ANAHEIM, CA – Amidst National Mental Health Month, Jamboree and the City of Anaheim announced that construction has begun on its 2691 W. La Palma Conversion, the City of Anaheim s first conversion to supportive housing under the City s new motel conversion ordinance. With construction of Manchester-Orangewood – a capstone housing development for 102 working families in the Haster Orangewood neighborhood – already under way in April, the 2691 W. La Palma Conversion will provide an additional 69 studio apartments of supportive housing for veterans, individuals living with mental illness, and those formerly homeless. When complete, this will be Jamboree s ninth affordable housing development with the City of Anaheim, a partnership that has added more than 600 affordable homes to Anaheim s housing stock since 2008.
In 2018, the County of Orange announced the 2,700 Permanent Supportive Housing Plot, which called for the creation of 2,700 supportive housing units across the county, effectively ending chronic homelessness in the region. As homelessness continues to rise in Orange County and throughout California, motel conversions have shown promise as a swift way to build more supportive housing units at a lower cost. But, motels are rarely zoned to allow permanent housing of any kind – as was the case with the 2691 W. La Palma Conversion.
Addressing the issue in 2019, the City of Anaheim Plotting Department, Community & Economic Development staff, and City Council collaborated with Jamboree to go forward a Zoning Code Amendment that would allow for the conversion via a Conditional Use Permit process, the first ordinance of its kind in Orange County. What makes Jamboree unique is its ability to bring solutions to the table when faced with hurdles in developing affordable and supportive housing, said Jamboree President and CEO, Laura Archuleta. We ve been building for 30 years, and I reckon the combination of our expertise and experience is a proven asset to cities looking to address these issues at the policy and zoning level.
This new entitlement process has now been adopted into a citywide Motel Conversion Ordinance, providing a more streamlined approval process that serves as a model for how to address the homelessness crisis in other municipalities throughout Orange County.
As mayor, I m proud to see that Anaheim continues to be a leader in addressing homelessness, said Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu. Underscoring the increased focus to solve homelessness, Mayor Sidhu noted, In the past several years, we ve worked to get more than 2,000 people off our streets and on a pathway toward a better life – the transformation of this site will change even more lives here in Anaheim.
In addition to zoning and entitlement challenges, Jamboree also needed to secure a bridge loan to close escrow on the former motel building, until the 2691 W. La Palma Conversion project was ready to close construction financing on April 30, 2020. Always at the forefront of innovative affordable housing financing, Jamboree partnered with Providence St. Joseph Health – as part of its Community Benefit Fund – on a $9 million bridge loan for the 2691 W. La Palma Conversion project. Noting Jamboree s importance as a community health partner, Providence St. Joseph Health presented an extremely competitive interest rate, nearly half the percentage rate of other offers. This saved Jamboree hundreds of thousands of dollars on the overall project cost.
Jamboree is an established partner for Providence St. Joseph. Over the last few years, we ve had the opportunity to partner together on a program that connects patients discharged from a specialized psychiatric emergency room at our hospital in Orange with one of Jamboree s special needs homes in Anaheim – a collaboration with proven success, said Timothy Zaricznyj, Executive Director of Providence Supportive Housing. This type of partnership demonstrates how healthcare partners like Providence have a meaningful role to play in the creation of more supportive housing in Orange County and beyond.
Jamboree was able to repay the Providence St. Joseph Health bridge loan – both on time and in full – thanks to established funding relationships with the County of Orange that allowed Jamboree to effectively leverage County Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) dollars. This represents a win for everyone, said Archuleta. Healthcare partners, private businesses, and anyone looking to invest in proven homelessness solutions know that Jamboree has the expertise to make a quality project – one that is financed accurately and leads to cost savings for all financial partners.
Located in West Anaheim, the blighted motel will be transformed into a Spanish-style, two-tale building, with updated exterior landscaping, new resident interior/exterior amenities, furnished outdoor courtyards, public art, and residential-quality façade elements that will help transform the commercial motel into an attractive residential apartment building. Jamboree and the City of Anaheim have prioritized quality design for all past affordable housing developments to make a safe, attractive and healthy living environment for future residents – and to ensure the property becomes an asset to the surrounding community.
With the studio-apartment layout of the 2691 W. La Palma Conversion, special attention is being given to the design of the community space, which will serve as a critical place for resident socialization and services. Central to the success of permanent supportive housing is the emphasis on access to stabilizing services, which will be provided by the County of Orange and Jamboree s onsite resident service coordinators.
The 2691 W. La Palma Conversion is the second Jamboree project to receive funding from the newly revitalized Orange County Housing Trust, a nonprofit run by NeighborWorks OC, that partners with the Orange County Business Council (OCBC) to make private, last-mile funding available for affordable and supportive housing development in Orange County. In recent years, Orange County has begun to strategically address chronic homelessness in our communities. I credit a large part of this new focus to Orange County business leaders who have stepped up to ensure that last-mile funding is available for supportive housing developments, said Lucy Dunn, OCBC CEO. The transformation of the former motel site is yet another example of how our business community is bringing projects from concept to reality via the Orange County Housing Trust.
Financing for the $25.3 million 2691 W. La Palma Conversion consists of $12.2 million in construction financing and $6.9 million in tax credit equity by U.S. Bank; $5.8 million in permanent financing by California Community Reinvestment Corporation; a $1.2 million Low Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund loan from the City of Anaheim; a $9 million MHSA loan from the County of Orange, and a $2 million loan from Orange County Housing Trust.

