Housing California: Improving Neighborhood Health

Posted by beacon on Mon, May 1, 2017 at 5:25 PM

Members of the Beacon Development Group team were active and present at this year’s Housing California Conference in Sacramento. The annual conference held on March 9th – 10th brought together professionals from across the state and nation. Participants engaged in a wide range of topics, including how property management should respond to ICE (immigration) agents and the rights of their residents, displacement policies in Oakland, and tracking progress and the impact of proposed federal tax changes on affordable housing. The conference theme for this year was “Block by Block: Improving Neighborhood Health.”

The conference key note speaker, Dr. Doug Jutte, Executive Director of Building Healthy Places, presented on the intersection of housing and health. Dr. Jutte argued that health happens outside of the doctor’s office and noted that “zip-code is a greater determinate in health than any other factor.” According to Jutte, the United States spends $3.3 trillion a year on health – 80% of the expenses attributed to chronic disease, most of which are prevalent in low-income communities and are preventable. Dr. Jutte’s work focuses on improving the health outcomes through collaborations with community developers. Learn more about the work of Building Health Places here.

Speakers also included National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Diane Yentel and Housing advocate Janny Castillo. The conference had a record setting attendance and featured numerous inspiring speakers and informative sessions on best practices in affordable housing development and operations. The keynote speeches and content from the conference can be found on the Housing California website.

BDG’s Kion Sawney and Chad Wakefield of Overland Pacific Cutler, who is part of the Life’s Garden project team in Sunnyvale, CA

Keynote speaker Dr. Doug Jutte of Building Healthy Places

Compass Ronald Commons – Grand Opening

Posted by beacon on Tue, Mar 7, 2017 at 4:48 PM

Beacon

In February, Compass Housing Alliance celebrated the Grand Opening of Compass Ronald Commons, a new construction affordable housing development in Shoreline, WA. Since 2012, Beacon Development Group has worked alongside Compass towards the vision for a new mixed-use affordable community. Compass partnered with the adjacent Ronald United Methodist Church and Hopelink to create 60 units for low-income and homeless families and veterans earning 30% and 50% of AMI, as well as Hopelink’s Integrated Service Center, which will provide onsite nutrition services and education programs.

The opening was a joyous celebration with community members and local officials in attendance to celebrate the new building. It has been our privilege to collaborate on Compass Ronald Commons with SMR Architects and Walsh Construction Co., and we are proud to be part of a team working to expand opportunities for families and individuals in Shoreline.

Paul Purcell Set to Retire as President of Beacon Development Group

Posted by beacon on Mon, Jan 23, 2017 at 5:07 PM

Beacon

After founding and then leading Beacon Development Group for 18 years, Paul Purcell will retire as its president at the end of March. Purcell will continue to play an advisory role through the end of 2017.

Beacon Communities President Ancel Romero named Cindy Proctor and Brian Lloyd as vice presidents on January 1. They will assume operational leadership effective on April 1. Beacon Communities acquired ownership of Beacon Development Group in 2015. Proctor and Lloyd have each worked at Beacon for more than a decade. Both have deep roots in the affordable housing community.

Please click here to view the full press release.

BDG Open House

Posted by beacon on Tue, Jan 10, 2017 at 1:21 PM

Beacon

Please join us for Beacon Development Group’s Open House!

Friday, Jan. 20, 3-6pm
1680 S. Roberto Maestas Festival St., Seattle
(across from the Beacon Hill light rail station)

We look forward to celebrating our new office with you!

BDG Honored as Impact Capital’s Community Partner of the Year

Posted by beacon on Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 11:01 AM

Awards & Recognition, Beacon

Beacon President Paul Purcell with Impact Capital President Judith Olsen and Board President Lowel Krueger

On December 6, Beacon Development Group was honored as Impact Capital’s “Community Partner of the Year” at their annual meeting. Beacon has worked with Impact Capital, a community development financial institution serving community organizations in the Northwest, for nearly two decades. Most recently, Beacon and Impact have partnered on a number of affordable housing projects, including Compass Ronald Commons, Plaza Roberto Maestas, and Mt. Baker Village.

