KeyBank Provides $10 Million for Seniors Affordable Housing in Cleveland Heights, OH
Apartments will meet the needs of vulnerable low income senior community households
CLEVELAND, July, 18 2023 /3BL/ – KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) provided $9.9 million in low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity to finance the conversion of the Margaret Wagner Senior Apartments in Cleveland Heights, OH to 80 low-income housing senior units (62+). This development will create 20 new apartments through the adaptive re-use of the first floor of Margaret Wagner House and preserve 60 apartments on the upper floors.
Built in 1960 as a nursing home by the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, the facility offers HUD 202 PRAC subsidy for 100% of its units. In addition to creating 20 new one-bedroom units, the project will renovate existing units with updated kitchens and bathrooms, improved accessibility, central air conditioning, elevator modernization, new roofing, and site improvements.
The project’s total cost is $18.7 million. Other financing sources include a HUD 202 Capital Advance, Cuyahoga County HOME and Affordable Housing Gap funding, Affordable Housing Program Grant funding through Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston and seller financing.
The project is being co-developed by CHN Housing Partners (CHN) and Benjamin Rose, both organizations are headquartered in Cleveland, OH. Margaret Wagner Senior Apartments will provide much needed senior affordable housing in a market where demand far outstrips supply.
For more than a century, Benjamin Rose has been providing care for Cuyahoga County’s senior population, and, in partnership with CHN, will continue to manage the property and provide supportive services to its residents. A service coordinator will meet with each new tenant during orientation and offer to discuss the individual’s needs with emphasis on behavioral health, preferences for socialization activities, linkage to community-based partners, and primary health care providers when appropriate. Benjamin Rose has also coordinated with the City of Cleveland Heights Office of Aging to provide low-cost transportation for seniors within a 5-mile radius.
“Affordable housing development is never easy, but a strong development team allowed us to overcome the many challenges we faced while getting this project to the construction stage, and we are particularly grateful for KeyBank’s financial support,” said Mike Bier, Senior Project Manager for CHN Housing Partners. “The Margaret Wagner facility has a storied past in Cleveland Heights, and CHN is glad to be a part of its revitalization.”
“Since our founding in 1908, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging has worked to ensure that older adults have a place to call home,” said Orion Bell, President and CEO, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. “Margaret Wagner House has been part of that legacy since 1960 and we are excited to see the property evolve to meet the changing needs of the people we serve and the neighborhoods in which they choose to live. We are grateful for KeyBank’s investment in this project and the community.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Benjamin Rose and CHN Housing Partners to provide affordable housing for our seniors,” said Derek Reed, Vice President, KeyBank CDLI. “KeyBank is committed to the communities we serve, and this investment is a key part of our efforts to build on the success of our National Community Benefits Plan.”
Derek Reed structured the tax credit equity investment and Tara Miller served as the Underwriter for the transaction.
About Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging
Founded in 1908, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging is a Cleveland-based nonprofit whose mission is to support caregivers and empower all people to age well through research, consumer-responsive services, and client advocacy. Our work is accomplished by deepening the understanding of their evolving needs in a changing society; developing and delivering innovative, high-quality solutions; and promoting effective public policies. The following programs and subsidiaries operate together to fulfill our mission: Eldercare Services Institute, LLC; Rose Centers for Aging Well, LLC; Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP); Margaret Wagner Apartments; Center for Research and Education; and Community Advocacy. For more information visit:www.benrose.org.
About CHN Housing Partners
Founded in 1981, CHN Housing Partners is a large-scale affordable housing developer, housing service provider and residential lender that works with its partners to solve major housing challenges for low-income people and underserved communities in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. CHN partners with utility companies, financial institutions, and public agencies to manage and deliver large-scale housing resources. CHN also partners with people—low-income individuals, families, seniors, the disabled and the homeless—to improve their housing stability. CHN’s impact in Cleveland includes 3,200 new homeowners, the housing stability services it provides annually to more than 50,000 individuals, and the development of 7,000 new homes. CHN is a chartered member of the NeighborWorks America network. http://www.chnhousingpartners.org
About KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment
KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) finances projects that stabilize and revitalize communities across all 50 states. As one of the top affordable housing capital providers in the country, KeyBank’s platform brings together construction, acquisition, bridge-to-re-syndication, and preservation loans, as well as lines of credit, Agency and HUD permanent mortgage executions, and equity investments for low-income housing projects, especially Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) financing. KeyBank has earned 10 consecutive “Outstanding” ratings on the Community Reinvestment Act exam, from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, making it the first U.S. national bank among the 25 largest to do so since the Act’s passage in 1977.
About KeyCorp
KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $198 billion at March 31, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications, and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.
