Affordable Housing

WICHITA, KAN. — KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment has provided a $10 million construction-to-permanent loan to Steele Properties for the acquisition and renovation of Shadyway Plaza in Wichita. Steele Properties, based in Denver, is a real estate investment company that acquires, rehabilitates and constructs affordable housing. Built in 1979, Shadyway Plaza serves elderly and disabled residents. The seven-story building includes 100 one-bedroom units, all of which are income-restricted under low-income housing tax credit regulations at 60 percent of area median income. Monroe Group Ltd., Steele’s sister company, will manage the property. Steele plans to spend $3.7 million on renovations, including a new roof and doors as well as upgrades to the security features, HVAC system, community room and common area lighting. In addition to the $10 million loan, financing included 4 percent tax credits allocated by the Kansas Housing Resources Corp., tax-exempt bonds issued by the city of Wichita and $4 million of tax credit equity provided by the National Development Council. Sarah Geis of KeyBank structured the financing. The 4 percent tax credit is designed to subsidize 30 percent of the low-income unit costs in a project.

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STILLWATER, MINN. — Dougherty Mortgage LLC has provided a $6.5 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Long Lake Villas in Stillwater, about 25 miles east of Minneapolis. The 59-unit affordable housing property consists of 10 buildings. The 12-year loan features a 30-year amortization schedule. Long Lake Villa LP was the borrower.

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DETROIT — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and his Housing & Revitalization Department (HRD) have created a new partnership to preserve affordable housing in the city while also improving its quality and preventing displacement. The partnership comprises the city’s housing department along with a number of housing experts, including Enterprise Community Partners, United Community Housing Coalition, a partnership between Cinnaire and CHN Housing Partners, Data Driven Detroit, Elevate Energy and Community Investment Corp. Enterprise Community Partners will lead the team and create action plans for preserving units. A primary goal of the new partnership is to identify apartment buildings that have low rents — not because they are required to, but because of their condition — and help redevelop those buildings in a way that preserves their affordability. HRD has established a goal of preserving 10,000 existing regulated affordable housing units in the city by 2023. This is in addition to the creation of new affordable housing in any new development that receives city funding or discounted land.

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  David Leopold, Senior Vice President and Head of Affordable Housing at Berkadia, speaks with reporter Nellie Day about the ever-growing need for affordable housing and the challenges of meeting increasing demand. As Leopold discusses the differences between subsidized affordable housing and “organic,” workforce housing that is not driven by subsidies, he looks at the short- and long-term impacts of each approach. “Like all real estate, affordable housing challenges are very local. And the solutions to affordable housing are also local,” Leopold says. Developers have different tools available to them depending on where they are doing deals. Watch the video to hear more from Leopold about the challenges of affordable housing and how Berkadia is helping to tackle the issue.   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.

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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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  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.

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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.

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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 …

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David Leopold Berkadia

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 …

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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.

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