SEDONA, ARIZ. — Wespac Residential, as general contractor, has broken ground on The Villas on Shelby, an affordable multifamily property in Sedona. Project partners include HS Development Partners, the City of Sedona, Athena Studio and the Arizona Department of Housing. The Villas on Shelby will be Sedona’s first-ever affordable housing community and will be funded through federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Situated on a 1.2-acre site acquired by the City of Sedona, the three-story apartment complex will feature 30 affordable rental homes, including 24 one-bedroom units and six three-bedroom units. The development will include covered parking, a community room with a kitchen, fitness room, playground and elevator access. Additionally, the property will feature future-ready infrastructure with stubs in place for electric vehicle charging stations. Construction is underway, with completion and tenant move-in scheduled for May 2026. In addition to federal LIHTC, the project is being funded via an investment from the State Housing Trust Fund, part of Governor Katie Hobbs’ allocation toward addressing Arizona’s housing crisis.
Affordable Housing
WYOMING, MICH. — Cherry Health and Woda Cooper Cos. Inc. have broken ground on Shea Ravines, a 56-unit affordable housing community adjacent to Cherry Health’s Wyoming Community Health Center. The four-story building will offer 40 one-bedroom units and 16 two-bedroom residences for singles, families and seniors who earn up to 80 percent of the area median income. There will be 20 Permanent Supportive Housing units reserved for renters exiting homelessness. Those units are supported by rental assistance provided by the Grand Rapids Housing Commission. Nonprofit services provider Community Rebuilders of Grand Rapids will coordinate supportive services to assist these residents. Amenities will include a multipurpose room, playground and bike storage. The US Green Building Council expects the property to be certified LEED Zero Energy. The project is named in honor of prior Cherry Health CEO Chris Shea. Additional phases of development are planned, for a total of 112 affordable housing units on the campus. The City of Wyoming approved a 3 percent Payment in Lieu of Taxes, which helped make the project possible. In 2024, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) allocated housing tax credits to Shea Ravines to support the development financing. Earlier this year, MSHDA allocated housing …
ORANGE COUNTY, VT. — M&T Realty Capital Corp. has provided $5 million in equity for Chelsea Williamstown Apartments, an affordable housing redevelopment project in Vermont’s Orange County. The project involves the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of two noncontiguous properties that will add 61 rent-restricted units, many of which will be marketed to seniors, to the local supply. Northfield Savings Bank is financing construction, which is expected to be complete next spring. The owner was not disclosed. M&T also provided a $5.6 million Fannie Mae M.TEB forward commitment as part of the capital stack.
PHILADELPHIA — A partnership between Pennrose and the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. (PCDC) has delivered Man An House, a 51-unit affordable seniors housing project in the latter entity’s namesake neighborhood. The site is located within an opportunity zone and formerly housed a parking lot. The five-story building features studio, one- and two-bedroom units that are reserved for renters aged 62 and above and who earn between 20 and 60 percent of the area median income.
NEW HAVEN, CONN. — A partnership between two affordable housing development and management companies, Community Preservation Partners (CPP) and Beacon Communities, has acquired the 104-unit Brewery Square Apartments in New Haven. The new ownership plans to invest about $43 million in the rehabilitation of the two-building complex, which was originally constructed in 1896 as a brewery and converted to housing in the 1980s. The partnership will upgrade units’ appliances, bathrooms, countertops, windows and floors, as well as enhance the landscaping and security systems. Renovations will serve to extend the affordability status of the property, which houses 41 one-bedroom units, 55 two-bedroom residences and six three-bedroom units. The renovation will transition 84 of the 104 units into the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, with affordability levels ranging from 30 to 80 percent of the area median income.
