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 …
Multifamily
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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 …
GLENDALE, ARIZ. — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap, has arranged the sale of Glen 91, an apartment community in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale. HCW sold the asset to Bridge Investment Group for $76.5 million, $258,446 per unit. Steve Gebing and Cliff David of IPA represented the seller and procured the buyer in the deal. Completed in 2023, Glen 91 features 296 apartments, a resort-style swimming pool, hammock garden, covered parking and attached garages. Apartments offer nine-foot ceilings, laundry rooms with full-size washers/dryers and walk-in closets with built-in shelving.
American Capital, Clarion Partners to Develop 316-Unit Enso Multifamily Project in Lynnwood, Washington
by Amy Works
LYNNWOOD, WASH. — American Capital Group and Clarion Partners have formed a joint venture to develop Enso, an apartment community in Lynnwood, approximately 15 miles north of Seattle. Pacific Life Insurance Co. served as construction lender for the project, with construction scheduled to commence in August for completion in summer 2026. Located at 4001 198th St. SW, Enso will feature 312 apartments, more than 4,200 square feet of retail space, ample parking, a 2,600-square-foot co-working space, a 3,000-square-foot fitness facility, a 2,400-square-foot game lounge and a 2,600-square-foot resident lounge, as well as a dog wash and bike storage.
MorningStar, Haselden Open 160-Unit Seniors Housing Community in Fort Collins, Colorado
by Amy Works
FORT COLLINS, COLO. — Co-developers MorningStar Senior Living and Haselden Real Estate Development have opened MorningStar at Old Town, a seniors housing property in Fort Collins. The companies partnered with local landowner and developer J.D. Padilla to develop the asset in Old Town Fort Collins. Located at 360 Tenney Court, MorningStar at Old Town features 160 units for independent living, assisted living and memory care in a four-story residential building. The community offers an indoor pool, a fitness center, therapy space, theatre/chapel and wine tasting room, as well as The Sky Terrace with patios and courtyards in an outdoor space. Project partners included Hord Coplan Macht as architect, Haselden as general contractor and Thoma-Holec as interior designer.
Excelsa Acquires 477-Unit Drake at St. Pete Multifamily Community in St. Petersburg, Plans $8M Renovation
by John Nelson
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — Excelsa Properties has acquired The Drake at St. Pete, a 477-unit multifamily community located at 1699 68th St. in St. Petersburg. Built in 1972, the Tampa Bay-area property comprises 36 residential buildings with a clubhouse and leasing center. Amenities at the community include a 24-hour fitness center, three swimming pools, two dog parks and a picnic area. Excelsa plans to spend $8 million on improvements at the property, which marks the sixth multifamily property to be acquired within its Excelsa U.S. Real Estate II fund. The seller and sales price of The Drake at St. Pete were not disclosed.
DWG Capital Partners, Dorado Holdings Purchase 96-Unit Greenbriar Apartments in Montgomery, Alabama
by John Nelson
MONTGOMERY, ALA. — DWG Capital Partners and Dorado Holdings have purchased Greenbriar Apartments, a 96-unit multifamily community in Montgomery. Located at 4604 Virginia Loop Road, the property features 13 two-story buildings situated on 5.4 acres. Insight Management Group sold the community for an undisclosed price. Jonny Easterling of Wiley Real Estate Group represented the seller in the transaction.
PHILADELPHIA — Walker & Dunlop Inc. has provided a $285.5 million loan for the refinancing of Vantage and The View at Montgomery, two student housing properties located on Temple University’s campus in Philadelphia. The Class A communities total 1,816 beds. Completed in 2019, Vantage rises 19 stories with 368 units. The property features more than 30,000 square feet of amenity space, retail offerings and floor plans ranging from studios to four bedrooms. Opened in 2014, The View at Montgomery includes 238 units and is located in the center of Temple University’s main campus. The 14-story building features studios through four-bedroom layouts. The Goldenberg Group acquired the site for Vantage and The View at Montgomery in 2008 as part of a multi-phase student housing project to bring much-needed rental product to Temple University. Walker & Dunlop’s multifamily finance and capital markets teams originated the seven-year, fixed-rate loans through Freddie Mac on behalf of The Goldenberg Group. Additionally, Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners (WDIP) provided a preferred equity investment as part of the refinancings. “In the face of macro headwinds stemming from the financial crisis, the COVID pandemic and nationwide enrollment pressure, the student housing sector has proven its resiliency time and …
Alliance Residential Opens 300-Unit Prose Horizons Village Apartment Community in Central Florida
by John Nelson
WINTER GARDEN, FLA. — Multifamily developer Alliance Residential Co. has opened Prose Horizons Village, a 300-unit apartment community located at 16810 Easthampstead Road in Winter Garden, approximately 16 miles northwest of Orlando. The property features one- and two-bedroom residences averaging 1,008 square feet in size. Amenities at the community include a clubroom, business center, package locker system, pool, fitness center and a pet park. The developer also recently opened Prose Cypress Pointe in nearby Winter Haven, Fla.
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 …