Affordable Housing

Residences-Durango-CO

DURANGO, COLO. — TWG has started the development of Residences at Durango, a $35 million affordable multifamily community at 21382 US 160 W. in Durango, a small city in southwestern Colorado. Partners on the project include the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, R4 Capital, Colorado Division of Housing, the City of Durango, Project Moxie and RCH Jones. Residences at Durango is an adaptive reuse of a former hotel, which will be converted into 72 studio, one- and two-bedroom units. The new construction will add two three-story buildings, with two- and three-bedroom options, adding an additional 48 apartments. Each unit is restricted to families with incomes ranging from 30 to 60 percent of the area median income or less.   Community amenities will include a business center, exercise facility, central laundry facility, playground, picnic area and common area Wi-Fi. Construction is slated for completion by early 2025.

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MIAMI — Related Urban, the affordable housing and mixed-income division of Related Group, has opened Robert King High and Paseo Del Rio, two newly completed affordable housing communities in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. The 315-unit Robert King High project is the substantial rehab of an elderly public housing high-rise built in 1964. The property is reserved for low-income seniors housing citizens and comprises residential towers, a one-story clubhouse that was also overhauled and a 1,500-square-foot convenience store. Paseo del Rio is a 182-unit, seven-story residential tower reserved for households earning 30, 60 and 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). Amenities will include a multipurpose room, fitness center, business center, dog park, bike storage, outdoor grill areas, resident courtyard and a 3,000-square-foot Pinecrest Bakery shop, which is set to open in early 2024. Robert King High and Paseo del Rio are now fully leased and occupied. The properties represent the fourth and fifth phases of the River Parc master plan, which will ultimately comprise 2,500 affordable housing, workforce housing and market-rate apartments. Full completion of the master plan’s 10 phases is slated for 2027.

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Serenity-Liberty-Square_Miami

MIAMI — Related Urban Development Group (RUDG), the affordable housing arm of Related Group, has broken ground on Phase 4 of the 60-acre Liberty Square redevelopment in Miami. Dubbed Serenity Liberty Square, the fourth phase will comprise 193 residential units across three buildings for families and individuals earning 30 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). Upon completion, which is scheduled for March 2025, the property will also feature the Jessie Trice Healthcare Center, as well as the new headquarters of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce. Funding for Liberty Square Phase Four includes tax-exempt bonds, low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity and funds from the Florida Housing State Apartment Incentive Loan Program (SAIL) and Miami-Dade County Surtax. The Liberty Square redevelopment will total nine phases and comprise roughly 1,900 new residential units, renovations to the Liberty Square Community Center, a new educational center, green spaces and a grocery store. 

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CARTERET, N.J. — Greystone has provided a $21.6 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Roosevelt Village Apartments, a 101-unit affordable housing complex in the Central New Jersey community of Carteret. Built in 1969, the complex consists of 10 buildings on a 5.2-acre site that house one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Specific income restrictions were not disclosed. The nonrecourse, fixed-rate loan was structured with a 10-year term, 35-year amortization schedule and seven years of interest-only payments. Ryan Harkins of Greystone originated the financing on behalf of the borrower, Tryko Partners.

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Marine-Drive-Apartments-Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Chicago-based multifamily developer and manager The Habitat Co. has received approval from the Buffalo Common Council for a $400 million affordable housing redevelopment project. The site at 205 Marine Drive currently houses a seven-building, 616-unit waterfront apartment complex that was originally constructed as affordable housing in 1952. The development team, which includes Duvernay + Brooks and the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, plans to convert the property into a 700-unit affordable housing complex. Phase I of the redevelopment includes construction of a mix of new towers on the surface parking lot adjacent to its current buildings. The initial phase will feature low-, mid- and high-rise buildings, a parking garage and commercial space. Construction is expected to begin in late 2024. With approval for planned unit development now secured, the development team is focused on getting final design approval from the city and filing financing applications with the state of New York by the end of 2023. Full completion of the redevelopment is slated for 2029. Financing for the project included Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Equity, tax credits from the New York State Brownfield program and debt from the New York State Housing Finance Agency.

