The “new generation” of affordable housing developed by non-profit developers uses high quality design standards, is well-managed and often provides needed services for residents. The richness and variety of affordable housing today is evident when visiting the developments. What follows is a brief tour of affordable properties recently built or rehabilitated. The profiles are just a few examples of how local non- profit developers are creating vibrant communities, and stabilizing and investing in neighborhoods.
Percy Abram Jr. Senior Apartments
Address: 1094 Alcatraz Avenue, Oakland, CA, Alameda County
Developer: Christian Church Homes
Financing Package: HUD Section 202 Capital Advance and Project- Based Rental Assistance ContractFederal HOME funds administered by City of Oakland Community and Economic Development Agency City of Oakland Development Agency Tax-Increment Housing Set- Aside Funds Alameda County Social Services Agency Grant An Affordable Housing Program grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and Bank of the West Donations from the Percy Abram, Jr. Memorial Fund
Architect: Kodama Diseno Architects
Contractor: J.H. Fitzmaurice Construction
Type of Housing: Senior Housing
Completion Date: August 15, 2006
Percy Abram, Jr. Senior Apartments is the new construction of a HUD Section 202 senior apartment complex in Oakland designed to promote independent living. All 45 units are reserved for seniors earning at or below 50 percent of area median income. No household will pay more than 30 percent of their monthly income for rent and utilities combined.
Percy Abram, Jr. is located adjacent to Sister Thea Bowman Manor, a HUD Section 202 facility. The two facilities create an expanded senior community, linked by a landscaped interior courtyard and sharing on-site staff. Percy Abram, Jr. has been designed to promote “aging-in-place,” and features accessible, adaptable apartments and an on-site Social Service Coordinator.
Sacramento Senior Homes
Address: 1501 Blake Street, Berkeley, CA, Alameda County
Developer: Affordable Housing Associates
Financing Package: City of Berkeley, Enterprise Community Partners, US Bank Commercial Real Estate, State of California Housing and Community Development-MHP, Federal Home Loan Bank, Alameda County
Architect: McCamant and Durrett Architects
Contractor: BBI Construction
Type of Housing: New construction, with podium
Completion Date: October 2006
The completion of Sacramento Senior Homes in fall 2006 was a victory over intense community opposition which held up the project for two years with lawsuits. All 40 units are fully occupied with very low-income seniors. This beautiful building, which was recognized with an award by Berkeley Design Advocates, has proven to be a true asset to the community. It incorporates innovative green technology, including solar panels into its design, and is enriched with much-needed services for its residents.
Sara Connor Court
Address: 32540 Pulaski Drive, Hayward, CA, Alameda County
Developer: Eden Housing, Inc.
Financing Package: City of Hayward HOME, City of Hayward CDBG, Redevelopment Agency of the City of Hayward, Lenders for Community Development, Silicon Valley Bank, Enterprise Social Investment Corp, Green Building in Alameda County, Bay- Friendly Landscaping, Enterprise Green Communities Grant, Home Depot Foundation’s Affordable Housing Built Responsibly Grant
Architect: Pyatok Architects; Peter Waller, Principal
Contractor: Segue Construction, Inc. (Kirk A. Wallis, President; David Dunlop, Project Executive; Erick Hockaday, Project Manager)
Type of Housing: One large podium building houses half the units and most of the parking. This building and three smaller garden-style buildings frame a lushly landscaped open space featuring a playground, barbeque and picnic area.
Population served: The 57-unit development provides one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes for families with incomes at or below 60% of the area median income.
Completion Date: August 29, 2006
Sara Conner Court is a new 57-unit family apartment community named in honor of Sara Zimmerman Conner, a long-time Eden Housing board member and a dedicated and active volunteer and participant in Hayward civic life. This 30 du/acre infill development reclaimed a brownfield site formerly used as a gas station and dry cleaner, thanks to a $650,000 cleanup. Build It Green awarded the development 72 points through its GreenPoint Rated program in recognition of the development’s incorporation of green building principles in its design, sitework, structure, systems and finishes. The green design features were made possible through the joint efforts of the developer, architect and contractor and were supported by grants and technical assistance.
