Virginia legislators, business leaders and nonprofit partners joined together earlier this week to celebrate Seaside Harbor, Virginia Beach’s newest affordable housing with a special purpose. Co-developed by The Lawson Companies and Samaritan House, Seaside Harbor utilized Virginia Housing and Development Authority (VHDA) Special Initiative Pool funding to create a unique housing opportunity serving multiple purposes - for families with developmental disabilities, families with accessibility needs and for the workforce at the oceanfront.
Located at 509 18th Street in the ViBe Creative District, the new 76-unit apartment building replaced two aging 1960’s-era complexes owned by Samaritan House, a non-profit organization that provides support services and housing to victims of violence and homeless families in the Hampton Roads region. The previous 39 units were no longer economical to maintain, however, they still provided much needed flow of rental income essential to operate Samaritan House’s programs and services for the community.
After three years of searching for funding and interviewing developers, the Samaritan House board of directors selected The Lawson Companies. Lawson secured the following funding to make this community a reality and followed “green” energy-efficient construction to receive an EarthCraft certification:
· Low Income Housing Tax Credits allocated by VHDA
· VHDA low-interest mortgage REACH financing
· VHDA Special Initiative Pool (SIP) funding to create housing for families with developmental disabilities in support of the Supreme Court’s 1999 Olmstead v LC decision
“At Lawson, we strive to positively impact the communities we serve and Seaside Harbor is an excellent example of this,” said Steve Lawson, chairman of The Lawson Companies. “We believe that this is a model that can be replicated in other areas of Virginia to demonstrate how effective partnerships can provide much needed affordable housing. We are very proud of the homes and opportunities we’ve created at Seaside Harbor.”
The proximity to the oceanfront resort and the amenities offered in the ViBe Creative District are extremely favorable to residents. Seaside was designed with 19 fully-accessible apartments (25% of inventory), 11 of which were set aside for residents with developmental disabilities. Industry average for ADA-accessible units is just 5% to 10%.
Currently, Seaside Harbor is 100% occupied with workforce from Virginia Beach and ten people with developmental disabilities who receive services through Hope House Foundation. The Lawson Companies invited Samaritan House to become a co-owner, and their organization benefits from a large portion of the community’s proceeds.
“Not only did Seaside Harbor meet a need for Samaritan House, it filled a housing gap for individuals with disabilities in the community,” said Robin Gauthier, executive director of Samaritan House.
“The high cost of housing is the main barrier for people with disabilities to participate fully in community life,” said Lynne Seagle, executive director for Hope House Foundation. “This partnership aligns the interests of The Lawson Companies, VHDA and the people we support who have chosen to live in the ViBe Creative District and be part of this dynamic community.”