Beacon is proud of our staff for their continued commitment and hard work, and grateful to Impact Capital for their partnership and this recognition. We look forward to continued collaboration with Impact Capital and our many other partners in the future.

Beacon’s Washington Office Has Moved

Posted by beacon on Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 11:32 AM

Beacon

Beacon is excited to share the news of our recent move to Beacon Hill! We are now located in the second floor office space at Plaza Roberto Maestas, directly adjacent to the Beacon Hill Link Light Rail station.

Our new address is:

Beacon Development Group
1680 S. Roberto Maestas Festival St.
Seattle, WA 98144

We are excited to take up residence in a community-oriented, mixed-use project like Plaza Roberto Maestas, and look forward to sharing our new home in the Beloved Community for years to come!

Plaza Roberto Maestas Grand Opening

Posted by beacon on Tue, Oct 25, 2016 at 5:06 PM

Beacon, Family Housing, Project Openings, Urban/Mixed Use, Washington

A full plaza at the October 1 Grand Opening celebration

El Centro de la Raza celebrated the Grand Opening of their recently completed Plaza Roberto Maestas – Beloved Community on Saturday, October 1st. The 112 unit project serves a broad range of incomes in 1,
2, and 3 bedroom units adjacent to the Beacon Hill light rail station. Since 2011, Beacon has worked alongside El Centro de la Raza to realize their goal of providing a truly community inspired affordable housing and community space adjacent to their headquarters. The project includes new classroom space for El Centro de la Raza’s Jose Marti Child Development Center, a multi-cultural community center, retail space, office space, and a large public/private plaza.

The residential development cost was approximately $32 million (not including donated land); the project’s total development cost was approximately $45 million. Permanent and construction financing was provided by US Bank Community Development Corporation, the City of Seattle, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Washington Community Reinvestment Association, and a private capital campaign. Pre-development funding was provided by Enterprise Community Partners and Impact Capital.

PRM’s new classrooms for El Centro de la Raza’s Jose Marti Child Development Center

The much needed housing is already 100% leased with a 5-year wait list. Two of the three retail bays are leased to the Seattle Metropolitan Credit Unit and the locally owned café The Station. El Centro de la Raza’s Business Opportunity Center will provide business development courses and micro-lending programs to local small business owners. The project will be a model for community-inspired, transited-oriented development in Seattle.

In addition, Beacon Development Group is happy to announce that we are moving into the project’s office space. We are excited to move to a new home that illustrates our commitment to our work and community. Our move is planned for the end of November – stay tuned for an official moving announcement and our new contact details!

The Grand Opening was a community inspired event attended by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, City Council members and officials, and members of the Beacon Hill neighborhood. The ribbon cutting was followed by multicultural performances from local groups to celebrate the diversity of Seattle and the mission of the El Centro de la Raza.

It has been our privilege to work in collaboration with SMR Architects, Third Place Design Co-operative, 7Directions Architects, and Walsh Construction Co. We are proud to be part of a team working to expand opportunities for working families and individuals in Seattle. Congratulations to El Centro de la Raza on creating a truly “beloved community”!

Beacon Welcomes New Staff Members!

Posted by beacon on Tue, Sep 13, 2016 at 5:02 PM

Beacon

This summer, Beacon Development group is excited to welcome Beth Boram, Ellen Lohe, Kion Sawney, and Marguerite Carlson to the team.

Beth Boram, a Seattle native, joined the Washington office this past June and is the newest Senior Housing Developer. With experience working as the Property Development Director for Compass Housing Alliance and as a planner for King County, she comes to us with over 15 years in the housing development industry. She has a particular expertise in housing for special populations, including service-supported housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Using this background, Beth guides clients and manages projects in every phase of development.

Ellen Lohe came on board to the Washington office this July as the new Development Associate after completing her Master’s in City Planning from MIT this past spring. Building off of her experiences working as an urban designer for Arup and at the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the New York City Department of City Planning, Ellen has been providing comprehensive support to both housing developers and construction managers on funding applications, client reports, and closings.