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Sangre-de-Cristo-Apts-Santa-Fe-NM

SANTA FE, N.M. — Community Preservation Partners (CPP) has entered the Santa Fe market with the acquisition and planned renovation of two multifamily communities — Sangre De Cristo Apartments and Santa Fe Apartments. Once renovated, the two communities will be restricted to households earning 60 percent or less of the area median gross income and will continue to benefit from project-based rental assistance. Located at 255 Camino Alire, Santa Fe Apartments features 64 units and was built in 1968. Sangre De Cristo Apartments, located at 1801 Espinacitas St., offers 164 units. Both communities offer one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, with Sangre De Cristo also offering four-bedroom units. Renovation costs are estimated at $96,700 per unit. CPP’s total investment for both properties is approximately $93.7 million, which includes the combined purchase price of $41.8 million. CPP expects to complete renovations by December 2024. Project partners include the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, US Bank and KeyBank.

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John Ducey Walker & Dunlop agency financing affordable housing

There are a variety of ways to build affordable housing, but implementing these strategies has become an increasingly difficult proposition in 2023. Affordable housing projects seem to face challenges on every front. Generally affordable housing developers will: Despite intensifying renter demand for new units, developers are struggling to make their projects financially feasible, says John Ducey, chief production officer in the affordable lending group at Walker & Dunlop. “Affordable housing developers are facing some of the toughest headwinds I’ve seen in more than 20 years in the industry,” Ducey says. “That means developers are forced  to work harder than ever to structure deals that stretch scarce housing subsidies and maximize agency financing.” Challenging Conditions One impediment to affordable housing efforts is reduced future rent levels, related to area median income (AMI) caps the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) imposed recently on LIHTC properties in many markets in the United States. The unexpectedly restrictive caps forced developers to slash revenue projections, scuttling some transactions and forcing many loan applicants to renegotiate or seek alternative financing to salvage deals. On the expense side, inflation and the labor crunch continue to drive up costs for new construction, renovation of older affordable …

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Aloha-la-Halewiliko-Honolulu-HI

HONOLULU — EAH Housing has broken ground on Aloha Iā Halewilikō, a 140-unit affordable seniors housing community in the Aiea neighborhood of Honolulu. The City and County of Honolulu are providing the land for the development. Other partners on the $62 million project include Hawai‘i Housing Finance & Development Corp. (HHFDC), the Bank of Hawai‘i and U.S. Bank. The development has been in planning stages for five years and is scheduled for completion in 2025. Located in a residential neighborhood adjacent to ‘Aiea Public Library on the former site of  ‘Aiea Sugar Mill, Aloha Iā Halewilikō fulfills a part of the ‘Aiea Town Center Master Plan. The project is within walking distance to public transportation. A total of 13 units will be set aside for households with incomes at or below 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), 75 units for households with incomes at or below 50 percent of AMI, and 51 units for households with incomes at or below 60 percent of AMI. EAH is partnering with Lanakila Pacific, a local nonprofit services organization, which will provide access to its Meals on Wheels program. In Hawai‘i, EAH Housing currently manages 23 properties with over 2,700 units. The …

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Tompkins-Terrace-Beacon-New-York

BEACON, N.Y. — KeyBank has provided $41.2 million in financing for Tompkins Terrace, a 193-unit affordable housing complex in Beacon, about 65 north of Manhattan. The financing consists of $17.1 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity and a $24.1 million Fannie Mae permanent loan. The borrower, New York City-based Related Affordable, will use the proceeds to acquire the property, fund capital improvements and preserve the affordability status. Tompkins Terrace was originally built on 16.3 acres in 1973 and last renovated in 2008. Units are reserved for households earning 50 to 60 percent or less of the area median income.

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NEW YORK CITY — Soloviev Group has announced plans for two residential towers in Manhattan as a part of the Freedom Plaza mixed-use development, a six-acre, three-block project proposed along the East River in Manhattan. The two high-rise buildings will offer 1,325 residential units, including 513 affordable units. Current plans for Freedom Plaza feature 4.8 acres of publicly accessible green space; a hotel; retail and restaurant space; a museum; the residential towers; and a casino. Local news outlets report that adding affordable housing to the development plans is a move to improve the proposal’s attractiveness amid opposition to the casino component. Soloviev is developing the casino in partnership with global entertainment owner and operator Mohegan. Mohegan is an extension of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut.  The planned affordable housing component of the development will comply with New York City’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing rules, as well as all other applicable affordability guidelines. Nearly 40 percent of the total unit count will be permanently affordable and reserved for residents earning 80 percent or below the area median income. According to Soloviev Group, the proposed project will be among Manhattan’s largest inclusionary housing initiatives. “Affordable housing, specifically the creation of new …

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