Tax Credit Paves the Way for an Affordable Senior Housing Campus in Columbus

Construction is expected to begin next spring on a 94-unit, senior housing community in northern Columbus. National Church Residences secured Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) to build Northland Gate at 5771 Maple Canyon Avenue in the Northland neighborhood. The $16 million project is supported by $11.7 million in tax credits from OHFA and $300,000 from the City of Columbus.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to expand our footprint in the Northland area and for all the support we’ve received for this project,” said Amy Rosenthal, director of affordable housing development. “This is an important project for this area, as the demand for affordable senior housing continues to increase across central Ohio.”

Throughout the Columbus metro area, there exists a need for more affordable senior housing. Franklin County has the second largest population age 65 and older in Ohio, according to a 2017 report by the Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute.

Northland Gate will serve seniors age 55 and older, offering one- and two-bedroom apartments in a 3-story, 85,000 square foot building. It will be built on nearly four acres of land with construction lasting about a year. Amenities will include a wellness suite, a fitness center, library, a multi-purpose community room with a kitchen, and an outdoor walking path with a garden, Energy Star lighting and appliances, as well as an on-site laundry.

Each unit will be fully accessible and adaptable to the needs of residents, allowing them to age in place. Some of the features designed for this purpose involve a wider turn radius in all rooms, an emergency call system, grab bars in showers, adjustable-height shelves, and easy touch rocker light switches.

National Church Residences would like to recognize and thank the partners who made this project possible: The City of Columbus, Northland Community Council, 161 Task Force, Sharon Woods Civic Association, Forest Park Civic Association, and the Northland Area Business Association. In addition, we want to thank Berardi Partners for designing Northland Gate.

When this project is complete, the addition of Northland Gate to the National Church Residences portfolio will give the organization 30 housing communities in Franklin County.

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.