Lincoln Oak Apartments
Address: 40852 Lincoln Street, Fremont, CA, Alameda County
Developers: Housing Consortium of the East Bay and Satellite Housing, Inc
Financing Package: HUD Section 811 Program, City of Fremont CDBG Program HOME Program and Redevelopment Agency, State of California Multi-Family Housing Program, the Federal Home Loan Bank for project financing Architect: Mikiten Architecture
Contractor: James E. Roberts Obayashi Corporation
Type of Housing: Special Needs, Developmental Disability
Completion Date: September 11, 2006
Because most adults with developmental disabilities have very low incomes, they are usually unable to afford any unsubsidized housing. To address this problem, in September, 2006, Housing Consortium of the East Bay and Satellite Housing Inc. completed Lincoln Oaks Apartments, 11 units of long-term affordable, accessible independent living apartments for persons with developmental disabilities. (Developmental disabilities include mental retardation, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, autism, and other similar disabling conditions.) Lincoln Oaks boasts amenities, design features, and supportive services that fulfill the special needs of its residents. Housing Consortium of the East Bay and Satellite Housing are pleased to have created a much-needed affordable housing community in a location ideal for service-enriched housing for adults with developmental disabilities.
Lakeside Apartments
Address: 1897 Oakmead Drive, Concord, CA
Developer: Resources for Community Development
Financing Package: City of Concord Redevelopment Agency funds; Contra Costa County HOME, HOPWA and SHP funds; California MHP funds; 4% tax credit equity; tax-exempt bond financing through Contra Costa County Redevelopment Agency and US Bank
Architect: Anne Phillips Architecture
Contractor: Brown Construction
Completion Date: February 2007
In 2003, Resources for Community Development (RCD) purchased its largest project, an existing 124-unit apartment complex consisting of eight two-story buildings situated on a nine-acre site. Common area amenities include 12 laundry rooms, a community building, two gated pool areas and a children’s reading room and tot-lot. A major goal for the rehabilitation project was to provide open space and recreation amenities, including making the on-site lake more accessible and attractive for Lakeside residents and neighbors.
The Lakeside development has also been a key component in the greater revitalization efforts for the Monument Corridor community in Concord. RCD has worked closely with the Monument Community Partnership, a broad-based neighborhood collaborative that formed to help improve the well-being of local residents. In response to their concerns, RCD secured CDBG funds to create a Children’s Library and community center at Lakeside. The library will address the community’s serious literacy needs and will be available for use by the public. In addition, a diverse and rich service program has been developed for this site. RCD hopes that Lakeside will become a model for successfully integrating homeless and special needs residents into an overall family project, and ultimately into the greater community.
Camellia Place
A Transit-Oriented Community
Address: 5450 Demarcus Boulevard, Dublin, CA, Alameda County
Developer: EAH Housing
Financing Package: Senior Loan (Cal-HFA), HCD MHP Loan, Alameda County Surplus Property Authority Loan, Alameda County HOME CHDO Loan, NEF Assignment Corp.
Architect: KTGY Group, Irvine; Jay Wu and Dan McAllister, Principals
Contractor: James E. Roberts-Obayashi Corporation, Danville; Larry Smith, President
Type of Housing: Family, with a five unit set-aside for persons with developmental disabilities
Completion Date: January 17, 2007
An excellent example of transit-oriented smart growth, Camilla Place provides both easy access to transit and affordable living for the local workforce. The property consists of 112 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with amenities that include a club room, a computer center, a playground and a security system. Additional features include free Wi-Fi Internet access, barbecue areas, and balconies and patios for each unit. Camellia Place is a part of the Dublin Transit Center, a master-developed community stemming from a land grant that the Camp Parks military installation made to Alameda County. The community conforms to “smart growth” principles thanks to its high-density design, its mix of residential, retail, and office space, and its proximity to the BART station.
Camellia Place addresses Dublin’s serious need for low-income and workforce housing, which has increased due to high-intensity retail development in the area. Employees otherwise priced out of the affluent Tri-Valley area now have the option of living in close proximity to their jobs. This reduces the environmental impact and other burdens created by long commutes.
