Affordable Housing

SEATTLE — Amazon has launched its Housing Equity Fund, a more than $2 billion commitment to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable housing units in Washington State’s Puget Sound region; Arlington, Va.; and Nashville, Tenn. — three metro areas where the company has or expects to have at least 5,000 employees each in the coming years. Amazon’s first investments include $381.9 million in below-market loans and grants to the nonprofit organization Washington Housing Conservancy (WHC) to preserve and create up to 1,300 affordable units at the Crystal House multifamily property in Arlington. WHC purchased Crystal House recently using Amazon’s capital. Rents at the property will be significantly lowered to target households earning less than 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). The conversion of existing apartments to affordable units began on Jan. 1 and will continue over the next five years. A 99-year covenant ensures that Crystal House will remain affordable for the long term. Arlington County has lost approximately 14,400 privately owned, affordably priced housing units since 2000, according to the county’s government. In addition, the Seattle-based online retail giant has committed $185.5 million in below-market loans and grants to King County Housing Authority (KCHA) to preserve up …

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MINNEAPOLIS — Woda Cooper Cos. Inc. and Project for Pride (PPL) in Living will co-develop Shelby Commons, a 46-unit affordable housing project in the North Loop neighborhood of downtown Minneapolis. The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency awarded $967,549 in housing tax credits for the project, which will be the first for Woda Cooper in the state of Minnesota. The four-story building will include underground parking, laundry facilities, a community room, lobby, playground and community gardens. Units will be available to residents who earn 30 to 80 percent of the area median income. The Minnesota Public Housing Authority has committed 12 project-based vouchers for rental assistance. Woda Cooper will occupy a management office at the property and PPL will maintain an onsite office to provide supportive services, including assistance to residents in the seven units set aside for those with homelessness and the five units set aside for persons with disabilities. Rochester, Minn.-based CRW Architecture & Design Group and Minneapolis-based BKV Group are the project architects. Kelly Construction & Design is the general contractor. Completion is slated for the second or third quarter of 2022.

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PITTSBURGH — The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh has tapped New Jersey-based Tryko Partners to redevelop the former Fairywood School into a 46-unit affordable housing community for seniors age 62 and older. The majority of the units (39) will be reserved for renters earning 60 percent or less of the area median income. The new community will feature one-bedroom units surrounded by walkable green space. A community building will allow residents to take advantage of financial literacy, nutrition and exercise programs, health screenings and other support services. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency provided 9 percent low-income housing tax credits for the project. A construction timeline was not disclosed.

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FREDERICK, MD. — The NHP Foundation (NHPF) has purchased Overlook Manor, a 63-unit townhome community in Frederick. The Low-Income Investment Fund, a national nonprofit financial institution, provided a $10 million acquisition loan to the New York City-based buyer. NHPF plans to preserve the property as affordable housing. Units will include new kitchen and bathroom components, HVAC systems, water heaters, windows, lighting fixtures and flooring. NHPF also expects to upgrade the exterior, including installing new roofs, patching the parking lot and expanding the first floors of the three end units to install units in compliance with the American Disability Association (ADA). The renovations are slated to begin in the third quarter of 2021. NHPF will utilize a $20 million loan from several sources, such as HUD, short-term tax-exempt bonds and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Originally built in 1985, Overlook Manor is located at 1208 Alban Court, equidistant to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.

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DALLAS — Denver-based Steele Properties, in partnership with the Dallas Housing Finance Corp., has purchased Ridgecrest Terrace Apartments, a 250-unit affordable housing community. The sales price was $57.7 million. The property was built in 1969 on 16.2 acres and features one-, two- and three-bedroom units, as well as a playground and communal activity room. The new ownership will invest approximately $77,000 per unit in capital improvements, including new kitchens, appliances, cabinetry, toilets, flooring and fixtures, as well as mechanical system upgrades. The property’s parking lot, sidewalks, fencing and amenity spaces will also be upgraded.

