Financing Closes on Construction Deal

 

 

Congratulations to everyone at Christian Church Homes.  For the first time in 12 years, we have closed a $35 million new construction financing deal for Piper Way Senior Apartments. The project will include 60 units of quality, affordable housing for low-income senior residents to be built on two-plus acres of excess church land in Redding, CA. The community also will include six units for formerly homeless seniors with mental illness and nine units for seniors with a developmental disability. This is the first time housing units for seniors with disabilities have been funded by the California Department of Developmental Services.

 

We thank all our partners and are especially proud of the diligent work of CCH staff, including our Vice President of Real Estate Development Sidney Stone and most especially Project Manager Jevon Allen. They have worked tirelessly over the course of many years to complete all the necessary paperwork to finance this project which will bring much-needed and well-deserved housing to the local community. Kudos to all for a job well done.

 

 

Welcome CCH Board Member Ari Beliak

The Board of Directors for Christian Church Homes (CCH) is pleased to announce the election of Ari Beliak as the newest CCH Board Member. Ari is the Chief Executive Officer at Merritt Community Capital Corporation, a mission-based non-profit investor in affordable housing. As CEO, he has overseen the development of more than 10,000 affordable homes, raising more than $450 million and bringing the company’s California’s affordable housing investment to over $1.27 billion.

“We are thrilled to have an individual of Ari’s caliber join the CCH Board,” shares CCH President and CEO Gail Gilman. “Ari has a diverse background in affordable and market-rate housing, commercial lending and is renowned for his expertise in building partnerships in housing and community development. We are excited for the level of leadership and experience Ari will bring to our CCH Board in helping drive our future growth and success,” Gail says.

Since its founding in 1961, CCH has been a leader in building and managing affordable housing where seniors live and thrive in the comfort of a caring community. CCH serves about 3,600 residents in six states, supplying much-needed housing for a diverse population reflective of the surrounding community. In the coming year, CCH will break ground on a number of new developments, further expanding its outreach in California and beyond.

“There is a tremendous need and a shared responsibility to make more affordable housing available to our neighbors,” Ari states. “I am excited to join CCH and to support the vision of the new CEO Gail Gilman as she builds on the organization’s success.”

Ari’s rich background includes leading real estate endeavors for Bank of America and Wells Fargo Bank, consulting for A.T. Kearney and practicing law for Sidley Austin. He has been a leader in developing initiatives to train the next generation in affordable housing and has served on several non-profit boards including the National Association of State and Local Equity Funds; Sequioa Living; Enterprise’s Leadership Committees for Northern and Southern California; LISC’s Los Angeles Local Advisory Council, and California Housing Consortium’s (CHC) Board of Governors. In 2016, Ari was recognized by the San Francisco Business Times for leading the financing of a $2 billion affordable housing portfolio.

“Ari’s fresh approach and business acumen is the kind of creative, out of the box thinking that is needed and can help propel CCH to the next level of success in our pursuit of housing justice for all,” shares CCH Board President Leslie Taylor. “We look forward to working with Ari in building a dynamic future for our organization.”

New Chief Operating Officer Joins Executive Leadership Team

Christian Church Homes (CCH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Cynthia Alvarez as Chief Operating Officer, effective July 10. Cynthia, who most recently served as Deputy Director of Portfolio for the Chinatown Community Development Center, is a recognized leader in housing and community development with a proven track record in operations and financial management in both the non-profit and private sectors.

“We are thrilled to welcome Cynthia to the CCH leadership team,” shares CCH President and CEO Gail Gilman. “Her organizational skills as a strategic planner combined with her focus on growth, sustainability and her financial savvy will further propel CCH as an industry leader as we broaden our portfolio of new housing developments over the next several years.”

Since its founding in 1961, CCH has been instrumental in building and managing affordable housing where seniors can live and thrive in the comfort of their own home. Currently serving about 5,000 residents in six states, CCH provides quality housing for a diverse population reflective of the surrounding community. In the coming year, CCH will break ground of a number of new developments that will add hundreds of units to further expand CCH’s outreach in California and beyond.

“I am excited to join CCH in building upon its mission to provide quality, affordable housing in caring communities,” Cynthia shares. “We face a tremendous responsibility to bring more available and affordable housing for those in our communities with limited means. I look forward to helping CCH continue to grow, prosper and build its infrastructure to meet the needs of our low-income residents who deserve a quality place to call home.”

Prior to joining CCH, Cynthia served on several housing agencies including the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, and Charities Housing Development Corporation. Cynthia also has strong financial connections having held executive positions with Romel Enterprises, LLC; Melro Financial Services/ATEL Financial and E-Commerce Financial Services. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and sits on its finance and audit committees.

CCH Board Appoints New President & CEO

Dear Friends,

Having returned last October as CCH’s Acting President & CEO, I am pleased to share the news that the Board of Directors for CCH has appointed the next leader for our illustrious organization. By a unanimous decision, the board has voted to hire Gail Gilman as CCH’s next President and CEO.I am excited to join with the Board in welcoming Gail to her new role starting June 1, 2023.

