Burbank Housing Comes to Guerneville
Burbank Housing Development Corporation
and Community Housing Sonoma County
announce the groundbreaking ceremony for
Fife Creek Commons
Friday, November 5, 2010, at 3:30 p.m.
Burbank Housing Development Corporation, Community Housing Sonoma County, and their financial partners – the Sonoma County Community Development Commission, Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment, and California Community Reinvestment Corporation – will gather to celebrate the groundbreaking of the development at 16321 5th Street in Guerneville.
Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment, who will provide $9.1 million for construction financing and $13.4 million in equity, sponsors the event. Additional funding includes $5.03 million from the Sonoma County Community Development Commission, $655,000 from the California Community Reinvestment Corporation for permanent financing, $1 million in Mental Health Services Act funding jointly administered by the California Department of Mental Health and the California Housing Finance Agency, and $470,000 in Affordable Housing Program funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.
”Wells Fargo is pleased to support Burbank Housing in providing needed service enriched affordable housing in Sonoma County.” said Margaret Schrand of Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment. “By reinvesting in the community, Wells Fargo both assists in making affordable housing a reality and contributes to the economic health of the County.”
Fife Creek Commons will be a high-quality development that enhances the surrounding neighborhood and will provide a variety of much needed affordable rental housing for Guerneville and the Russian River area. The project will house families and individuals earning up to 60% of the area median income, with annual incomes ranging from about $10,000 to about $60,000 depending on household size. Rents range from $208 to $995, depending on household income and unit size. Twenty-four units are available to special needs households, including persons with mental disabilities, history of substance abuse, history of homelessness, domestic abuse, teen parents, and HIV/AIDS. The project is designed and built to meet Build it Green’s Green Point Rated standards.
The development includes one, two, and three bedroom apartments. A resident manager will occupy one of the apartments. There are 36 single-story flats and 12 two-story townhome units. The 1,768 square foot community center will house the management office, a services office, laundry, and common room. A pre-cast concrete podium structure will locate all occupied space more than two feet above the 100-year base flood elevation. There is a common plaza on top of the podium bordered by semi-private spaces and defined by planters leading to individual unit entries. The plaza will contain small-scale trees and other planting in containers, benches, and seating areas. Three stairways and one elevator will provide access to the plaza level. Most of the area under the podium is devoted to resident and visitor parking, circulation, and a play area for school age children.
Burbank Housing has a reputation for well-managed properties that develop a sense of community among the residents. Fife Creek Commons is designed to encourage this sense of community through the common exterior spaces. The community center is a focal point of the project and may be used for gatherings and for programs serving the community. Such programs may include classes on parenting, nutrition, safety, domestic violence prevention, child abuse prevention, health education programs, and English as a second language offered through local providers. A variety of organized on-site youth programs such as after-school homework club, supervised recreational activities, arts and crafts and summer activities, mentoring and tutoring, gang diversion programs and support, and Scouting groups may also be offered. Additional services provided by Sonoma County Mental Health, West County Community Services, and Face-to-Face are specifically designed for special needs tenants.
Confirmed Speakers: Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo; Kathleen Kane, Executive Director, Sonoma County Community Development Commission; Margaret Schrand, Vice President, Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment; Paula Cook, Executive Director, Community Housing Sonoma County; Margo Warnecke Merck, Community Housing Sonoma County Board of Directors; John Lowry, Executive Director, Burbank Housing; Chaney Delaire, Senior Project Manager/Self-Help Program Manager, Burbank Housing
Burbank Housing is a private nonprofit corporation working in cooperation with all Sonoma County local governments. In its 30-year history of developing and managing affordable multifamily residential communities, Burbank Housing has developed over 2500 affordable apartments and over 700 owner-occupied homes.
Community Housing Sonoma County is a grass roots community-based nonprofit affordable housing development organization. Its mission is to develop and expand permanent supportive housing opportunities for very low-income people living with disabilities.
Wells Fargo’s Community Lending and Investment division provides debt and equity capital for economic development, job creation and affordable housing in areas of need nationwide. For more information: wellsfargo.com/communitylendingandinvestment.
Sonoma County Community Development Commission provides funding from designated housing sources for the development and rehabilitation of affordable housing, administers federally funded housing vouchers, and provides funding to community infrastructure projects.