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SEATTLE — Enterprise Housing Credit Investments has invested $57.5 million to create Seattle’s first affordable housing high-rise development located in the First Hill neighborhood. The 17-story building will feature 365 apartments and offer two entrances for tenants at 1400 Madison St. and 1014 Boylston Ave. The investment is the largest single Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity deal in the company’s history. Plymouth Housing is developing the Bolyston supportive housing development, located on floors two through five, which will include more than 100 studio apartments. The development will serve homeless seniors who earn up to 30 percent of the area median income (AMI) and will offer supportive services to all residents. Service staff will provide individualized case management, daily living support, social engagement, outings and coordination of psychiatric care as needed. Developed by Bellwether Housing, Rise on Madison will occupy floors six through 17 and offer 250 apartments for workforce and family households earning up to 60 percent AMI. The development will feature 91 studios, 111 one-bedroom units, 22 two-bedroom layouts and 26 three-bedroom floorplans. Rents will range from $1,015 per month for a studio to $1,783 per month for a three-bedroom apartment. Bellwether will provide resident service coordinators to assist …

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HOUSTON — Avenue, a locally based nonprofit developer, has broken ground on a 70-unit mixed-income multifamily community in Houston’s Oak Forest neighborhood. The unit mix will consist of 23 one-bedroom apartments, 27 two-bedroom units and 20 three-bedroom residences ranging in size from 706 to 1,201 square feet. While 14 units will be offered at market rates, income-restricted units will be designated for families making between $35,000 and $65,000 annually. In addition to amenities such as a playground, learning center and activity room, business center and fitness room, Avenue on 34th will offer resident services including after-school tutoring for children and credit-building and homebuyer education programs for adults. Block Cos. is the general contractor for the project, which is expected to be complete in mid-2022.

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WESTFIELD, MASS. — MassHousing has provided $26.4 million in financing for Powdermill Village, a 248-unit affordable housing property in Westfield, located in the southwestern part of the state. The property was built in the 1970s and renovated in 2000. Proceeds will be used to refinance existing debt and to rehabilitate the property with new roofing, siding, flooring, doors and community space. The borrower, nonprofit Affordable Housing & Services Collaborative Inc., will also upgrade balconies, decks, kitchens and bathrooms of the one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The majority of the units (184) are reserved for renters earning 60 percent or less of the area median income.

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The pace at which global corporations are expanding in the Sun Belt is extraordinary. To name just a few companies generating headlines, Amazon is making a sizable investment at its HQ2 in Northern Virginia and new office tower at Nashville, a number of life sciences and pharmaceutical firms are opening in Raleigh-Durham, Microsoft recently executed a full-building lease and commitment of 1,500 jobs in Atlanta and Oracle and Tesla are relocating to Austin, Texas. Researchers believe this corporate migration is a direct contributor to the region’s multifamily demand. Adam Couch, market analyst of asset optimization at RealPage Inc., said that after experiencing a decade of job creation wiped out in March and April, the region is now leading the charge in the economic recovery, which directly benefits the apartment sector. “For the Southeast, after suffering big losses, we’re in recovery mode now,” said Couch. “Local markets are best performing in places like Salt Lake City, Texas, Denver and Atlanta, where [job growth] is only 2 to 3 percent below February levels. The comeback in [multifamily] leasing was concentrated in some of these Sun Belt areas.” Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta and Houston led the nation in terms of apartment demand in the …

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    On Dec. 15, Texas Real Estate Business hosted “What is the Outlook for the Affordable Housing Sector in Texas?” Listen to hear how the leaders in the industry are coping with challenges from both a broker/lender perspective and a developer/owner perspective. How are Texas experts addressing the affordable housing crisis? See below for a brief list of topics covered by each panel. Panel One: Broker/Lender Insight Biden administration’s likely approach to affordable housing & opportunity zones Cap rates & interest rates Pandemic effects on affordable & workforce housing Revisions to underwriting practices ​Fannie and Freddie’s influence? Panel Two: Developer Insight Expanding markets Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition and bond cap constraints Collections Reserve requirements Barriers to workforce & affordable housing Webinar sponsors: KeyBank Real Estate Capital: Deep industry expertise allows KeyBank to bring valuable content and actionable ideas to their clients. They’re ready to help guide the clients’ business toward strategic goals through customized financial solutions. M&T Realty Capital Corp.: M&T Realty Capital Corporation® is a full-service mortgage banking company that specializes in providing competitive financing nationwide for commercial properties, including affordable and market-rate multifamily, seniors housing, healthcare facilities, and office, industrial and retail properties. Newmark: Newmark’s integrated platform delivers seamlessly …

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