EastSide Arts and Housing
Address: 2277 International Boulevard, Oakland CA, Alameda County
Developer: Affordable Housing Associates
Financing Package: City Of Oakland, Northern California Community Loan Fund, Washington Mutual, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund
Architect: Okamoto/Saijo
Contractor: Dilbert Hamilton
Type of Housing: Historic rehabilitation
Completion Date: Residential in October 2005, Cultural Center in December 2006
Over the past four years, Affordable Housing Associates (AHA) has worked in partnership with EastSide Arts Alliance, a group of youth, activist, and arts- oriented organizations, on a unique project: to acquire and renovate a historic building in the International Boulevard and 23rd Avenue area. The renovation created EastSide Arts and Housing, a development of 16 affordable apartments, two market-rate lofts and a Community Cultural Center. Completed in 2005, the well-managed, quality affordable housing was the result of many years of collaborative planning and falls well in line with the expressed desires of the community. The Cultural Center was completed in December 2006 and has become a hub for youth and performing and graphic artists, ably serving this ethnically and linguistically diverse neighborhood.
Freeda Court
Address: Hayes and East Avenue, Livermore, CA, Alameda County
Developer: Habitat for Humanity East Bay
Financing Package: Zero percent interest, fixed 30-year mortgage through Habitat for Humanity East Bay, with major support from the City of Livermore; other government agencies; AmeriCorps; corporations; foundations; faith groups; individual donors and volunteers
Architect: Siegel and Strain Architects
Contractor: Habitat for Humanity East Bay (Hans Reuvekamp, Director of Construction; Chrissy Thomas and Chris Dumbleton, Site Superintendents)
Type of Housing: Twenty-two three- and four-bedroom single-family, duet-style mixed-income development for moderate-, low- and very-low-income families with children
Completion Date: February 24, 2007
Freeda Court, comprising 22 homes, is Habitat for Humanity East Bay’s (HEB) greenest development to date. Thanks to support from the Alameda County Waste Management Authority, which encouraged HEB to design more sustainable buildings, a leading architecture firm was hired known for cutting-edge design in energy efficiency, solar design, waste reduction and sustainability.
Partnerships like this one, combined with the Habitat construction staff’s expertise and eagerness, have made Freeda Court one of the most environmentally responsible single-family housing developments on the West Coast. In December 2006, independent, certified raters GreenPoint Rated awarded HEB and the development 95 points (only 50 points are needed to qualify as a green builder).
Frank G. Mar Family Apartments
2006 MetLife Award for Excellence in Property and Asset Management
Address: 283 13th Street, Oakland, CA, Alameda County
Developer: East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC)
Financing Package: Mortgage from Citibank; LIHTC from Edison Capital, now exited from the Limited Partnership owner entity Mar Housing Associates; local funding from City of Oakland (HoDAG) and Oakland RDA; owner equity
Architect: Donald MacDonald
Contractor: James E. Roberts-Obayashi Corporation
Type of Housing: 119 senior and family apartments from one- to four-bedrooms in six buildings, mixed use, with 12,000 square feet of street-level retail. Businesses including a pharmacy, an optometrist, acupuncture, a cell phone service provider, boutiques, bridal shops and a city-run underground public parking garage.
Completion: July 1990 / Exterior Rehabilitation: November 2006
Built in 1990, the family-oriented Frank G. Mar development project is an urban village with commercial and community space with easy access to BART, located in the heart of Downtown Oakland’s Chinatown. The residential and mixed-use buildings surround an interior courtyard used for formal and informal gatherings. Each unit has a balcony or patio.
In 2006, EBALDC undertook and completed nearly $1 million of exterior rehabilitation and waterproofing work. The work repaired the waterproofing system, fixed patios and balconies, removed dry rot, repaired fences, resurfaced courtyards and walkways, and repainted all facades and outside doors with an attractive three-color scheme that highlights previously invisible architectural details.
Good Neighbors Today and for the Future...
Asset management is a critical aspect of developing and preserving affordable housing, particularly since many non-profit affordable housing developers began their work in the 1960s and ‘70s. Asset management ensures that affordable housing properties are in excellent condition — both for their residents and for the surrounding neighborhood. Asset management addresses not only the long-term physical health of occupied buildings but also their financial health, seeking to serve residents at affordable rents for decades to come. Non-profit developers are also building properties to a higher quality standard than the private rental market in order to preserve their investment in the building — and in its residents today and for the future.