SAN DIEGO — Berkadia, on behalf of sponsor Lincoln Avenue Communities, has arranged $151 million in financing for Sea Breeze Gardens, an affordable multifamily property in San Diego. The financing includes a $53.5 million Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity investment and $97.5 million in bonds that were credit enhanced by Freddie Mac. Situated within the Lincoln Park neighborhood of San Diego, Sea Breeze Gardens is a rehabilitation project and once complete will feature 268 units across 36 two-story walk-up residential buildings. The unit mix consists of 100 two-bedroom units and 168 three-bedroom units. Twenty-seven units will be designated for residents earning up to 30 percent area median income (AMI), 27 units at 50 percent AMI and 212 units at 60 percent AMI. Additionally, the property will offer three employee units, and the community will meet the requirements for mobility and sensory access with a total of 27 units for mobility impairment and 11 units for sensory impairment. Tim Leonhard and Chris McGraw of Berkadia secured the financing for the borrower.
CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO) and C&C Development have opened Pacific Wind, an affordable housing community in Carlsbad, approximately 30 miles north of San Diego. Located at 3875 Sydney Way, the 89-unit property replaced 22 1950s-era duplexes. Pacific Wind features five two- and three-story garden-style walk-up buildings with two play areas for low-income working families and individuals who make between 30 to 80 percent of area median income. The community is already fully leased to more than 300 residents. The property features a clubhouse with leasing and resident service offices, a multi-purpose room with a kitchen and a learning center. Funding sources for the $56 million project include Bank of America, California Municipal Finance Authority, City of Carlsbad and National Equity Fund, as well as federal tax credits. The project team included Bassenian Lagoni Architects, M Zaki Design, JAG Interiors, C&C Construction Services as general contractor, Candela Engineering as electrical engineer, Gouvis Engineering Consultants Group as structural engineer, SWS Engineering as civil engineer, TAD Engineering as MEP and VBK Consulting as project manager.
Affordable HousingBohlerContent PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesMidwestMultifamilyNortheastSoutheastTexasWestern
Cracking the Code: Winning Strategies for Affordable Housing in Any Market
Frustrated by high costs and a lending crunch for market-rate multifamily projects, savvy mainstream developers are seeking opportunities to build affordable housing. But what constitutes opportunity in a sector reliant on agency lending, community stakeholders and controlled rents? Definitions of “opportunity” in affordable housing vary widely, and favorable elements often involve additional and unique challenges. Not only must developers identify opportune site conditions, but they must also evaluate prospects to compete for funding, secure municipal approvals and win community support. And they need to complete the project within required timeframes in order for the asset to qualify as a good opportunity. REBusiness asked experts from two firms at the forefront of affordable housing development about what affordable housing “opportunity” looks like — and about the strategies they use to transform promising sites into viable projects. Beacon Communities is an established developer of affordable, market-rate and mixed-income housing, while Bohler’s land development consulting and site design services have helped clients identify and act on commercial real estate opportunities for more than 35 years. “We look at any development opportunity through three lenses,” says LeAnn Hanfield Curtin, vice president of development at Beacon. “Those are the availability of sites, ability to get …
CHICAGO — Chicago-based developer and property manager Habitat has opened OC Living, the first multifamily building at the $200 million Ogden Commons mixed-use development in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. Located at 1325 S. Washtenaw Ave., OC Living consists of 92 units, 90 percent of which are affordable. The four-story building features a mix of 23 studios, 60 one-bedroom units and nine two-bedroom apartments. Amenities include a rubber-surfaced children’s lot with play structures, bike racks, a walking path, landscaped lawn, 110 parking stalls, a package room, resident lounge, fitness center and social services offices. Developed by Habitat along with Sinai Health System, Alecko Capital and the City of Chicago, Ogden Commons is among the city’s largest opportunity zone projects. Upon full build-out, the development will consist of 120,000 square feet of commercial and retail space along with more than 350 mixed-income housing units. The first phase of Ogden Commons was a 45,000-square-foot commercial building completed in 2021 that is home to Sinai Health System’s One Lawndale Express Care Clinic, a Wintrust Bank branch, La Catedral Café & Restaurant and Momentum Coffee. The second phase is slated for completion by 2026. McHugh Construction and Bowa Construction are the general contractors. Bank of …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden administration has called on Congress to pass rent-control legislation that would affect more than 20 million rental homes across the country. Under the proposed rule, landlords with more than 50 units in their portfolios would forfeit federal tax breaks if they