Recovery housing, a safe place for homeless youth and a plan for holistic living highlight $15 million in tax credit awards

LANSING, Mich. – (RealEstateRama) — Eighteen projects across the lower peninsula will improve and grow quality affordable housing options for low- to moderate-income Michiganders.

In the latest round of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) awards, MSHDA will allocate $15,017,379 to fund major renovation and construction projects to build or rehabilitate 977 apartment units, Executive Director Earl Poleski announced today.

“We have seen some really thoughtful, strategic plans for high-quality affordable housing in this funding round,” Poleski said. “There is an overall commitment to serve the whole person through housing—whether it’s homes closer to where they work, homes for underserved populations or homes with significant supportive services like Andy’s Place—we’re creating housing for everyday people.”

Andy’s Place in Jackson is a highly anticipated new construction project that will provide long-term care for individuals struggling with opioid and other substance abuse disorders. The recovery housing project will consist of 50 low-income units with permanent supportive services for people recovering from addiction and their families. MSHDA allocated an annual tax credit amount of $1.2 million, which will leverage approximately $11 million of private investment in Jackson.

West Michigan developer Dwelling Place will use a collective $1.6 million in LIHTC to construct Franklin Apartments and Grandville Apartments. These two affordable housing projects will be part of Plaza Roosevelt, a neighbor-driven, strategic collaboration between eight partners to transform a two-block area along Grandville Avenue SW and Franklin Street in Grand Rapids. The 5.5-acre site will be further developed with a new high school, expanded medical services and commercial space, in addition to the rental units.

“The Plaza Roosevelt plan is remarkable because it’s an affordable housing plan that’s greater than the sum of its parts,” Poleski said. “This project will strengthen health, education and economic outcomes in the area. I’m proud of our partners for gathering local input and creating infrastructure that residents of the Roosevelt Park neighborhood need.”

The combined investment from the two Plaza Roosevelt affordable housing projects will leverage approximately $14.2 million of private money in Grand Rapids.

A third notable project in this funding round is the Ruth Ellis Center (REC) in Detroit. Full Circle Communities, Inc. will use more than $1.4 million in LIHTC to develop 42 units of affordable housing in Detroit’s Piety Hill. Most of the apartments—36 units—will be designated as permanent supportive housing for homeless youth or those who are at risk of becoming homeless. The Center’s namesake, Ruth Ellis, was the first woman in Detroit to own her own printing company and was an ardent social activist. Ellis died in 2000 at the age of 101. This tax credit award will leverage approximately $13.5 million of private investment in Detroit.

LIHTC are federal tax credits administered by MSHDA through a competitive application process. The Authority holds two funding rounds per year, in October and April, each for roughly half of the available $23 million credit. Developers can draw on their tax credit amount annually for 10 years, keeping housing affordable over the long term and sustaining major investments in local communities.

“Without the incentive of these federal tax credits, we simply would not be able to maintain and grow Michigan’s housing infrastructure for our low- and moderate-income folks,” Poleski said.

The 18 projects that earned LIHTC awards in the October 2018 funding round are: