The 26,000 square foot Apartments were designed for low income residents at or below 50 percent of the area median income with disabilities and their families. There are 22 units, 11 of which conform to the Uniform Federal Associability Standards (UFAS) and the other 11 adhere to the Universal Design standards. The units have roll-in showers, roll-under sinks, and lower cabinets to follow the regulations set by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). After applying for the 9 percent low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) allocation, Ron Mittelman, Developer, received funding from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta. StellarOne provided a $2.1 million construction financing for the project.
“I feel like most multifamily apartments just put a couple of units in their developments meant for people with disabilities and that these units are sort of an afterthought. There is a need in this community for more units catering to the needs of disabled people,” said Mittelman in the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits. “I thought that I could build an entire building for people [with disabilities] and their families.”
As well as being affordable to the community, the apartments use geothermal heating and air conditioning which saves 30 percent on HVAC. They also received EarthCraft certification for providing energy efficient housing.