We are excited to celebrate the recent completion of the Morgan Hill Senior Housing community. This community is a partnership between HumanGood Affordable Housing and Sunnyvale Life, Inc and is our second project collaboration together in the South Bay Area. This new construction 3-story apartment building consists of 81 one-bedroom apartment units which will serve low-income seniors 62+ and with disabilities.
The community is also partners with Santa Clara Health Plan (SCHP), a community-focused health plan committed to improving health and wellness. Fourteen (14) units are reserved for Special Needs residents who are transitioning from skilled nursing facilities to independent living.
Morgan Hill Senior Housing offers a range of amenities designed to enhance the lifestyle of its residents. Interior features include a welcoming lobby, offices for the manager and service coordinator, a community room, a secured laundry room, a media room, a fitness center, and a third-floor roof deck with open space. Outdoor amenities include a meditation court, a beautifully landscaped courtyard with raised planters managed by residents, and an outdoor BBQ area.
Beacon is proud to announce the 50% completion for 3 Washington projects with 3 different sponsors! Korean Women’s Association’s Tacoma project, Shiloh Baptist Church’s 13th and I Street projects, and El Centro de la Raza’s Four Amigos project are all halfway done!
Korean Women’s Association will provide 87 units of affordable housing project for low-income seniors with affirmative marketing towards AAPI seniors. This project includes a 1,200 square foot learning center where residents and community members can benefit from the programming offered by KWA.
Shiloh Baptist Church’s 13th and I Street project consists of two building which in total offer 60 one- and two-bedroom units for residents making 30%-50% of area median income. The project offers on-site services such as GED, financial literacy, parenting, 12-step, and afterschool/homework help to residents.
And El Centro de la Raza’s Four Amigos Beloved Community will provide 87 units of affordable housing for families. The site will house a bilingual early childhood education program and classrooms, an office for Consejo Counselling and Referral Services, and a new home for the Church of Hope.
Stay tuned for their completions and grand openings in late 2024 and early 2025!
Following several years of advocacy and the historic overhaul of HUD’s RAD for PRAC (Rental Assistance Demonstration for Project Rental Assistance Contracts) program, Beacon is happy to announce the completed redevelopments of one of the first RAD for PRAC (LIHTC) funded projects in the nation. Canterbury Village and The Gardens which provide 64 and 75 units respectively, have both reached construction completion! Canterbury Village in Santa Clarita, CA completed construction in June 2023 after a 13-month rehab. Meanwhile, The Gardens in Glendale, CA finished rehabilitation a few months later in August 2023 after 14-months.
Both projects included renovations of their property management offices, laundry rooms, libraries and community rooms. The building’s plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems were completely overhauled. New mailbox locations and elevator shafts work has been completed as well. On the exterior; window framing, paint, egress and parking pavement have been updated. Residents enjoy remodeled kitchens, new bathroom, flooring, and windows.
These 139 units, which have provided housing to low-income seniors for over 30 years, will now be able to continue to serve the community for the next 30 years.
In the South Bay Area of Northern California, Morgan Hill Senior Housing, the partnership community between HumanGood Affordable Housing and Sunnyvale Life, Inc. has reached its 50% construction completion milestone. This 3-story apartment’s new construction consists of 82 large one-bedroom units which will be serving low-income seniors 62+ and adults with disabilities.
On the building’s interior, the rough mechanical, electrical and plumbing are being completed along with the roofing and window installation. In the coming months, the building exterior stucco and paint, outdoor, drought tolerant landscaping, and a covered walkway to the drop-off area and resident parking lot will be completed. Solar stanchions have been installed throughout the entire roof top to accommodate for the photovoltaic solar panels to power this fully electric building. Interior features include a welcoming lobby, manager and service coordinator offices, community room, secured laundry room, fitness center and lounge on the 3rd floor with roof deck open space.
This is the second affordable housing partnership project between HumanGood Affordable Housing and Sunnyvale Life, Inc. with their first being a rehabilitation of Life’s Garden community in Sunnyvale, CA back in 2016. Construction completion of Morgan Hill Senior Housing is scheduled for summer 2024.
Members of Ethiopian Community in Seattle, Beacon Development Group, and HumanGood Affordable Housing celebrated the grand opening of Ethiopian Village over traditional Ethiopian food, coffee, and wine. Ethiopian Village is made possible by Ethiopian Community in Seattle and HumanGood Affordable Housing partnering to provide 90 units of culturally appropriate, affordable senior housing. This new project synergizes with the existing community center which was renovated and expanded to meet the current and future needs of the Ethiopian Community in Seattle.
One of the most prominent features of Ethiopian Village is the large vinyl prints which grace the sides of the Ethiopian Village with murals of Ethiopian traditions, motifs, and values. These murals were designed by a local artist from the community.
The building is connected to the renovated ECS headquarters and a coffee shop to recognize the social tradition of meeting over coffee, and the beginning of a community. Ethiopian Village welcomes all residents who meet the income qualifications, and residents do not need to be Ethiopian to live in the community.
Ethiopian Village is currently accepting applications from low-income seniors 55 years and older.
Solar panel installation reduces carbon footprint and costs for affordable housing sector.
