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Vacant Land Being Used for Affordable Housing in Anaheim
A vacant parcel left over from an Interstate 5 freeway expansion project is being transformed into affordable housing for Orange County, Calif. residents in the Monarch Pointe development.
The City of Anaheim is turning remnant parcels left over from various Caltrans roadway projects into opportunities to meet its ambitious goal of creating 1,200 affordable housing units in the next five years. The Anaheim Housing Authority owns the land and provided it to the nonprofit developer — Jamboree Housing Corporation — on a long-term land lease for the development of Monarch Pointe.
In partnership with the local housing authority and redevelopment agency, Jamboree Housing leveraged public and private funds — including California’s 9% tax credit program, a scarce resource for which many developers compete.
Monarch Pointe is the first of three affordable housing communities slated for Anaheim — including one community for residents with special needs.
Apartments at Monarch Pointe will provide housing for 63 families and an onsite community manager — in an area with excellent job and educational opportunities. Designed around an interior courtyard and greenbelt area., the two- and three-story garden-style apartments will be affordable to families earning less than 60% of the area median income.
Community amenities include a computer lab, a spacious community center for large gatherings, a tot lot, a swimming pool and garages for each unit. Every apartment will be furnished with a refrigerator, range, microwave, dishwasher and disposal.
Housing with HEART, a 501 (c) (3) organization that is a division of Jamboree Housing, will provide onsite resident services at no charge to Monarch Pointe residents. Programs will include services such as after-school tutoring, workforce training and classes for both children and adults.
Jamboree Housing first made its proposal to the City of Anaheim one year ago and is now breaking ground. The one-year turnaround is a short time frame in an area where such projects often require multiple layers of financing and can take years of planning before construction begins.
For more information about workforce housing, e-mail Blake Smith at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8583.
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