Greystone Arranges $168.6M Financing for Recapitalization of 26 Affordable Housing Properties in Georgia

NEW YORK — New York-based Greystone Affordable Development has arranged $168.6 million in financing for the recapitalization of 26 affordable housing properties located across 17 counties in Georgia. The financing, which combined both public and private funding, was arranged on behalf of the owner, The Hallmark Cos. The financing package included $54.3 million in tax-exempt bonds from the Housing Authority of Macon-Bibb County; 4 percent in low income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) purchased by Boston Financial Investment Management, generating $54 million in capital contributions; a $28 million loan through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Section 515; $27.3 million in USDA Section 538 loans provided by Greystone Servicing Corp. Inc.; and $5 million in excess reserves, project operations, investment income and deferred developer fees. Hallmark will substantially renovate the portfolio’s interiors and exteriors over the next two years. Planned renovations focus on modernizing the properties — built between the late 1970s and mid-1990s — and addressing accessibility, functional obsolescence and deterioration. The owner plans to achieve overall energy savings of at least 20 percent at each property through the use of Energy Star-certified appliances and windows.