Gail has spent her career working to create housing and services for people experiencing homelessness and for those with very limited incomes in the Bay Area. She currently is employed with All Home and was the CEO of Community Housing Partnership for a decade.

Gail has served on several housing and homelessness task forces and was appointed by the governor to California’s Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council. She also is a City & County of San Francisco Port Commissioner appointed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed. Gail enjoys the outdoors, the Napa Valley and is a foodie. She has lived in San Francisco for more than 30 years and the past 20 years in North Beach.

Please join with me in welcoming Gail to her new position as President & CEO. She looks forward to meeting with each of you in building on our excellent reputation and taking CCH to even greater heights. After June 1st, Gail can be reached at Ggilman@cchnc.org and can be found on LinkedIn at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gail-gilmansf/

Wishing you all continued success.

 

Don Stump

CCH Acting President & CEO

RAD Conversions are ‘Rad’

Many property owners and managers, such as CCH, are tasked to find adequate financing to renovate existing properties to keep them decent, safe and up to code. A bigger challenge is often having the ability to maintain affordable rents while necessary repairs are made. At best, this can be a very difficult juggling act. In the past, subsidies might be available through a one-year contract with a limited funding level. This made it difficult to complete major repairs in a timely manner.

The good news is that some new options are available. Properties may now qualify for a conversion through a Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD. HUD recently increased available funding to convert short term Section 202 Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRAC) to long-term RAD Section 8 contracts, stabilizing the way in which property operations and repairs may be funded.

Development Project Manager Jevon Allen was successful in completing the close of financing for only the second RAD for PRAC conversion on the West Coast and the first full rehabilitation conversion through HUD for CCH’s Antioch Rivertown community in Antioch, CA.

“We were pleased to be able to work with HUD in bringing this financing to a close,” Jevon said. “There was a lot of required detail in completing the necessary paperwork, but it all worked out for everyone’s benefit. This is most especially a win for our residents who will benefit from the property upgrades.”

Among the benefits of a RAD conversion are:

• The new contract provided through RAD places the property under a long-term Section 8 contract (typically 15-20 years) that assures its affordability during this period, enabling the building units to remain subsidized and protected as affordable housing,
• The property is provided funding for repairs and modernization to ensure building safety and upkeep, making residents feel safer and more at home;
• Residents are comforted knowing they can continue to pay affordable rent, typically set at 30 percent of a household’s adjusted income.

Construction at Antioch Rivertown has begun and is slated for completion later this year. The financing will enable the property to undergo full electrical and mechanical repairs, including an updated elevator modernization, a more efficient HVAC system, a new roof and other building amenities and updates. During the process, CCH will work closely with residents to ensure a smooth operation and that their needs are met while construction is underway.

“The best part is that we will be able to maintain the affordable rents our residents depend on while making the needed repairs and renovations,” Jevon says.

Fresh Look for CCH Central Office

After many years of leasing our home office space, CCH is now the landlord of our Walnut Creek property at 1855 Olympic Boulevard. With capacity to house the entire corporate staff, the property has room for future growth and to establish an important financial asset for the company.

Several improvements have been completed that will enhance the building’s overall appearance and comfort for its tenants:

• Painting of the exterior building. A total exterior paint job of the home office building is now complete. In addition to the exterior painting, selected landscaping is underway which is expected to bring a fresh appeal to the entire building.
• New asphalt and striping. The general parking area has been updated including removing and replacing all the old asphalt with new material, re-stripping the white lines for parking spaces, and adding signage and indicators for assigned parking. With the improvements completed, a new parking policy is in effect delineating reserved parking and visitor spots. There are also 55 additional spaces east of the building for tenant and guests parking. Individuals who are not building tenants or their guests are not allowed to park in any of the lots. No overnight parking is permitted.
• New air compressor. During the hot days of summer, the building’s older air compressor was working overtime to keep tenants comfortable and occasionally failing at the task. A new compressor has been installed which will better regulate the building’s temperature and keep tenants happier.

“Thanks to everyone for your patience as we worked diligently to upgrade the look and comfort of the home office,” said Acting President and CEO Don Stump. Don added that a realtor has been hired to work with CCH in bringing potential tenants into the building. If you know of anyone who is interested in renting corporate space, please send an email to  SChang@cchnc.org for more information.

CCH Annual Report Available Online

Expanding the Legacy: Care – Compassion – Community is the theme for the 2022 CCH Annual Report, which spotlights CCH’s numerous accomplishments over the past year and provides a glimpse of exciting new projects on the horizon to further expand our growing portfolio. The report highlights CCH’s more than 60-year legacy of providing affordable, quality housing for low-income seniors in caring and compassionate communities. A number of new developments and renovations to existing properties are planned, along with continuing to streamline property management and administrative services to realize cost saving while ensuring exceptional customer care. Click here to view the online version. Contact Marketing and Media Coordinator Valerie Roberts Gray at vgray@cchnc.org for a hard copy of the report.

Bill Would Make Home Construction Easier for Faith Groups, Colleges

Most days on the evening news you hear multifaceted proposals for how cities can create new housing to ease homelessness and address the pressing need for more affordable homes. There have been numerous suggestions levied about from converting unused office and retail spaces left vacant after the pandemic shutdown into affordable housing units to opening quick-build, temporary mini-homes on unused land parcels. Among the proposals currently gaining ground is Senate Bill 4 (SB4) which would ease some zoning and environmental restrictions to allow nonprofit colleges and faith organizations, such as churches, masques and synagogues, to build affordable housing on their excess land.

According to Cal Matters, if approved by lawmakers and signed into law, Senate Bill 4 would reduce barriers that religious and nonprofit organizations often face when planning multifamily housing projects on their properties. Common obstacles include local zoning regulations and stringent environmental review processes which many housing proponents say can add years of red tape and expense to the construction process.

The proposed law would supersede local zoning rules that either prohibit or discourage development of housing projects and would bar opponents from using the environmental review processes to slow down construction with lengthy litigation. Restrictions also are proposed to ensure units remain 100 percent affordable since provisions of the law could only be applied to projects that guarantee available low-income housing. Building organizations would need to commit to an affordability requirement of 55 years in rental units and 45 years for owner-occupied units.

Affordable housing advocates further content SB4 would bolster housing stock since many of these institutes own land in close proximity to community resources such as transit, shopping, and job centers, making them even more convenient and desirable. A 2020 study by UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation found nearly 40,000 acres currently used by religious groups could be developed.

AB4 is not a new proposal and is the third attempt by California Sen. Scott Wiener to foster agreement and move the bill forward. A 2020 version of the bill died amidst disagreements between affordable housing advocates and labor organizations pushing to include a workforce mandate in the bill that would ensure state housing contractors a living wage. Housing proponents argued that such a provision would drive up costs and stunt construction.

There is some hope for passage of SB4 this time around. Following months of negotiations, a recently negotiated deal to convert underutilized commercial buildings into housing was signed off by both housing advocates and trade unions. Proponents are hopeful brokerage of this deal could provide a roadmap for similar success with SB4.

CCH Hires New President/CEO

 

The Board of Directors of CCH is pleased to announce the next chapter of our 60-year mission to build and manage affordable housing for seniors. The board has voted unanimously to hire Gail Gilman as CCH’s next President & CEO. Gail is a long time San Francisco / Bay Area resident who has spent her career working to create housing and services for people experiencing homelessness and for those with very limited income in the Bay Area. She currently is employed with All Home and was the CEO of Community Housing Partnership for a decade.

Gail has served on several housing and homelessness task forces and was appointed by the governor to California’s Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council. She also is a City & County of San Francisco Port Commissioner appointed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed. Gail enjoys the outdoors, the Napa Valley and is a foodie. She has lived in San Francisco for more than 30 years and the past 20 years in North Beach.

In the coming months, Gail will take on leadership roles at the CCH home office in Walnut Creek and across the state and country as she works with CCH’s 48 properties and the many additional sites that are currently in the pipeline.

CCH Board Chair Leslie Taylor writes: “We are thrilled to welcome Gail to CCH.  We are confident her experience and leadership will help us achieve our goals to scale our impact, grow our portfolio and take the company to the next level.”

Gail shares, “I am excited to be joining CCH (Christian Church Homes) as its new President & CEO and to work alongside the talented staff to drive growth and build on the company’s reputation for social impact and excellence,” she says. “I am committed to building on the strong foundation that has been established over the past 60 years and driving CCH to new heights.”

After June 1, Gail can be reached at Ggilman@cchnc.org . She looks forward to meeting our many partners and working with the staff who support CCH’s passionate mission to provide affordable and quality housing to America’s seniors.

Looking To Progress in the New Year

Dear Friends,

As we move forward in the new year, there is much for which to be grateful. COVID-19 cases are dropping and the economy continues to improve following the rough and tumble years brought about by the pandemic. Yet many challenges continue to confront our residents. Rental rates in California continue to spiral with many assistance program being slashed, eliminated or cut back.

Studies have shown older renters are more likely to be behind in their rental payments and those who are current are often struggling to make ends meet for the next month’s rent. They must often juggle rent payments with other needed necessities such as food and medical supplies. Many rental assistance programs implemented during the pandemic have expired, leaving some renters scrambling for other means of assistance. Lower-income renters often are more anxious about having the money needed to make monthly payments for necessities such as food and shelter. This is especially true for older adults on a fixed income. Have you priced a dozen eggs or a gallon of gas lately? This can be a lot to balance.

On the good news front, California leads the nation in providing services necessary to help older residents meet their daily care needs. There also were some key legislative wins in 2022 which should help clear the way to make more housing available and affordable. Six substantial bills were signed into law in 2022 which can help in escalating new housing developments. There are other bills on the docket which we must continue to watch and advocate for their passage in helping those with limited incomes have more available housing options. Read more in this issue and consider how you might join with CCH to lend your voice of support.

All the best,

 

Don Stump

CCH Interim President/CEO