HumanGood has been making strides in our efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and costs for our properties and residents. Beacon Development Group, HumanGood’s development arm, has been installing solar panels on new affordable housing communities and rehabilitation projects using two solar technologies: solar photovoltaic, which uses sunlight to generate electric currents, and thermal, which uses sunlight to heat water used in the communities. Currently, more than a dozen affordable housing communities own their own solar system whether it is solar electric or solar hot water. Outside ownership, there are also other options to provide these technologies for our communities.
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The Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) and Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) programs help provide clean energy and save costs for residents at no cost to the property. The programs are offered to select California utility providers and present financial benefits, improve environmental sustainability, and offset the costs of climate change for communities. Approximately 50 percent of the solar produced will reduce residents’ energy bills while the other 50 percent benefits the communities themselves.
“We have the footprint across our portfolio to use the sun to power our buildings and in some cases, heat the water used by our residents,” said George Sousou, construction management director, Beacon Development Group. “There are many benefits to solar whether it’s the reduction in our buildings’ carbon footprint, the cost savings to daily operations and residents, or just doing our part of being responsible building owners.”
Beacon’s construction management department installed solar technology on four HumanGood affordable housing communities across California through the SOMAH program: Valley Vista, Judson Terraces Homes, Life’s Garden, and Sycamore Terrace. Fern Lodge is also 75 percent complete with its installation. Beacon plans to complete installation at six more communities in the next year under a contract with SunRun.
“I hope to one day see solar and other renewable energy alternatives across our entire portfolio of affordable housing and life plan communities,” said Sousou. By the end of 2024, Beacon plans to install solar panels in a total of 23 HumanGood affordable housing communities in California.
Beacon Development Group was honored as LifeWire’s Community Partner of the Year at their Hope Starts Here Luncheon, held on May 25th in Bellevue, WA. Beacon has been working closely with LifeWire to develop affordable housing for individuals and families escaping domestic violence. We are in the final stages of renovating an existing apartment building with 25 one- and two- bedroom units as well as the new construction of a 2,900 square foot resident service building.
“It is an honor to partner with LifeWire to build housing for survivors facing the impossible choice of staying in an abusive relationship or becoming homeless,” shares Alberta Bleck, the project manager. “We encountered unique challenges in developing this housing, but the strength of the team allowed us to overcome barriers, adding needed shelter and transitional housing units in an area rich with amenities and opportunities for survivors and their families to heal and thrive.”
LifeWire is Washington State’s largest provider serving survivors of domestic violence, offering holistic support, including homelessness and housing stability services, legal assistance, and advocacy. In 2022, LifeWire provided life-saving services to 3,300 survivors across Washington State. Since its formation in 1982, LifeWire has served 160,000 survivors, more than the population of Bellevue.
LifeWire’s Hope Starts Here fundraising campaign is not over yet. Donate today to support their work at https://www.lifewire.org/donate/
Beacon is proud to announce the financial closing of KWA 15th & Tacoma for the Korean Women’s Association. The new building in downtown Tacoma will include 88 units of deeply affordable housing for seniors, with a focus for seniors with limited English proficiency. To support residents’ ability to age in place, an onsite social services coordinator will assist residents identify, access, and coordinate services. The building will also include a 2,300 square foot Learning Center where residents and community members can benefit from events and programs of the Korean Women’s Association, including an onsite meal program.
Rendering of Korean Women Association by Environmental Works
Korean Women’s Association’s 15th & Tacoma project is made possible through funds from the City of Tacoma, Tacoma Community Redevelopment Association, Pierce County, Pierce County Community Development Corporation, the Washington Housing Trust Fund, the HUD 202 program, Key Bank, Key Community Development Corporation, Heritage Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank, and the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. Design and construction partners include Environmental Works and Marpac Construction.
In December 2022, Filipino Community Village was recognized by the Senior Housing News Award for excellence in affordable housing. The 95-unit affordable senior housing development features a 5,000 square foot Innovation Learning Center for seniors and students to access Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) programming. The highlight of this project is a commissioned set of four murals in the new plaza by an internationally renowned Filipino artist. This artwork educates the community about the history of Filipino Americans from pre-Spanish occupation to Seattle’s present day Filipino community.
Filipino Community Village is the result of a partnership between HumanGood Affordable Housing, Beacon Development Group’s parent company, and the Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS). FCS has provided services to Filipinos in Seattle for decades and for many years has had the goal of building affordable senior housing. The site is adjacent to the existing Filipino Community Center, where residents have access to programming including a food bank, health screening, and cultural programs.
Beacon and HumanGood Affordable Housing are honored to receive the national 2nd place award in the Affordable Housing category from Senior Housing News Award and look forward to future projects with the Filipino Community of Seattle.
The redevelopment of the 64-unit Canterbury Village in Santa Clarita, CA and 75-unit The Gardens in Glendale, CA have both reached 50% completion. Canterbury Village started its rehab in May 2022 with completing 4 out of its 6 phases. Closely behind, The Gardens started its rehab in June 2022, with completing 5 out of its 9 phases of the renovation. Completed rehab to date includes renovations of their property management offices, laundry rooms, libraries and community rooms. New mailbox locations and elevator shafts work has been completed as well. Both properties are expected to be completed by mid-2023.