NYC Planning Commission Approves Midtown Manhattan Rezoning Proposal to Add Thousands of New Residences
by Abby Cox
NEW YORK CITY — The New York City Planning Commission has approved the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan (MSMX), a rezoning initiative that could ultimately facilitate the creation of as many as 9,700 new residences across a 42-block section of Midtown Manhattan. The MSMX plan covers four areas centered around Herald and Greeley Square, located between West 23rd and West 40th streets, as well as Fifth and Eighth avenues. The area today is largely defined by commercial and industrial uses, with current land-use rules restricting new housing development. Midtown South is currently home to more than 7,000 businesses, 135,000 jobs and various public transportation hubs, but the neighborhood has struggled to rebound in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as hybrid work schedules have become more entrenched. In addition to these commercial vacancies, the submarket is subject to restrictive zoning rules that limit opportunities for New Yorkers to live near their jobs. “For far too long, outdated zoning policies have limited the potential of this well-resourced area to help address New York City’s urgent housing needs,” says Rachel Fee, executive director of the New York Housing Conference, nonprofit affordable housing policy and advocacy organization. “In the midst of a dire housing crisis, …
Partnership Opens Phase I, Begins Phase II of Affordable Housing Development in Decatur, Georgia
by John Nelson
DECATUR, GA. — A partnership between Decatur Housing and Preserving Affordable Housing Inc. (PAHI) has officially opened Phase I of Village at Legacy, an affordable housing development in the east Atlanta suburb of Decatur. The partnership also officially broke ground on Phase II. Leasing and move-in activity at Phase I of Village at Legacy is expected to begin in August, with construction on Phase II targeted for completion in spring 2026. Village at Legacy is situated on six acres within Legacy Park, a 77-acre site that once housed the United Methodist Children’s Home. The project represents the first ground-up affordable housing development in Decatur in decades. Phase I is a $27.9 million apartment community comprising 66 units, 40 of which Decatur Housing is supporting with project-based vouchers under its new Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract with HUD. The $21.5 million second phase will also comprise 66 units, 20 of which will have project-based vouchers. Decatur Housing was awarded Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to support both phases of Village at Legacy. The City of Decatur and the Decatur Housing Authority are providing additional capital. Other capital partners include Hudson Housing Capital, Advantage …
NEW YORK CITY — Merchants Capital has arranged $231 million in financing for Eastchester Gardens, an 877-unit affordable housing community in The Bronx. The 10-building development was originally constructed in 1950 and is home to nearly 2,000 people. The bulk of the financing consists of a $221.7 million, 30-year Freddie Mac CME permanent loan, proceeds of which will be used to fund capital improvements and preserve affordability of all units for renters earning 60 percent or less of the are median income. Capital improvements will include upgrades to heating, cooling, plumbing, lighting and electrical systems, as well as new flooring, kitchens and bathrooms and upgrades to common areas and outdoor spaces. In addition, Eastchester Gardens will be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, enabling the use of federal historic tax credits to support the property’s revitalization. The project team includes MDG Design + Construction, Infinite Horizons, Wavecrest Management and the New York City Housing Authority. Construction is underway and expected to be complete in 2028.
McDowell Housing Completes 160-Unit Affordable Seniors Housing Community in Naples, Florida
by John Nelson
NAPLES, FLA. — McDowell Housing Partners (MHP) has completed the construction of Ekos Cadenza, a 160-unit affordable seniors housing community in Naples. This marks MHP’s second phase of development at the site. The first phase, which also comprises 160 units of affordable housing for seniors, opened in October 2024. Totaling five stories, Ekos Cadenza features studio, one- and two-bedroom residences ranging from 527 to 1,007 square feet. Amenities include a swimming pool, wet bar, fitness center, game room, media center, pickleball court and clubhouse. The Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida will provide onsite healthcare services to residents, with Collier County administering a daily meal program. Nineteen apartments will be reserved for seniors earning at or below 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), and 119 units will be reserved for seniors earning at or below 60 percent of AMI. Monthly rents will range from $529 to $1,406.
DETROIT — KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) has provided $43.6 million in construction loans and arranged $7.6 million in permanent loans for the acquisition and rehabilitation of Lee Plaza in Detroit. The 15-story, Art Deco historical landmark will be transformed into housing for seniors and families. The property will include 182 units, of which 117 units will be restricted to individuals 55 years or older and 65 units available to families. All tenants are required to earn at or below 60 percent of the area median income. The project, which was acquired by the city and subdivided into three separate condo units, will be completed in three phases. KeyBank’s financing covers the first two phases — floors 2-5 and floors 6-10. The project received additional funding through historic tax credit equity totaling $46.7 million as well as low-income housing tax credit equity from other banks. The City of Detroit provided $27.7 million in soft financing and Invest Detroit and the Michigan State Housing and Development Agency also contributed to the project. The borrowers and developers, Ethos Development and The Roxbury Group, are Detroit-based real estate development firms. Kory Clark and Kyle Kolesar of KeyBank CDLI structured the financing.