MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — Starwood Real Estate Income Trust Inc. has acquired an 18-property, 3,336-unit affordable housing portfolio located predominately in Florida and North Carolina. The portfolio was 96 percent occupied at the time of acquisition. The garden-style portfolio offers amenities such as pools, clubhouses, playgrounds, fitness centers and laundry facilities. More than 50 percent of the portfolio is located in Orlando, Jacksonville, Raleigh and Charlotte. Individual properties were not disclosed. The seller(s) was also not disclosed. Starwood REIT is a non-traded REIT managed by Miami Beach-based Starwood Capital Group.
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TD Bank: Practical Steps to Promote Affordable Housing
2020 looks like it will be a record year in terms of delivery of multifamily units, according to Gregg Gerken, Head of U.S. Commercial Real Estate with TD Bank. But how much will Class A continue to dominate the market? “There is a movement toward rent control. Affordable housing is an obvious pressure in the industry,” Gerken says. Entitlement and construction costs mean that developers have focused on Class A projects and LIHTC-supported affordable housing projects. “But much more emphasis will have to be placed on workforce housing and Class B new delivery. There is an unmet — and almost unlimited — demand in that space,” Gerken says. The question is: can the industry influence government — especially local government — to change entitlement processes to encourage development of more affordable housing? Watch the interview for Gerken’s insights on affordable housing development. This video is posted as part of REBusinessOnline’s Finance Insight series, covering MBA CREF 2020. Click here to subscribe to the Finance Insight newsletter, a four-week newsletter series, followed by video interviews from MBA CREF.
MIAMI — Housing Trust Group (HTG) will develop Paradise Lakes Apartments, a $25 million, 76-unit affordable housing community in Miami. The property will offer one- and two-bedroom floor plans ranging from 688 to 1,108 square feet. The units will be reserved for residents earning between 30 and 80 percent of area median income (AMI). Monthly rent for qualifying residents will range from $401 to $1,443. The three-story building will feature 11,388 square feet of retail space on the ground level, and its community amenities will include a clubroom with a kitchen and lounge seating, fitness center, business/computer room, community garden with seating, smart storage lockers, electric car charging stations, bicycle racks and several activity areas. Construction is expected to begin immediately with delivery slated for April 2021, and pre-leasing scheduled to start in the fourth quarter. Modis Architects and HSQ Engineers designed the community, and Gomez Construction Co. is the general contractor. HTG received $14.5 million in 9 percent Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity (LIHTC) provided by City Real Estate Advisors, a $5.5 million loan from KeyBank Real Estate Capital and $1.6 million in soft financing from Miami-Dade County. HTG purchased the 2.7-acre site in March 2019 for $2.8 million.
PRINCESS ANNE, MD. — Enterprise Community Development Inc. will construct Phase II of Reserve at Somerset Commons in Princess Anne. Construction on the 54-unit expansion is estimated to cost $14 million. Reserve at Somerset Commons II will offer one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units across two three-story garden apartment buildings. Of the 54 apartments, 48 will be available to families earning between 30 percent and 60 percent of area median income (AMI) and six will be market-rate. Reserve at Somerset Commons II will complement the existing community by completing the circular drive and adding 108 parking spaces. Residents of Reserve at Somerset Commons II will share existing communal amenities at Phase I, which include a clubhouse, fitness center, great room, outdoor recreational and open space. AGM Financial Services Inc. provided the first mortgage. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Enterprise Community Investment Inc., Enterprise Community Loan Fund and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta are providing additional financing. Moseley Architects is serving as the project designer, and the general contractor is Harkins Builders Inc. R Home Property Management LLC is providing property management. Enterprise Community Development expects to complete Phase II this fall. The developer completed Phase I, a 75-unit building, in …
It’s no secret America is in a housing crisis, but the problem is easier to identify than it is to tackle. David Leopold, senior vice president and head of affordable housing for Berkadia, believes it can be tackled, however, if the industry’s best and brightest can collaborate on a nationwide strategy. Finance Insight (FI): What is your view on the affordable housing market? Leopold: It’s an exciting time in the affordable housing market. There’s massive demand for affordable housing nationwide, which means new opportunities for innovation and new needs to be fulfilled. There’s also a real sense of urgency and commitment galvanizing players across the industry to pursue innovative solutions that will result in decent, affordable and safe housing in every single community across the country. This extends to developers, lawmakers, real estate professionals and beyond. It’s a tall order, but this work is essential to the well-being of our communities. FI: Speaking of tall orders, what are some of the challenges facing the affordable housing industry? Leopold: Rent control is certainly a hot topic and will remain one in the year ahead. Last year was a significant chapter in the rent control debate, with comprehensive statewide reform enacted in …
OAK PARK, ILL. — Joseph J. Duffy Co. is set to break ground on a new four-story, 37-unit affordable housing project in Oak Park. An official groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Monday, Feb. 10. The project will be situated on a vacant lot at the corner of Oak Park Avenue and Van Buren Street. The ground floor will house approximately 900 square feet of commercial space plus bicycle storage. Plans also call for a 28-car parking area, an outdoor roof terrace and a multipurpose room. Nonprofit real estate developer The Community Builders is the developer and DesignBridge Ltd. is the architect.
