AUSTIN, TX – National Church Residences is happy to announce the completion of a newly renovated affordable community for seniors ages 55 and up, called Sunday Village. Formerly known as Arbors at Creekside, the community, located at 1026 Clayton Lane in District 4, has been thoughtfully restored to ensure older adults can remain safely housed in a neighborhood experiencing rapid growth and rising housing costs.
The renovation was made possible through a collaboration between National Church Residences and the Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), with a shared focus on preserving affordability, dignity, and long-term stability for seniors who call the Windsor neighborhood home. Residents interested in housing at Sunday Village can visit https://www.sundayvillage.org/ to learn more and apply.
“The renovations at Sunday Village ensure this community can meet the needs of its residents, now and in the years ahead,” says Deletta Dean, director of Austin Housing. “By investing in updates to existing affordable housing, the city is reaffirming its commitment to providing safe, comfortable, and accessible housing that supports the well-being of active adults.”
Each of the newly renovated one- and two-bedroom units feature faux wood flooring, carpeted bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens, oversized closets and a private patio or solarium. Water, trash, and sewer are included in the rent. Community amenities include a fitness center, elevator access, arts and crafts room, and a community room with a full kitchen, spaces designed to foster connection and support healthy, independent living. It is also close to the Blair Woods Nature Preserve, shopping, dining, and medical centers. The total cost of acquisition and renovation totaled just under $50 million.
Tracey Fine, Senior Director of Housing Development for National Church Residences, emphasized the urgency of preserving affordable housing for older and/or active adults at a time when demand is growing nationwide.
“Preserving communities like Sunday Village is critical as the country faces a ‘silver tsunami’ of aging baby boomers,” said Fine. “This renovation ensures residents can truly be ‘Home for Life,’ with accessible design features such as elevators, handrails, and visibility standards built into every unit.”
Fine added that the project also plays an important role in preventing displacement in the Windsor neighborhood. “As this area continues to gentrify, Sunday Village helps ensure long-time residents and seniors with limited incomes are not priced out of the community they’ve long called home.”
AHFC is the general partner and ground lessor. At least half of the apartments (88 units or more) will be reserved for households at or below 50% area median income (AMI); the remaining units will be reserved for households at or below 60% AMI. Residents in lower income brackets may also be eligible to apply as National Church Residences accepts housing choice vouchers. These vouchers are assigned directly to residents, not the property, allowing them to move to the property of their choice. More than 40 of these vouchers are currently assigned to Sunday Village residents.
AHFC currently owns the land and an AHFC partnership – Creekside Senior Housing Limited Partnership – currently owns the improvements (apartments). And National Church Residences is a partner in the Creekside Partnership. Under this new partnership, the property has been renovated and renamed “Sunday Village”.
The property was originally built in 2004 and managed by a different entity under a 40-year lease from AHFC. However, years of neglect and storm damage caused by Winter storm Uri in 2021 left the property in a state of disrepair.
To address these issues, AHFC acquired special partner interests from the previous investors to take back control and properly maintain the apartments and brought developer National Church Residences on board to oversee renovations in 2022. National Church Residences, a national nonprofit with deep experience in senior affordable housing, led the effort to restore the community through a new capital stack that included 4 percent low-income housing tax credits administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, tax-exempt multifamily housing revenue bonds, and other public and private funding sources.
The renovation addressed critical building needs including repairing all exterior building and envelope issues, replacing windows, roofs, full renovations of unit kitchens and bathrooms including new cabinetry, countertops, flooring, light and water fixtures. Elevators in the residential buildings were modernized, hallways were brightened, and entry security was enhanced. The community room received an overhaul to allow residents to host residential and community events, and a new fitness room and business center were added for resident use. The aging and unmaintained pool was replaced with a landscaped and covered seating area.
“Through this new funding, we have invested over $15 million to tackle critical repairs and give the Sunday Village a major and much needed renovation. Together, these sources were critical to financing the renovation of Sunday Village, Fine says. “4% Tax Credits leveraged with multifamily bonds (and just straight 9% LIHTC) are the largest, most impactful source of funding to build and preserve affordable housing not only in Texas, but throughout the country. There is no other material source of funds that facilitates construction or preservation of affordable housing at scale like the tax credit program.”
In 2022, National Church Residences was approved for an annual credit of $1,892,237. Sources of permanent financing include loans from AHFC Seller Note, Fannie Mae MTE bonds, TDHCA Housing Trust Fund, and a Deferred Developer Fee. National Church Residences began the extensive rehab on the property in 2023.
About National Church Residences
Originating from a Christian commitment of service, National Church Residences provides an array of health care services and a variety of housing options to 65,000 seniors. The nonprofit organization is driven by a vision to scale for mission impact by advancing better living for 100,000 seniors by 2030, wherever they call home. With more than 350 communities across the United States, it is the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of affordable senior housing and the largest manager of service coordinators.
The organization also offers a variety of additional senior living options, 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, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About Austin Housing
Austin Housing creates and preserves housing opportunities to stabilize communities. To access affordable housing and community resources that help you, visit www.austintexas.gov/housing. .
About the Austin Housing Finance Corporation
The Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) was created as a public, non-profit corporation and instrumentality of the City of Austin. The mission of the AHFC is to generate and implement strategic housing solutions for the benefit of low- and moderate-income residents of the City of Austin.
CONTACT:
Tricia Strahler, Public Relations Director
Cell: 614-459-1943
[email protected]
