Editor’s Note: Since Todd and Barry Cottle co-founded Tustin-based C&C Development in 2003 to provide affordable housing, it has built 3,000 units across 40 communities in Southern California. The Business Journal’s Commercial Real Estate Update begins on page 17.
When the city of Yorba Linda celebrated the groundbreaking for the second phase of Altrudy Lane Senior Apartments, a 64-unit affordable housing community for seniors, it represented an important addition to the city’s housing stock, and so much more.
National issues such as inflation, sinking retirement plans and lower-than-anticipated pensions are increasing the need for viable, program-focused senior affordable housing.
Moreover, as homeowners age, they may be ready to downsize but want to stay close to family and friends. This is even more challenging when a city is dominated by single-family homes and limited multifamily or condo options. That’s why affordable housing, especially for seniors, is a necessary part of a city’s housing cycle.
Altrudy Lane is a rental community for seniors ages 62 and older. The development is designed as a long-term housing solution for low-income seniors within the community. Rents are based on Orange County’s Area Median Income (AMI) and are increased annually based on changes to AMI. Section 8 vouchers are available only to residents with the lowest incomes in the community.
The Groundbreaking
At the Altrudy Lane II groundbreaking, Yorba Linda’s Mayor Carlos Rodriguez underscored this issue, noting that affordable housing ensures that seniors who helped build their community can continue to call it home. His comments illustrated that Yorba Linda is not immune to California’s housing affordability challenges, especially for seniors on fixed incomes. It is also why city leaders requested preference for applicants who live and work in Yorba Linda.
The financing structure for Altrudy Lane is consistent with how most affordable housing is financed and constructed in California.
Altrudy Lane was financed through a combination of local funding sources from the City of Yorba Linda and the County of Orange, in conjunction with the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit administered by the state of California. The combination of these funding sources enables the developer to maintain affordability for 55 years without ongoing operating subsidies. These factors provide stability for the project and its residents throughout the affordability period.
The craftsman-style second phase of Altrudy Lane Senior Apartments, developed by C&C Development and Orange Housing Development Corporation, adds 64 more units of affordable housing for seniors aged 62 and above, priced between 30% and 60% of the area median income. All the units are ADA-accessible and adaptable to ensure long-term flexibility as seniors age in place. The second phase follows the first phase of Altrudy Lane, which brought 48 units to the neighborhood.
Ensuring Neighborhood Acceptance
It does have its challenges.
From the beginning, the Yorba Linda council leadership and city staff were committed to developing affordable housing that fit within the neighborhood’s fabric. However, there remained the potential threat of local residents’ opposition to increased traffic and changes to the neighborhood’s character.
Early on, to facilitate community acceptance, Tustin-based C&C Development met with community organizations and conducted one-on-one meetings with neighbors immediately adjacent to the planned community. These conversations addressed potential concerns such as fencing, building heights, privacy and more.
As city staff recounted, the effort went beyond simply meeting with residents; the outreach helped neighbors feel seen, heard and understood. For this reason, the neighbors did not oppose the project, given its design, the population it serves and the fact that the building is designed within the context of the surrounding community.
More specifically, input from neighboring residents on the property’s east side regarding the privacy impacts of an adjacent three-story building inspired changes to the building’s design. C&C removed the third-story component and increased landscaping to secure project approval and create goodwill. Addressing community issues upfront in the first phase led to easier conversations with neighbors in the second phase, because they knew what to expect from the property and development team.
Improved Lifestyles
The Altrudy Lane II apartments offer additional benefits for future residents. Community amenities are a central focus of the design and include a community room, barbecue plaza, on-site laundry, dog park and passive outdoor spaces throughout the property.
Residents 62 years of age and older are already susceptible to chronic illnesses, limiting their mobility to perform basic daily activities. Managing doctors’ appointments and medication, securing a balanced meal becomes difficult as individuals age. The goal within these affordable communities is to assist residents so that their quality of life improves, and they continue to live independently for as long as possible.
This is where nonprofit organizations such as LifeSTEPS come in. They provide community services that help older adults thrive and live longer than expected, while also keeping generations of families closer together.
A Healthy Housing Cycle
Looking ahead, the role of affordable housing can be so much more.
When older adults are locked in their homes due to a lack of affordable, accessible housing and fixed incomes that cannot keep pace with rising costs, this encourages them to age in place. This creates a bottleneck in the housing market, limiting inventory for young buyers.
For any city, when planning for the long term, it is important to consider all stages of housing – whether for new college graduates, young families or older generations.
That is why a healthy housing cycle requires an all-ages mindset. The human-centered opportunity to provide an affordable housing choice for older residents can fill the generational housing cycle that a city needs.
