OHIO, INDIANA AND TENNESSEE — Lument has provided four loans totaling $11.5 million on behalf of United Church Homes, a nonprofit that has developed more than 2,700 residential units and specializes in affordable and mixed-income apartment communities. Paul Weissman and Andy Nicoll of Lument originated the FHA Section 223(f) loans. The four loans include $1.8 million for Pickfair Square, a 33-unit property in Pickerington, Ohio; $4.8 million for Salem Manor, an 84-unit property in Fort Wayne, Ind.; $2.3 million for Fox Hollow, a 40-unit community in Covington, Tennessee; and $2.5 million for Canal Village, a 45-unit asset in Canal Winchester, Ohio. Loan proceeds enable the borrower to make significant repairs to the units.
CHICAGO — The NHP Foundation (NHPF) has opened Covent Apartments, a project that involved the redevelopment of Covent Hotel, a single-room occupancy (SRO) property in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The 30-unit affordable housing property marks NHPF’s second SRO property in Chicago. SRO housing is defined as a residential property that includes multiple single-room dwelling units, according to HUD. Each unit is for occupancy by a single eligible individual. The total development cost was $21.6 million, including $7.9 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and historic tax credits, $5 million of City Home and Affordable Housing Opportunity Funds, $3.1 million in Illinois Housing Development Authority Permanent Supportive Housing Funds and $4.9 million from a HUD/FHA loan. The project also received a $698,910 Affordable Housing Program General Fund grant from FHLBank Chicago. The Chicago Housing Authority contributed 30 project-based vouchers for the property. In addition to the 30 units, Covent features onsite laundry facilities, a community room and an outdoor space. The property also includes three retail spaces totaling 4,700 square feet. Linn-Mathes was the general contractor, and Weese, Langley, Weese served as architect. R4 Capital was the tax credit investor and Merchants Capital was the lender.
SAVANNAH, GA. — CBRE has provided a $27.7 million acquisition loan for Canvas at Savannah, a 300-unit, garden-style affordable housing community located at 5110 Garrard Ave. in Savannah. Blake Cohen of CBRE’s Atlanta office originated the Freddie Mac loan on behalf of the borrower, Miami-based One Real Estate Investment. The seller was not disclosed. Built in 2003 and recently renovated, Canvas at Savannah features one-, two- and three-bedroom units averaging a little more than 1,000 square feet in size. Amenities include a fitness center, coffee bar, package lockers and a resort-style swimming pool.
FORT WAYNE, IND. — Merchants Capital has provided $17.4 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity financing for the construction of Reserve on Park Place, an affordable seniors housing community in Fort Wayne. Brown Capital Group, Leo Brown Group and Rogers Development Group are developing the 187-unit property. Restricted to seniors age 55 and older, the three-story community will feature 15 studios, 136 one-bedroom units and 36 two-bedroom units for residents earning up to 80 percent of the area median income. The units are designed to support senior and special needs with features such as handrails, grab bars, intercoms, limited access and video surveillance. Completion is slated for April 2025.
CHICAGO — The NHP Foundation (NHPF) has completed a major renovation of the Edwin C. Berry Manor Apartments in Chicago. The Section 8 seniors housing property is located at 737 E. 69th St. The rehabilitation project was made possible by a financial partnership between HUD, Merchants Capital, Illinois Housing Development Authority, National Affordable Housing Trust and UnitedHealth Group. The 57-unit community, built in 1991, marks the fourth property that NHPF has acquired or built in Chicago in the last five years and the first specifically for seniors. The units are fully leased. The project team included Weese Langley Weese, Burling Builders Inc., Solis Construction and baso ltd. Operation Pathways, a subsidiary of NHPF, will provide social and enrichment services to the residents. An onsite resident services coordinator will work with residents to support aging well in their independent living spaces.