raise rents annually more than 5 percent on their existing units. If passed, this rule would be in force beginning this year and would last through 2026. The plan would include an exception for new construction and for units currently undergoing substantial renovation or rehabilitation. Failing to hit the 5 percent cap, owners would lose out on what’s known as “faster deprecation” write-offs. According to Investopedia, property owners can deduct market value loss and the costs of buying and improving a property from their taxes. Most multifamily industry leaders are against rent control for several reasons but chiefly because they say such measures reduce the incentive to build more housing or to renovate and improve existing properties. Ahead of the White House’s announcement, which was released this morning, numerous public policy groups spoke out against the proposal. “This legislative proposal will not create a single new unit while raising costs on the very residents …
ANNVILLE, PA. — Berkadia has arranged $12.8 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity financing for Carmany Place Apartments, a 48-unit affordable housing project in Annville, an eastern suburb of Harrisburg. The property will consist of three buildings with 30 two-bedroom units and 18 three-bedroom units that will be reserved for households earning between 20 and 80 percent of the area median income. Brian Blanchard of Berkadia secured the equity on behalf of the sponsor, Völker Development. Fulton Bank purchased the tax credits and also provided construction debt for the project.
Merchants Capital Provides $17.1M for Construction of Supportive Housing Development in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — Merchants Capital has provided $17.1 million in construction financing for The Marvetta & Anthony Grimes Family Center, a 36-unit supportive housing development in Indianapolis. The property will serve households recovering from addiction. Merchants Capital provided $9.5 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) equity financing, and Merchants Bank provided a $7.6 million equity bridge loan. Financing from The Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority included a $750,000 Development Fund Loan in addition to 9 percent LIHTC financing as part of the Emerging Developer 2023 Rental Housing Tax Credit General Set-Aside. Additional partners included First Merchants Bank and The National Bank of Indianapolis. The developer, 2 Thirty-Eight Properties LLC, is building the project in collaboration with Seeds of Hope to accommodate a shortage of recovery centers in the area. RealAmerica Cos. is the development consultant and general contractor. RealAmerica Management will serve as the property manager. Volunteers of America Ohio and Indiana and Seeds of Hope will provide onsite services and support for families in recovery, and St. Mary’s Early Childhood Center will provide daycare services. The development will comprise two two-story buildings with 24 two-bedroom units, 12 three-bedroom units and an onsite daycare center. Tenants will be referred …
DALLAS — Locally based developer Mintwood Real Estate has begun leasing Oakhouse, a 219-unit mixed-income residential project in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. Mintwood developed the project in partnership with Mirasol Capital and New York City-based MSquared. Approximately half the units are reserved for households earning 80 percent or less of the area median income. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, dog park, children’s play area and a resident lounge. WDG Associates designed the project, and Rogers O’Brien served as the general contractor. Independent Financial provided construction financing.
STAFFORD, TEXAS — Hunt Capital Partners has arranged $13.2 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity financing for the construction of Oak Lofts Crossing for Seniors, a 60-unit affordable property that will be located in the southwestern Houston suburb of Stafford. Oaklake Community Housing Development Corp. (OCHDC) is the borrower. Comprising a four-story, mid-rise building, the development will offer a mix of one- and two-bedroom homes for those who earn up to 30, 50 and 60 percent of the area median income (AMI). Amegy Bank also provided $10.5 million in construction financing for the project, and Legacy Bank & Trust provided $2.6 million in permanent financing.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Reps. Mike Carey (R-Ohio) and Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) have proposed a bill to address the housing crisis in the United States. Dubbed the Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act, the bill would include a 20 percent tax credit for expenses attendant upon converting certain underutilized or vacant commercial property older than 20 years for residential use. Additionally, the legislation includes a stipulation that 20 percent of the converted residential units be designated for residents earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), as well as incentives for rural and economically distressed areas and the ability to combine existing historic tax credits and other state and municipality incentives. NAIOP (National Association for Industrial and Office Parks) commended the proposed legislation, with president and CEO Marc Selvitelli stating that it “will spur the conversion of vacant spaces that can stimulate local economies and begin to address the housing crisis in communities across the United States.”