Ari Carvalho’s Post

WTF?! 20,000 people registered for this 113-unit #AffordableHousing complex in Hollywood, FLORIDA. Imagine how many more tenants will register when your city or town or island comes around to focusing on and fulfilling critical Commercial Real Estate deals like this that provide workforce / family housing solutions?

“Kilpatrick Woods will feature a Homeowners Association (HOA) and a 3,000-square-foot community center. This center will be a hub for gatherings and include a playground…” Why?!? Why does nearly every new housing development incorporate an HOA. This is unnecessary and of little actual benefit to homeowners. Instead, work with local governments to build public recreational parks that are not exclusive to one particular community. Stop creating the need for developer-controlled communities, followed up by volunteer led HOA boards. The majority of Americans do not want to serve on a board, do not want enforcement of onerous restrictions, they won’t use the common property that much, and do not want to pay HOA fees that will increase substantially within a decade. I love the concept of ownership of modular and/or manufactured homes to include the land. But ditch the HOA. #homeownersassociation #workforcehousing #homeownership #modularconstruction #manufacturedhomes

Housing took on a new role in the U.S. after World War II because people started viewing housing as a financial product. The widespread adoption of long-term mortgages and the prominence of single-family housing changed a lot more than just the homes people live in. That’s why Charles Marohn of Strong Towns wants local governments to get more involved in innovating and financing new kinds of housing products. “The more housing we build becomes abstracted from the people who live in it, the more it morphs into a financial product, the less responsive it becomes to … what people are asking for and need,” he said. Marohn suggests local governments can alleviate the housing crunch by reducing regulations on creating simple starter homes like backyard cottages, making single-family homes into duplexes or adding accessory apartments.

Accessible and attainable housing! Housing advocates we must change the message and communicate this better! Sessoms told the group that one of the first issues that needs to be addressed is the tone and tenor of the conversation around affordable housing. Several other members of the discussion agreed with Sessoms' assessment. Currently, he said, many people hear the term affordable housing and think of low-income or Section 8 housing. Instead, Sessoms said he prefers the term “accessible housing” – especially when it comes to the so-called “missing middle” housing, which refers to a range of housing types that fit between single-family detached homes and mid-to-high-rise apartment buildings. #attainablehousing #accessiblehousing

More good news for affordable living! Raleigh Housing Authority has helped to provide additional critical affordable housing units in the Raleigh area through bond financing. RHA recently closed on a $28 million bond transaction for New Bern Crossings, a 192-unit low-income, multi-family rental housing development in Southeast Raleigh. Plans call for 70 one-bedroom units, 82 two-bedroom units and 40 three-bedroom units. The new apartments will be located right off the City of Raleigh’s Wake BRT route, providing residents with access to convenient public transportation and resources. The project targets individuals and families with incomes ranging from 30% to 60% Area Median Income (AMI), helping those who may be at risk of experiencing homelessness to afford quality housing. Construction is expected to begin next week and move-ins will start in late 2025. Greystone Affordable Development Haven Design|Build & Harmony Housing Affordable Development   Key Partners: LIHTC Allocating Agency: NCHFA (North Carolina Housing Finance Agency) Bond Issuer: Raleigh Housing Authority Senior Lender: Regions Bank Subordinate Lender: Wake County Affordable Housing Development Program Subordinate Lender: City of Raleigh Municipal Government Community Rental Development Program Additional Partners: Families Together - a PLM Organization. #affordablehousing

Fort Wayne is often touted as an affordable place to live, claiming a spot in the top five most affordable places to live in 2023, according to a report from U.S. News. On a national scale, Fort Wayne’s cost of living falls below the national average and on paper, when compared to other cities, Fort Wayne is easily marked as an affordable place to live. But what’s on paper might not be the whole picture. George Guy, CEO of the Fort Wayne Housing Authority and chair of FHLBank of Indianapolis’ Affordable Housing Advisory Council says there are disparities in the information we see about housing affordability. “We are in a challenging situation right now—there's a shortage of affordable housing overall because wages are low, but there's also a lack of subsidized housing for those who need it,” he says, going on to explain that the Fort Wayne Housing Authority has a waiting list for access to its housing programs. We explore how one institution is helping create affordable housing across Indiana here:

AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Austin has a goal to build 60,000 affordable housing units by 2028. Austin is currently halfway into that 10-year plan. A new report from HousingWorks Austin says 10,444 units have been built between 30% and 80% of the Median Family Income (MFI) in the past five years. Only 363 units built over the last five years were at 30% MFI or below. https://lnkd.in/d8RA6MwC

At Equity Platforms, we own and operate affordable housing assets that provide quality apartments for veterans, families coming from shelters, and senior citizens. For EACH unit that we market, we get an average of 30 - 50 applications within a week. THE DEMAND IS INSATIABLE, and to make matters worse, landlords across the country are increasingly rejecting tenants who have vouchers. With a shortage of 7 million apartments, there's simply not enough units. As an affordable housing operator, I'm able to see these challenges first hand, and after being in the trenches, I must say that I'm scared for what the future holds. The reality is that there is a national pandemic brewing, and we cannot rely wholly on the government to come to the rescue. No matter our socio-economic background, we can no longer sit on the sidelines as if this won't affect ALL OF US. It's time for communities to come together to be a part of the solution. Check out the CRE Report's newest article titled "Affordable Housing: America's Next Pandemic", which breaks down some of the challenges and viable options we have to tackle the problems head on. Beatriz Durant Jey Van-Sharp 🐺🌹 Michael McConnell Brian Phillips, Alexis Mena Shaun Pannell Roshaun Davis

IF YOU ARE NOT PART OF A PERMANENT AND LASTING SOLUTION TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS AND HOMELESSNESS, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM! THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX IS BROKEN AND NOT WORKING FOR AMERICAN TAXPAYERS Veteran Housing Corp would ask every TAXPAYER to demand and get answers from their elected and appointed government officials the below questions as they relate to any affordable, workforce, or supportive housing project in your community! 1. How much local, state, and federal funding, tax credits, or other government benefits or incentives did the project receive? 2. What is the affordability period for each project? Is the affordability period permanent and in perpetuity? 3. What guarantees exist have your local, state, and federal government officials obtained in writing that rents will not go up or that tenants will not be displaced or evicted after the "affordability period expires? Every local, state, and federal housing authority and affordable or workforce housing stakeholder should adopt the State of Vermont's "permanent affordability" policy as a model for all future government funded or subsidized housing projects or developments, no exceptions! https://lnkd.in/eFEUC8c8 Additionally, local, state and federal housing agencies should look to the Helsinki, FINLAND MODEL of ending homelessness by providing affordable housing for all 'It’s a miracle': Helsinki's radical solution to homelessness https://lnkd.in/er9HZSQU Even the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development AGREES THAT adopting FINLAND'S MODEL OF ERADICATING HOMELESSNESS may be of great value to resolving the affordable housing and homelessness crises in America https://lnkd.in/gkSZWYRU

Thank you to the Las Vegas Review-Journal for featuring Bob Cleveland, CEO of #RTSNV, in their newest piece about the complexities of the affordable housing crisis. Read his thoughts about the issue below!