HOLYOKE, MASS. — WinnDevelopment has broken ground on a $55.3 million affordable seniors housing project in the western Massachusetts city of Holyoke. The project will convert a historic mill complex into 88 affordable apartment homes for seniors ages 55 and older. The redevelopment of the Appleton Mill property in downtown Holyoke will create new loft-style apartments in three interconnected, 111-year-old industrial buildings that were once home to the Farr Alpaca Co. and have been vacant for decades. In addition, WinnDevelopment will construct a new community building and connect it to the residential space via a closed skybridge spanning nearby railroad tracks. All 88 apartments will be reserved for low- and moderate-income seniors, with 12 units reserved for households earning below 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), 63 for those below 60 percent of AMI, and 13 for households below 80 percent of AMI. Delivery is slated for spring 2025.
WINDSOR, MASS. — MassHousing has provided $7.5 million in financing for Prospect Estates, a 25-unit multifamily property located in the western Massachusetts community of Windsor. The borrower, Affordable Housing & Services Collaborative, will use the proceeds to acquire and renovate the property. NEI General Contracting will handle renovations, which will include upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms, as well as building systems and exterior components. The development team will also preserve historic elements of the original structures, such as windows and wood flooring, and add a management office.
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How to Clear Affordable Housing’s Construction Financing Hurdle
Developers are finding it tougher than ever to finance affordable housing. And often, the biggest hurdle for the sector’s borrowers involves construction — either obtaining that initial loan at a manageable cost or qualifying for take-out financing after a protracted construction period — which has strained resources and delivery schedules for a number of developments. Limitations on rent increases make the industry especially vulnerable to rising costs, and expenses today have risen precipitously across the board. Rents have also grown, but not on pace with construction and operating costs driven up by inflation, wage pressures, soaring insurance premiums and a series of interest rate hikes, observes Tracy Peters, a senior managing director on Lument’s affordable housing production team. “Borrowers are squeezed by a number of things in this marketplace,” Peters says. “The fed funds rate climbing 5 percent over the last two years means the interest rates on construction loans have basically come up 5 percent or more over that time. Now folks who had budgeted for a much lower interest rate — if they are still in construction mode — are trying to figure out how to deal with these higher interest rates.” At the same time, the …
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILL. — Housing Trust Group (HTG) has opened Crescent Place, an $18.2 million affordable housing community in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights. The community marks HTG’s entry into the Illinois market. HTG developed the property in partnership with nonprofit developer Turnstone Development Corp. Crescent Place offers 40 units that are reserved for residents who earn up to 60 percent of the area median income. Monthly rents range from $621 to $1,489, while units range from 646 to 880 square feet. Amenities at the four-story development include a community room, library, computer café, fitness room, resident garden, outdoor patio, tenant storage compartments, bicycle storage and 80 outdoor parking spaces. Funding for Crescent Place included a $10.9 million construction loan and a $1.6 million permanent loan from BMO Harris Bank; $12.1 million in 9 percent Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity from National Equity Fund; $4 million from the COVID-19 Affordable Housing Grant Program provided by the Illinois Housing Development Authority; and a $110,214 ComEd grant for building according to Energy Star efficient standards. The project team included general contractor Henry Bros Co., civil engineer Groundwork, landscape architect Krogstad Land Design, architect UrbanWorks Architecture, interior designer Frosolone Interiors, …
PHOENIX — Pennrose, Butler Housing Co., CBC Financing Corp., the City of Phoenix, the Arizona Department of Housing and additional project partners have broken ground on Garfield Housing Phase II, an affordable housing community for low-income seniors in Phoenix’s Garfield neighborhood. The project is located at 1510 E. Portland St. Located adjacent to the Garfield Commons affordable housing community, the second phase will deliver 60 affordable apartments with community amenities and on-site supportive services for seniors age 55 or older. Completion is slated for winter 2024. The four-story, 58,000-square-foot community will include a mix of studio and one-bedroom apartments available to residents earning between 20 percent and 60 percent of the area median income. Additionally, the energy-efficient project will meet National Green Building Standards and offer a variety of amenities, including a fitness room, management suite, multi-purpose room, outdoor recreation area with seating, and parking. Bank of America (LIHTC equity and construction loan), Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust (permanent loan) and the City of Phoenix (HOME loan) provided financing for the $28 million project. U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego’s office also arranged $500,000 in Congressional Program Funds for the development.
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