Affirmed Breaks Ground on Mixed-Use, Senior Affordable Housing

Affirmed Housing is pleased to share, Bella Vita, in Carson CA., has officially begun construction! 

Located at 402 East Sepulveda Blvd., Bella Vita will be a mixed-use development offering 65 senior residential apartment units and commercial space on a 1.22-acre site located Southwest of East Sepulveda Boulevard and Panama Avenue.  The affordable, senior housing will offer 58 one-bedroom apartments and 7 two-bedroom apartments.  The commercial retail space will encompass approximately 3,000 square feet. The parking garage will include 62 vehicle parking spaces and bike racks in an effort to promote a car free lifestyle. The project will also feature approximately 20,000 square feet of common areas that include a community room, community garden, outdoor seating, theater area, podium gardens, and a park area.

“Our second development in the city of Carson, we look forward to a successful collaboration for the development of Bella Vita.  We are confident in our partnership to provide housing opportunities for the local senior population while also enhancing the local community.” –James Silverwood, President & CEO, Affirmed Housing

Bella Vita waiting phone number: 800-801-8440 x7201

58, one bedroom and 7 two bedroom apartments

1 bedroom apartments will range between 620 -704sf; 

 2 bedroom apartments will be about 930sf

Those who may qualify are senior households who earn approximately $52,000 or less, per year.

1.7 MILLION CA households pay more than HALF their monthly income on rent

People of all incomes are always asking me about the tax credit program, asking me what it does, who it helps.  They ask me why it takes so long to build housing and why there isn't more affordable housing options.    

In our great state of California, more than 1.7 million  households spend more than half of their monthly income on rent, leaving too little for other necessities like food, medical care, and transportation.


For example, one of our newest projects in San Marcos, CA., isn't completed yet, but the waiting list is already closed.  With over 2000 applicants, we had to cut it off.  Peoples lives depend on adequate housing and we couldn't lead anyone else on.  

This past July, Senator Maria Cantwell and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2016 (S. 3237), a comprehensive bill to expand and strengthen the Housing Credit.  

California's lack of affordable housing is getting worse and needs a solution now.  Join us in calling on our Congress to expand and strengthen the Housing Credit program!

Interested?  To learn more visit: 

http://rentalhousingaction.org or http://housingadvisorygroup.org

"Affordable Housing...Greater than the sum of its parts" By Dan Withee of Withee Malcolm Architects

Affirmed Housing hires two new employees

Affirmed Housing hires two new employees

Affirmed grows as two new employees join the company’s development department

Affirmed Housing has hired two new employees to join the development team.  New employees include Project Manager, Mellody Lock and Project Management Assistant, Michelle Muñiz. 

Mellody Lock has spent her entire professional career in the field of affordable housing. She's worked as the lead team member in numerous successful multi-million dollar state funding applications and has a wide variety of industry knowledge. Mellody brings her foundational relationships with key industry stakeholders along with her personal knowledge of the field. As Project Manager, Mellody will manage multiple projects from acquisition through completion.  She will assist in acquisitions, underwriting, entitlements and financing of new developments. 

Michelle Muñiz brings 20 years of sales and management experience to Affirmed Housing.  Most recently, she worked in Real Estate Operations at the San Diego Housing Commission and is involved in a residential real estate property management firm.   Previously a licensed realtor, Michelle graduated from the University of San Diego with a Master of Science in Real Estate. Here at Affirmed, Michelle will assist with project management at all stages including research, funding applications and more.

Lindsay Quackenbush, VP of Development, states, “We are very pleased to have both Mellody and Michelle join Affirmed’s development team.  They both come from impressive backgrounds and are highly capable.  I am confident they will impact and increase development opportunities.” 

Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing.  Affirmed enhances communities and our environment by building professionally-managed, high-quality, green, multifamily housing.  For more information, visit www.affirmedhousing.com. 

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Homeless Veteran Housing WINS PCBC Gold Nugget Award

                                                            

Homeless Veteran Housing WINS PCBC Gold Nugget Award

Vermont Villas, developed by Affirmed Housing & PATH Ventures, wins national award

San Diego, CA, June 28, 2016 –Affirmed Housing is pleased to share, Vermont Villas wins PCBC Gold Nugget Award.  A collaboration of Affirmed Housing & PATH Ventures, Vermont Villas provides 79 apartment homes for homeless and disabled Veterans. 

The development of Vermont Villas included the involvement of numerous organizations including: Bellwether Enterprise, Chase Bank, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Enterprise Community Investment, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Home Depot Foundation, Housing Authority of Los Angeles, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Los Angeles Department of Health Services, Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department, Darsono Design,  Fuscoe Engineering, PATH, Solari Enterprises, The Sotelo Group, Withee Malcolm Architects, and Westport Construction.

James Silverwood, President of Affirmed Housing, states, “The Gold Nugget Awards recognize the best of the best, and we are thrilled that Vermont Villas has been honored.  The community is unique and innovative in that it provides housing for homeless seniors and Veterans and is deserving of this recognition.”

The Gold Nugget Awards are the oldest and most prestigious design awards in the nation and a centerpiece of PCBC.  Recognizing those who improve our communities through exceptional concepts in design, planning and development, Gold Nugget Awards are open to builders, developers, architects, and land planners with communities and projects in the United States and all international countries.  Gold Nugget Awards winners share one common denominator: excellence and innovation in addressing complex design/build issues.

Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing.  Affirmed enhances communities and our environment by building professionally-managed, high-quality, green, mixed-use multifamily housing.  For more information, visit www.affirmedhousing.com. 

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Sonoma Court WINS Novogradac Renewable Energy Power Awards

March 31, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ROOFTOP SOLAR LOWERS UTILITY COSTS FOR LOW-INCOME HOUSING RESIDENTS

Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits to Honor Innovative Renewable Energy Development

SAN FRANCISCO – Affirmed Housing Group has been named a winner of a 2016 Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits Renewable Energy Power Award for the energy upgrades it made to its Sonoma Court affordable housing development in Escondido, Calif. Affirmed Housing Group is being honored in the small community project category and serves as an example of how renewable energy tax credits are effective tools for projects of various scales. The awards will be presented at the Novogradac Financing Renewable Energy Tax Credit Conference in San Francisco, April 28. 

“Congratulations to this year’s 2016 Power Award winners,” said Stephen Tracy, conference chairman and partner in Novogradac & Company LLP’s San Francisco office. “Whether it was by bringing solar energy to a historically coal-fueled region, by powering a hospital with fuel cell energy or by lowering utility bills for low-income families, these development teams have shown the versatility and effectiveness of using renewable energy tax credits to help finance the transformation of these communities.”

Affirmed Housing Group conducted a $13 million renovation of Sonoma Court, a 61-unit affordable housing property built in 1978. In addition to cosmetic and infrastructure upgrades, the renovation project included adding energy-efficient features, such as dual-pane windows, Energy Star appliances, a central solar hot water system and highly efficient heating pumps. The building’s new rooftop photovoltaic system has helped offset community utilities by 70 percent and resident utility bills are now as low as $5 per month. 

The Renewable Energy Power Awards recognize development teams with effective and innovative renewable energy tax credit projects in terms of positive job creation, community impact and reducing energy footprint. 

MORE

Developments eligible for consideration in this round were placed in service in 2015 and 2016 and used the federal renewable energy investment tax credit (ITC), the federal renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) and/or Section 1603 cash grant funds. Awardees were recognized in three categories: financial innovation, overcoming obstacles and small community project.

Full descriptions of the Novogradac 2016 Renewable Energy Power Awards winners can be found at www.novoco.com/awards/energy/index.php. In addition, the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits conducts several awards programs that recognize excellence in affordable housing, community development and historic preservation. Nominations for each program are open year-round and more information can be found at www.novoco.com/awards/index.php. 

About Novogradac & Company LLP

Novogradac began operations in 1989 and has since grown to more than 500 employees and partners with offices in San Francisco, Walnut Creek and Long Beach, Calif.; Dover, Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; St. Louis; Boston; New York; Chicago; Austin, Texas; Portland, Ore.; Naples, Fla., Raleigh, N.C.; Iselin, N.J.; and the greater metropolitan areas of Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Detroit; Kansas City, Mo.; and Seattle.

Specialty practice areas include tax, audit and consulting services for tax-credit-assisted affordable housing, community revitalization, rehabilitation of historic properties and renewable energy. Other areas of expertise include business valuation, preparation and analysis of market studies and appraisals of multifamily housing investments and renewable energy tax credits. 

For more information about the Novogradac 2016 Renewable Energy Power Awards, please contact Jennifer Young at (415) 356-8041 or by email at events@novoco.com.   

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California Housing Consortium

In case you missed the latest Affirmed Housing News, our fearless leader, James Silverwood, will be the chair of the California Housing Consortium. For more information and to read a stellar quote by our favorite Assembly speaker, Toni Atkins, view the press release below…

James Silverwood, President and CEO of Affirmed Housing, Appointed as Chair of California Housing Consortium

Silverwood to Serve as Key Advocate for Affordable Housing across California

San Diego, CA, February 8, 2016 – Affirmed Housing is pleased to announce that its President and CEO, James Silverwood, will serve as Board Chair for the California Housing Consortium (CHC) for 2016.  This role leverages Mr. Silverwood’s decades of experience as an affordable housing developer and his passion to eradicate homelessness in California.  

CHC is a non-partisan advocate for the production and preservation of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Californians. The organization represents the development, building, financial, and public sectors, united to ensure that every Californian has a safe, affordable place to call home.

“I am honored to be the incoming Chairman of this organization that leads the promotion of affordable housing in California,” says James Silverwood, President and CEO of Affirmed Housing Group.  “The CHC plays a critical role in keeping low- and moderate-income housing a priority for our legislative leaders, whose decisions affect millions and the economic health of California.”      

James Silverwood, President and CEO of Affirmed Housing, joined the CHC Board in 2010 and has served as Vice Chair the last two years.  Mr. Silverwood has over 34 years of experience in real estate development.  Under his direction, Affirmed Housing has secured over $800 million in financing and tax credit equity, and is a regional leader in developing innovative new affordable homes and acquiring/rehabilitating communities for affordable housing.  He has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Board of the San Diego North County Building Industry Association, the California State Treasurer Housing Finance Advisory Committee, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and San Diego Housing Federation.

Assembly Speaker Toni G. Atkins, says, “I want to congratulate my friend Jim Silverwood on becoming the Chair of the California Housing Consortium.  Jim has been a valuable community partner in helping create more affordable housing, and I’m pleased he’ll be able to help CHC as we push for more affordable housing resources in our state.”

Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing.  The company aims at enhancing communities and our environment by building professionally-managed, high-quality, green, multifamily housing.  For more information, visit www.affirmedhousing.com. 

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