The VHDA Board of Commissioners ratified their final rankings for the 2019 low income housing tax credit program, a highly competitive housing tax credit program in Virginia.  Lawson’s latest development project, Market Heights, placed first out of eight applications in the Tidewater MSA pool of 9% tax credit allocation rankings.  This 80 unit mixed-income community located at 330 Tidewater Drive in Norfolk, was thoughtfully designed to serve renters from a wide range of income levels and will be indistinguishable from comparable market rate communities. Market Heights also includes a separate 84-unit 4% tax credit community that is being built simultaneously for a combined total of 164 units of new construction to provide essential housing during the redevelopment of the St. Paul’s area of Norfolk, as well as housing for those with developmental disabilities. 

“At Lawson, we strive to positively impact the communities we serve and Market Heights is a fine example of this,” said Steve Lawson, Chairman of Lawson. “We have been working with Hope House on the design of this community to ensure residents with physical and developmental disabilities have a safe, comfortable place to live.”  Market Heights meets the highest levels of accessibility, with 80 units meeting universal design requirements and 17 units meeting ADA requirements.

The two developments have a unique financing structure where Market Heights utilizes 9% tax credits, the adjacent development utilizes 4% tax credits, and both developments are in a location where equity qualifies for opportunity zone funding. Lawson continued, “this is the first location we are aware of to use all three of these development mechanisms and we look forward to developing both affordable communities within the newly minted opportunity zone.”

In addition to offering a playground, tot-lot, urban park, dog park, fitness center and non-profit community room, Market Heights will include dedicated space for Hope House, Lawson’s supportive service provider-partner.

 “At Hope House, we provide support to 125 individuals with developmental disabilities, over 70 of which are in Norfolk alone. They are in desperate need of accessibility that’s just not found in the existing inclusive, walkable, affordable neighborhoods here in Norfolk.  We’ve had the pleasure of working with Lawson for years to provide support to individuals in safe, affordable, and accessible housing and look forward to this new community in Norfolk,” Susan Henderson, Service & Admissions Director at Hope House Foundation.

 The Market Heights community was developed with an eye towards the Downtown Norfolk 2030 plan and St. Paul’s redevelopment. It has been designed to be an eco-friendly community, meeting Norfolk’s new resiliency requirements through the EarthCraft Multifamily green building program. The design received unanimous support from Norfolk’s Architectural Review Board, Planning Commission, and City Council.  Design partners include: WPA, Ray Gindroz, TS3 Architects and Timmons Group.

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 18^th 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.”