EL CAJON, CALIF. — Community Preservation Partners (CPP) and The Hampstead Cos., as co-developer, have purchased Lexington Green Apartments, an affordable housing complex in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon, for $52.8 million. Details of the transaction were not released. Originally built in 1970, the 144-unit property last underwent a tax credit renovation in 2007, which replaced some of the original building systems. The property consists of 12 residential buildings. CPP’s total planned development investment is approximately $80 million, with estimated renovation costs exceeding $80,000 per unit. The renovations will exceed the 10 percent energy savings requirement from the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee through new energy-efficient vinyl retrofit windows, water heaters, Energy Star appliances and energy-efficient LED light fixtures. Additional upgrades will include dry rot repair, floor replacement, new cabinets and countertops. ADA-complaint upgrades will be made for units and path of travel throughout the property. Renovations are scheduled for completion by August 2025. With CPP’s involvement, the property’s previously expired affordability status will be extended until 2044 under a renewed Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment contract. CPP and The Hampstead Cos. are partnering with LifeSTEPS to provide instructor-led adult educational classes, including financial literacy, computer training, resume building, …
Affordable Housing
Bridge Housing, R.D. Olson Construction Complete 69-Unit Affordable Seniors Housing Complex in Pasadena, California
by Amy Works
PASADENA, CALIF. — Bridge Housing, with R.D. Olson Construction as general contractor, has opened Heritage Square South, an affordable seniors housing community in Pasadena, a northeastern suburb of Los Angeles. Heritage Square South features 70 one- and two-bedroom units, 24-hour security, 3,817 square feet of outdoor lounging areas, two flex rooms and a community room. The property also features solar power operations, producing 196,400 kWh of electricity annually.
NEW YORK CITY — J.P. Morgan has provided a $210 million Freddie Mac loan for the refinancing of a portfolio of 12 transitional and affordable housing properties in New York City. The properties are scattered throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx and total 1,115 units across approximately 304,000 square feet. Each property is leased to a unique nonprofit operator and backed by a contract with the New York City Department of Homeless Services. The loan carries a seven-year term and a fixed interest rate. The borrower is a partnership between two locally based firms, developer Slate Property Group and alternative asset management firm Fundamental Advisors.
CHICAGO — The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago) has launched the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Collateral Pilot Program, which provides members with increased lendable value on their pledged collateral for up to $300 million of qualifying mortgage loans on LIHTC multifamily projects. Through member banks, credit unions, insurance companies, community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and eligible housing associates, the program aims to amplify and incentivize lending in support of affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. While all FHLBank Chicago members are eligible to participate, up to $200 million of the LIHTC Collateral Pilot Program funding will be reserved for members with assets under $1.46 billion, including CDFIs. The LIHTC program is a key federal tax policy designed to incentivize private investment in the development and preservation of affordable rental housing in the United States for lower-income households. Loans needed to fund LIHTC projects are often sold to investors for securitization, but projects meeting local or specialized needs may have smaller loan amounts that can be challenging and more expensive to finance, since the lender may have to hold the loans in their portfolio. “Our members are working to address needs and gaps in affordable housing …
WASHINGTON, D.C. —The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) recently published that multifamily originations totaled $246.2 billion in 2023, a 49 percent decline compared to 2022 and below its April estimation of $264 billion. Additionally, the Washington, D.C.-based organization said that 51 percent of active lenders made five or fewer multifamily loans last year. While a step back in terms of loan volume, the multifamily sector still stands out relative to other property types as the sector represented more than 60 percent of all commercial real estate loans provided in 2023, according to an MBA report in April. Chris Flynn, senior vice president and multifamily chief underwriter for Fannie Mae Multifamily, says that it’s important to keep that in perspective as all loans for all commercial real estate asset classes declined in 2023. “Multifamily was seen as an attractive asset class among the commercial real estate sectors in 2023 and was viewed as relatively more stable, from an investment perspective, compared to office, retail, and industrial,” says Flynn. The agencies didn’t take any breaks last year as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac combined to generate 42 percent of all 2023 multifamily loans, according to the MBA, which tracks loans made on multifamily …
HOUSTON — A partnership between the Harris County Housing Authority, OCI Development, Harris County Housing & Community Development and Atlantic Pacific Cos. has broken ground on a 192-unit affordable housing project in Houston. The Residences at Arbor Oaks is located on the city’s northwest side and consists of 84 two-bedroom and 108 three-bedroom units that are reserved for households earning between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, business center, outdoor grilling and dining stations and a children’s play area. Residents will also have access to a community center facility. Wells Fargo and Citibank contributed to the financing of the project, which also received a $12 million Community Development Block Grant as part of a program that provides funding for damages caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Multifamily lending declined 49 percent year-over-year in 2023, according to a report by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Lenders provided a total $246.2 billion for apartment buildings with five or more units last year, with 51 percent of active lenders making five or fewer multifamily loans throughout the year. The Washington, D.C.-based organization previously estimated that multifamily originations totaled $264 billion. By volume, the top five multifamily lenders in 2023 included Berkadia, Walker & Dunlop, JP Morgan Chase & Co., CBRE and Greystone. Nearly half (42 percent) of the dollar volume went to the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. “The analysis shows that even with the drop in activity, the multifamily lending market remains broad and deep, with more than 2,500 different lenders making more than 36,000 mortgage loans backed by multifamily properties,” says Jamie Woodwell, MBA’s head of commercial real estate research. The MBA report is based on its surveys of the larger multifamily lenders and the recently released Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data that covers multifamily loans made by many smaller lenders, particularly commercial banks.
By Derrick Barker, founder and CEO, Nectar Many founders and CEOs in commercial real estate have seen their fair share of market cycles. Analyzing today’s affordable housing crisis within the current multifamily rental market lends itself to sharing personal insights and most importantly, discussing how we can address these challenges head-on. A Cautionary Tale from 2013 Consider this personal story as anecdotal evidence. In 2013, this writer, a private investor at the time, acquired an apartment complex in Austell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. It was a prime investment: cash-flowing and competitively priced due to it being a buyer’s market. For a while, we were the crown jewel of the submarket, which gave us a competitive advantage when leasing. But the tide turned quickly. Neighboring properties that were previously underperforming sold at discounts. New owners used their cost savings to renovate and undercut our rental rates. Suddenly, our competitive edge vanished, and we found ourselves with overpriced, outdated units. This experience imparted a crucial lesson: In real estate, you must always be prepared for market shifts — because the market ALWAYS shifts. Fast forward to today, and we’re seeing some eerily familiar patterns in the following areas: The Developer’s Dilemma …
DAVENPORT, FLA. — JLL has arranged a $69.6 million loan for the refinancing for Phase I of Atlantica at Town Center, a multifamily community located at 1121 Loblolly Lane in the Orlando suburb of Davenport. Phase I of the property, which was delivered in December 2022, comprises 360 units. Gregory Nalbandian, Kenny Cutler and Josh Odessky of JLL arranged the two-year, floating-rate bridge loan through Timbercreek Capital on behalf of the borrowers, Sovereign Properties and Invest Capital Group. Atlantica at Town Center features one-, two- and three-bedroom units ranging in size from 683 to 1,435 square feet, as well as a resort-style pool, gaming lawn, dog park, pet spa, fitness center, yoga and spin room, demonstration kitchen and coworking space.
NEW YORK CITY — A joint venture between nonprofit developer Community Access, affordable housing developers Spatial Equity and Duvernay + Brooks, as well as neighborhood preservation organization Cooper Square Committee, has acquired the site of the former St. Emeric church in Manhattan’s East Village. According to Wikipedia, the former Roman Catholic church was originally built around 1950 and closed in 2013 when the Parish of St. Emeric merged with that of nearby St. Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church. The joint venture plans to build more than 500 affordable housing units on the site, including homes for senior New Yorkers, formerly homeless individuals and those with special needs who qualify for supportive services. The development team expects to break ground on the first phase of the redevelopment in 2026 and may also pursue rezoning through a land use review process for the second phase. Denham Wolf Real Estate Services marketed the property for sale on behalf of the parish, which is overseen by The Archdiocese of New York.