GRESHAM, ORE. — KeyBank Real Estate Capital (KBREC) has provided a total of $61.4 million in construction financing and Low Income Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity to Newport Beach, Calif.-based Community Development Partners for the development of Rockwood 10, a multifamily property in Gresham. In addition to the $42.6 million construction loan and $18.1 million of LIHTC equity investment from Key Community Development Corp. KBREC secured $32.4 million of fixed-rate Freddie Mac permanent financing for the property. Slated for completion in 2021, Rockwood 10 will feature 224 affordable residential units spread across five three- and four-story buildings on seven acres. As a Section 42 LIHTC project, all units are restricted to households earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income. Jonathan Woodland of KBREC’s Commercial Mortgage Group and Brett Sheehan of KBREC’s Community Development Lending and Investment team structured the financing.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — TD Bank has provided $28.6 million in funding for the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale (HACFL) to redevelop Suncrest Court, a 66-unit public housing community, by replacing it with 116 modern and affordable apartment units. TD Bank has provided a $16 million construction loan and its subsidiary Community Capital Group has provided $12.6 million in low income housing tax credits (LIHTCs). HACFL also received a State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) from the Florida Housing Finance Corp. for the project, which involves the demolition of the existing buildings that were built in 1962. The new Suncrest Court will include seven buildings with 12 units reserved for residents who earn less than 30 percent of the area’s median income (AMI). The remaining 104 units will be reserved for residents making up to 60 percent of AMI. During construction, current Suncrest Court residents were offered vouchers to nearby affordable housing communities. Upon completion in 2021, existing residents will have the right to return to the community.
The declining affordability of housing has become a worsening problem in many areas throughout the country, and Texas is no exception. Despite talk of a cooling housing market, home prices in both North and Central Texas are hitting high-water marks, making the dream of homeownership less likely to become a reality for many people. According to the Austin Board of Realtors, median home prices in Austin hit an all-time high in May, topping $400,000. As for North Texas, a report from ATTOM Data reveals that as of the third quarter, the median home price in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) was 73 percent above the market’s pre-recession peak. As home prices skyrocket in the these markets, apartment rental rates are also experiencing upward pressure. The Austin Affordable Housing Corp., a nonprofit subsidiary of the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, reports that Austin is now the most expensive rental market in Texas. In addition, The Dallas Morning News reported in August that while Dallas-area apartment rents are growing at a slower rate than the national average, these figures rose 3 percent from a year earlier. Rising apartment rental rates in these markets are resulting in a greater percentage of cost-burdened renters …
MAYWOOD, ILL. — McShane Construction Co. has broken ground on a 72-unit affordable housing project on behalf of developer Interfaith Housing Development Corp. in Maywood, about 11 miles west of Chicago. Situated on South Fifth Avenue, the property will be known as Fifth Avenue Apartments. Plans also call for 4,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Designed to achieve National Green Building Standard’s Bronze Level, the property will include a high-performance HVAC system, efficient insulation and LED lighting. Completion is slated for February 2021. HED is the project architect.