Casa Kino Featured in Affordable Housing Finance Magazine

Posted by beacon on Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 1:52 PM

Agricultural Workers, Family Housing, Press, Sustainable Buildings, Washington

Washington Developer Continues to Serve Farmworkers

By, Christine Serlin

Central Washington state has a robust agriculture industry, accounting for 20 percent to 25 percent of the region’s total economy.

Farmworkers are a critical part of that economy, handpicking crops, such as asparagus, cherries, and apples. But affordable housing can be scarce in rural areas, and these needed laborers are forced to live in overcrowded or unsafe conditions.

But Yakima, Wash.–based Catholic Charities Housing Services (CCHS) is helping to provide more safe, affordable housing opportunities for farmworkers one project at a time in the seven-county area where it works.

“The need for farmworker housing is acute throughout central Washington,” says CCHS director Bryan Ketcham.

To read the whole article click here.

HACPFC’s Fourth & Pearl Family Housing Breaks Ground

Posted by beacon on Mon, Nov 3, 2014 at 2:56 PM

Agricultural Workers, Construction, Family Housing, Sustainable Buildings, Washington

Housing Authority of the City of Pasco and Franklin County’s vacant Fourth & Pearl site before construction started

Over the summer the Housing Authority of the City of Pasco and Franklin County (HACPFC) broke ground on their newest community located at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Pearl Street in Pasco, WA.

According to Andy Anderson, Executive Director of the HACPFC, “We are eager to bring quality affordable housing to Pasco. The new community, Fourth and Pearl Family Housing, is being developed on land owned by the Housing Authority for more than 60 years. It has stood vacant for more than 40 years, since the former World War II Navy housing was demolished. We are pleased to help the City of Pasco improve one of its gateways to downtown Pasco by building this new community.”

The new 40-unit community is designed to accommodate large families with 24 two-bedroom units, 12 three-bedroom units, and two four-bedroom units. Thirteen apartments will be rented to families who earn less than 40% of area median income (AMI) and twenty-five apartments will be rented to families who earn less than 50% of AMI.

The Housing Authority will market the project to agricultural workers employed in the Pasco community and surrounding areas. Far too often these hardworking families live in dilapidated and substandard housing.

ZBA Architects designed the project and Walker Construction is the general contractor. Beacon is providing development services. Cascade Management, Inc. will be the property manager.

Numerous public and private sources provided funding for the project. Wells Fargo is the construction lender. The Washington State Department of Commerce contributed $5 million from the state Housing Trust Fund. The Washington State Housing Finance Commission provided 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits that the National Equity Fund purchased in exchange for $2.9 million in equity. And the City of Pasco supplied $50,000 of Community Development Block Grant funds to support public infrastructure around the project.

As of September HACPFC was 40% complete on the construction of Fourth and Pearl Family Housing and is looking forward to opening in the spring of 2015!

Fourth & Pearl Family Housing – 40% Complete

Three Rivers Village Grand Re-Opening Celebration

Posted by beacon on Tue, Aug 26, 2014 at 4:03 PM

Acquisition/Rehab, Project Openings, Senior Housing, Sustainable Buildings, Washington

Beacon is excited to announce the grand re-opening of Three Rivers Village, located in Richland, WA. Three Rivers is an affordable housing community owned by American Baptist Homes of the West (ABHOW) and developed with Beacon for seniors and the disabled earning up to 30%, 40%, and 50% of area median income.

ABHOW purchased Three Rivers in 2010 when the previous owners wanted to exit their HUD program, thus preventing a conversion to market rate and displacement of senior and disabled residents. The renovation included the modernization of apartment kitchens and bathrooms, the common area dining room and significant site upgrades. A new expanded manager’s office and meeting room, administration work offices, a wellness room and reconfigured entries were added as new construction. The building remained occupied during the renovation so rigorous steps were taken to lessen the impact on residents, many of whom were frail and elderly. The building entered into a 20-year HUD Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment Contract extension as part of the acquisition by ABHOW. Capital funding was provided by the National Equity Fund, which purchased Low-Income Housing Tax Credits awarded by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. Acquisition funding and long term debt was provided by Washington Community Reinvestment Association.

With ZBA Architecture as the architect and Walker Construction, Inc. as the GC on this project, Three Rivers Village was completed this spring. The grand re-opening ceremony took place on site in June and was attended by residents, community leaders, funders and members of the development team. Many people gathered to view and honor the success of the development and the preservation of such an important community asset for the City of Richland. Since many of the seniors at Three Rivers Village love birds, Beacon welcomed guests back into their newly renovated apartments by donating birdhouses and bird-feeders to the property so residents can relax and watch the birds in their newly improved exterior gathering spaces.

Casa Kino Grand Opening

Posted by beacon on Wed, Jul 23, 2014 at 11:50 AM

Agricultural Workers, Family Housing, Project Openings, Sustainable Buildings, Washington

Casa Kino, Quincy, WA

We are proud to announce that Catholic Charities Housing Services recently celebrated the opening of Casa Kino in Quincy, WA. Developed together with Beacon, Casa Kino is an affordable multi-family development consisting of 51 newly constructed 2- and 3-bedroom townhomes for agricultural workers and low-income families earning up to 30%, 40% and 50% percent of the area median income. The development complies with the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard which emphasizes green building techniques. The apartments will save about 50% of the energy usage typical of standard construction through the use of structural Insulated Panels for exterior walls, increased ceiling/roof insulation, efficient windows and advanced sealing techniques in walls and openings. Water usage will also be greatly reduced by low-flow fixtures throughout the units and extensive “xeriscaping” landscaping in the development.

Beacon and CCHS staff members handing out soccer balls to the children at Casa Kino

It has been our privilege to work with Catholic Charities Housing Services of Yakima on this joint collaboration with designer, ZBA Architecture and general contractor, MC Lundgren Construction, Inc., to develop yet another quality affordable housing project for agricultural workers and their families. With a focus on comfort and safety for children on site, the community includes abundant outdoor recreational areas, a computer lab and multimedia center, classrooms and meeting rooms and a community building with centralized laundry and kitchen facilities. CCHS provides extensive services for families and children in the community building at the property.

The project cost $10.5 million and was financed with a tax credit equity investment from National Equity Fund® through the Washington State Housing Finance Commission’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, and funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce Housing Trust Fund and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Housing Enhancement Fund, administered through the City of Quincy.

In celebration of the opening of Casa Kino Beacon staff gifted a soccer, basketball or volleyball to each apartment for kids and families to enjoy together. Paul Purcell, President of Beacon, was then quickly challenged to a soccer match after the festivities wrapped up (he lost!)

Watching the joy from the kids as they received the balls was priceless, as it reminded us what our work in affordable housing is all about – creating stable, safe and happy environments for children to grow and thrive in. Congratulations to Catholic Charities Housing Services on creating another great community for families in Central Washington!

Paul Purcell, President of Beacon, playing soccer with children at Casa Kino

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Topics

Casa Kino Featured in Affordable Housing Finance Magazine

Washington Developer Continues to Serve Farmworkers

HACPFC’s Fourth & Pearl Family Housing Breaks Ground

Three Rivers Village Grand Re-Opening Celebration

Casa Kino Grand Opening