Kion Sawney joined the California office this August. As a Housing Developer he will oversee the entire life-cycle of a project, from funding to close-out. He comes to us from Nashville, where he worked as a Research Fellow for the Civic Design Center and as a Development Associate at Urban Housing Solutions, the city’s largest non-profit developer in the creation of affordable units. Kion received a B.S. in Economics and Urban Planning from Vanderbilt in 2014.

Marguerite Carlson is the most recent addition to the team, joining the Washington office in September as a Senior Housing Developer. Marguerite has over 13 years of experience at the Seattle Housing Authority, where she most recently worked on several phases of the Yesler Terrace Redevelopment. During her time at the SHA, Marguerite also handled funding applications, due diligence, and coordination on 13 mixed-finance closings for over 2,500 units of affordable housing with a total project value of $450 million.

Each new staff member brings unique perspective and a wealth of experience to the organization. Beacon Development Group looks forward to the impact that Beth, Ellen, Kion, and Marguerite will make.

Campaigning for Seattle’s 2016 Housing Levy

Posted by beacon on Wed, Jul 20, 2016 at 11:24 AM

Advocacy, Beacon, Washington

Senior Housing Developer, Beth Boram

Over the course of July, Beacon Development Group’s Seattle office will be hosting and participating in two phone banks for the city’s 2016 Housing Levy. The property tax, first approved off the ballot in 1981, will be up for renewal for the sixth time in August. The proposed $290 million levy will be dedicated to producing affordable housing options and providing support to low-income families, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-wage workers within Seattle.

After expanding upon its predecessor and leveraging every city dollar with $3 dollars from other sources, the 2009 Housing Levy outperformed expectations, exceeding the goal of producing 1,670 affordable housing units by roughly 30% and providing emergency rent assistance to 2,442 families.

President, Paul Purcell

Development Director, Brian Lloyd

This time around, the mayor is proposing to expand the levy once more. The levy can be broken down into four main programs:

Rental Production & Preservation – $201 million, which would oversee the development and rehabilitation of 2,500 apartments with affordable rents secured for at least 50 years
Operating & Maintenance – $42 million, which would provide subsidies for 510 units that serve extremely low-income individuals
Homelessness Prevention – $11.5 million, which would supply rent assistance and stabilization services to 4,500 households
Homeownership – $9.5 million, which would assist a total of 280 households with loans for home repairs and first-time home purchases

Each program would prioritize individuals making below 30% AMI, but would stretch to support those making up to 60% AMI.

The 2016 tax would cost just $122 annually for owners of median value homes. While the levy is focused on housing and homelessness prevention, the effect of taxpayer dollars would extend far beyond this. The Housing Levy would produce thousands of jobs in construction and management, increase the city’s energy and water efficiency with green building standard projects, and most importantly, foster inclusive, equitable communities throughout Seattle. Beacon Development Group is proud to be a part of the effort to renew the Seattle Housing Levy.

King County One Night Count

Posted by beacon on Tue, Feb 2, 2016 at 10:32 AM

Advocacy, Beacon, Special Needs, Washington

Each year in January the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness sponsors the annual One Night Count of homeless people in King County, Washington. Over 1,100 volunteers come together and fan out across the county to count the number of men, women, and children who are homeless and sleeping outdoors without shelter. At the same time, staff at agencies operating shelters and transitional housing account for people staying in their programs. The resulting numbers are critical to understanding the magnitude of homelessness in this region and to crafting strategies and solutions to this problem.

Beacon staff gather at 2am in Capitol Hill, Seattle to begin One Night Count

Beacon staff gather from 2:00-5:00am each year to participate in the One Night Count. According to the Coalition on Homelessness the number of unsheltered homeless people counted this year totaled “at least 4,505 men, women, and children. This number is an increase of 19% over those found without shelter last year. This number is always assumed to be an undercount, because we do not count everywhere, and because many people take great care not to be visible.” Complete statistics from the count can be found here.

These numbers are sobering news for the Seattle/King County region and underpin the urgent need for aggressive solutions to homelessness. Through its volunteer and professional efforts, Beacon Development Group will continue to advocate for more resources to address the number of unsheltered people in Seattle/King County, such as the renewal of the Seattle Housing Levy later this year, and will continue to partner with clients to build quality, safe, and decent affordable housing to permanently transition people and families off the streets.

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