Breaking Ground for a New Affordable Senior Housing Community in Atlanta

ATLANTA – National Church Residences and True Light Baptist Church are partnering to build a $24 million affordable housing community, which will serve the growing senior population in Atlanta’s Westside neighborhood. True Light Haven will be a high-quality; 124-unit community located at 295 Penelope Drive, and will offer independent senior living in one-and two-bedroom apartments for residents age 55 and older.

By partnering with True Light Baptist Church, National Church Residences has forged a new relationship to extend its service footprint to specifically target the senior population in the Penelope neighborhood. The project is designed to provide the amenities and services that will allow senior residents to enjoy maximum independence, as they age in place in the area where they raised their children, attended church and have lived for many years.

City of Atlanta Councilmember Antonio Brown, Atlanta Chief Housing Officer Terri Lee, Fulton County Commissioner Natalie Hall, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta Dr. Eloisa Klementich, and Georgia Department of Community Affairs Division Director of Housing Finance and Development Jill Cromartie, will be among the speakers at the event, set for Tuesday, February 25, 2020, at 1 p.m. located at True Light Baptist Church, 47 Anderson Ave, SW in Atlanta.

“True Light has been a pillow and beacon of light in the Dixie Hills community for more than 60 years,” Pastor Rev. Dr. Darrell D. Elligan. “National Church Residences and True Light Baptist Church share the same vision for service, the same value of all persons, especially seniors, and the same voice for a better society in which people can live.”

The new campus will offer seniors a fitness room, business center with Wi-Fi, an on-site laundry facility, washer and dry hook-ups, and a generous community room with a kitchenette.

National Church Residences has nine communities in the Atlanta metro area, including: Baptist Gardens, Baptist Towers, Betmar Village, Big Bethel Village, Commons at Imperial Hotel, Lakewood Christian Manor, Panola Gardens, Princeton Court, and Trinity Towers. With the expected opening of True Light Haven in 2021, National Church Residences will have 1,471 units spread across 10 communities in the Atlanta metro area.

This new construction development was made possible with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits awarded by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. National Equity Fund is providing the equity for the project. Invest Atlanta awarded the project a Housing Opportunity Bond Loan and is also the bond issuer for the project. Bank of America is providing the construction financing. Berkadia Capital Mortgage, in partnership with Freddie Mac, is providing the permanent financing for the project. The community was designed by architects at Foley Design in Atlanta and will be built by general contractor McShane Construction of Alabama.

About National Church Residences
National Church Residences serves more than 42,000 seniors through its array of housing and health care services. The not-for-profit organization is driven by a vision of advancing better living for all seniors, enabling them to remain home for life. With 340 communities in 25 states, it is the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of affordable senior housing and the largest manager of service coordinators. The organization also offers residential senior communities, home and community-based services, as well as permanent supportive housing for the formerly homeless and disabled. For more information, visit us at NationalChurchResidences.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.