Powered by WPeMatico

PORTLAND, OR – Transition Projects announced the completion of Argyle Gardens, 72 units of deeply affordable housing. Argyle Gardens is open for low-income Portlanders and those formerly experiencing homelessness. More than half of the units have been leased and programming has begun with residents. During this time of global hardship, Transition Projects is providing new units of housing for those who need it most.
Argyle Gardens is located in North Portland and features an innovative, modular design, that offers the opportunity to live independently while engaging in community-building activities and supportive services. A co-housing approach, small unit sizes, and modular construction contributed to achieving development costs that were 31% lower than typical affordable housing projects.
Based in the thriving Kenton community, Argyle Gardens is situated close to light rail, a public park, bus lines, a vibrant downtown and commercial shopping areas. The project consists of four buildings oriented around a central outdoor space accessible for individual or community use. The largest building contains 36 studio apartment units. A large community space that includes laundry facilities and support service offices serves as a central hub and communal gathering space for all residents. Each of the three co-housing buildings are based on a single room occupancy (SRO) model and feature two six-bedroom pods, each of which has two shared bathrooms and a large kitchen.
The project was inspired by the needs of people emerging out of homelessness. Portland firm Holst Architecture designed Argyle Gardens. The design contemplates the needs of low-income renters, including entry-level workers, students, and single adults nearing or in retirement. The development team named their approach LISAH, or Low Income Single Adult Housing, which is a highly flexible approach that can be adapted for use by different populations. Additionally, Argyle Garden’s modular approach works within the existing Portland zoning code and can adapt to any area that allows duplexes or additional density.
Resident Service Coordinator Wyndham McNair is starting a gardening club, hosting cooking demonstrations, and reaching out to residents to ensure that they feel supported during the transition to permanent housing. He sees his role as “a community steward, cultivating relationships and trust to ensure that residents of Argyle Gardens feel cared for as they take the next step in their lives.”
Made possible by low income housing tax credits (LIHTC) from the State of Oregon, the design of this project aims for maximum impact for minimal cost. Transition Projects and the project partners involved in bringing Argyle Gardens to life believe that the concepts behind this project will play an vital role in helping address our area’s tremendous gap in the supply of affordable housing.
George Devendorf, Transition Projects Executive Director, emphasizes that these concepts can be replicated in nearly any community and offer, “a compelling case for innovative, low cost solutions that meet the need of the individuals we serve.”

Powered by WPeMatico

CHARLESTON, SC – Greystar Real Estate Partners, a global leader in the investment, development, and management of high-quality rental housing properties, announced the acquisition of the property management business of Alliance Residential Company. The combined businesses will continue to deliver best-in-class services for clients, partners and residents under the Greystar brand.
Comprising more than 500 multifamily properties and nearly 130,000 primarily Class A units across 21 states, the Alliance portfolio and its diversified base of clients will complement Greystar s leading property management platform to deliver numerous benefits that enhance property operations, services and offerings. Over the past 20 years, Alliance has become the number one multifamily developer and the fourth largest management company in the United States.
As the global leader in rental housing and the top manager of U.S. apartments, Greystar has a well-established track record of acquiring and integrating strategic portfolios and rental housing real estate companies. The combined portfolio will increase Greystar s U.S. footprint by approximately 25 percent and significantly complement the firm s current presence in key western markets, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas, in addition to the Northeast and Pacific Northwest. Through this transaction, Greystar will grow to nearly 19,000 team members overseeing a portfolio of more than 2,400 communities and 660,000 apartment units across 42 U.S. states and 13 countries.
We only consider acquisitions of companies that are culturally compatible and fit our long-term strategic objectives. In Alliance, we ve found both. Alliance is held in the highest regard in our industry, operates in some of the best markets across the country, and has some of the most talented people in rental housing, said Bob Faith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Greystar. Even during severe economic downturns, we believe in the resilience of rental housing and we are committed to continuing to grow our company. This acquisition reflects our confidence in that and is a unique opportunity to buy a strong business. We look forward to welcoming the Alliance team to the Greystar family.
Alliance, the leading developer of multifamily units in the U.S. for the last two years, will streamline its focus on development, construction and acquisition across the multifamily, workforce and senior housing segments. As part of the deal, Greystar will provide management services to Alliance s multifamily acquisition and development businesses going forward.
We are thrilled to launch this long-term strategic relationship with Greystar, combining best-in-class residential managers, complementary portfolios and unrivaled expertise to make the leading property management company in the multifamily industry, said Alliance Residential Chairman and CEO Bruce Ward. Greystar s global reach, corporate culture and seasoned leadership team made this milestone a clear next step for Alliance, our residents, investors and associates alike.
This transaction underscores Greystar s unwavering commitment to providing residents and clients with the industry s leading property management platform, said Andrew Livingstone, Executive Managing Director responsible for Greystar s Property Management Group. In Alliance, we see an impressive team with a similar operating philosophy, core values, and ‘people-centered approach to property management, and this transaction provides us with the ability to capitalize on a number of innovative opportunities in today s dynamic environment. Greystar will continue to set the standard for operational excellence by leveraging our local market knowledge, economies of scale and innovative, technology-based solutions.
Financial terms of the transaction were not told.

Powered by WPeMatico