that meet a range of income limits, via the California Housing Finance Agency’s Mixed-Income Program. Vintage at Woodman is the first USA Properties project to use the Mixed-Income Program. With the Mixed-Income Program, renters earning 50 percent to 80 percent of the area median income — about $45,000 to $72,000 for a two-person household leasing a one-bedroom apartment — could qualify for Vintage at Woodman. “Vintage at Woodman is an example of the type of development that is key to addressing the housing crisis facing Los Angeles County and the entire state,” says Tia Boatman Patterson, executive director of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalFHA). CalHFA issued tax-exempt bonds and provided subsidy funds through its Mixed-Income Program for the project. “The mix of incomes in this project allows local residents to improve their financial and housing situations while staying at home in their community,” adds Patterson. The five-story apartment community, featuring one- and two-bedroom units, is scheduled for completion in spring …
By R. Michael Goman, Goman+York In recent years, much of our work has focused on helping our client communities encourage the development of new market-rate affordable housing units. For our purposes, we define market-rate affordable rental housing as housing that is available at rental rates equivalent to 80 percent to 100 percent of 30 percent of the area median income (AMI). It also means that after paying rent, residents still have enough money for food, transportation, health care and similar needs. Rental rates below 80 percent of 30 percent of AMI typically indicate residents who require financial assistance, which falls into a different category. Our advice to communities typically revolves around a few key issues: location, market and financial feasibility, economic impact, and local land-use issues. These are factors that a potential developer will review when considering a possible development opportunity. Our goal is to help the community put together the best possible story that addresses each of these issues in a real-world, quantitative way. The Right Site As with many real estate projects, location is key to success. Optimal sites for new market-rate affordable rental projects are those located near concentrations of employment. The available jobs don’t have to …
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Triangle’s Apartment Demand Pushes to the Region’s Suburban Markets
The impacts of COVID-19 on the U.S. multifamily market vary significantly across metro areas. Not surprisingly, the nation’s denser gateway markets have been hardest hit, while secondary and tertiary markets have fared better. In a reversal of pre-pandemic trends, suburban locations have gained favor over urban submarkets from both renters and investors. As many employees continue to work from home, larger and more affordable units in suburban submarkets have become more appealing. Elevated construction costs are also a factor, driving garden-style development versus more costly podium construction. The Triangle’s suburban submarkets are experiencing the strongest construction activity, most notably in the North Cary/Morrisville submarket, where 1,784 units averaging over 1,000 square feet per unit are currently underway. As ongoing work-from-home arrangements prompt more tenants to consider living further from the Triangle’s primary employment centers, developers are increasingly willing to look at sites in outlying communities such as Wendell and Clayton. Demand is expected to return to the Triangle’s urban submarkets as employees return to the office and retailers and restaurants fully reopen, but the recovery in these areas is likely to be protracted. Solid footing The Triangle’s multifamily sector ended 2020 on relatively firm footing despite a tumultuous year. Both …
ASHBURN, VA. — Dwight Capital has provided a $66.8 million HUD 223(f) refinancing loan for Ashburn Meadows Apartments, a 336-unit affordable housing community located in Ashburn. Brandon Baksh of Dwight Capital originated the transaction, which is the fourth refinance that Dwight has closed for the undisclosed borrower. The loan includes a reduced Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) set at 25 basis points as the property is classified by HUD as “Broadly Affordable.” Built in two phases in 2000 and 2002, Ashburn Meadows includes 14 three-story apartment buildings and a one-story clubhouse situated on over 18.3 acres. Community amenities feature a fitness center, barbeque grill area, swimming pool with sundeck and walking trails.
ALEXANDRIA, VA. — Alexandria Housing Development Corp. (AHDC) has partnered with local homeless shelter Carpenter’s Shelter for The Bloom at Braddock and Carpenter’s Shelter, a hybrid affordable housing community and homeless shelter in Alexandria. The project is a redevelopment of the former 17,000-square-foot Carpenter’s Shelter, which provides support and accommodations to people who are experiencing homelessness. The Bloom at Braddock has 97 low-income tax credit housing (LIHTC) units. Carpenter’s Shelter partnered with architectural firm Cooper Carry’s Alexandria office to complete the project. The redevelopment of Carpenter’s Shelter transformed the shelter, previously housed in a two-story building originally designed for the Department of Motor Vehicles, into a new, 163,000-square-foot building that supports both organizations’ missions under the same roof. The hybrid design features the build-to-suit homeless shelter and an apartment community that features a community room, multiple outdoor spaces and a 1,600-square-foot community produce garden. The two housing facilities share several amenities, including a level of underground parking and a playground. Carpenter’s Shelter has a new entrance to welcome residents seeking temporary housing for an average shelter stay of two to four months. A separate entrance to David’s Place at Carpenter’s Shelter provides access to shower facilities, laundry and lockers for …
CLEVELAND — KeyBank has secured $18.6 million in financing for the construction of Slavic Village Gateway, an 88-unit affordable housing property in Cleveland. The two-building project will feature 21,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space as well as 10 townhomes. The property will feature 23 units for renters that earn at or below 30 percent of area median income (AMI) and 65 units for those who earn at or below 60 percent of AMI. KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) secured a $12.5 million construction loan, while KeyBank’s Commercial Mortgage Group arranged a $6.1 million forward commitment for a Freddie Mac permanent loan. Additionally, the project will use 9 percent low-income housing tax credit equity from the Ohio Capital Corp. for Housing, $600,000 from the City of Cleveland and $1.5 million from University Settlement, which is a nonprofit social service agency that will occupy some of the project’s retail space. Kyle Kolesar of KeyBank’s CDLI team and Robbie Lyn of KeyBank’s Commercial Mortgage Group structured the financing on behalf of the developer, The NRP Group LLC.