In our latest call for entries, Building Design+Construction collected over 20 multifamily projects with a focus on affordable housing. From mixed-use communities to Passive House design, these developments wowed us in more ways than one.
Here is a comprehensive list of all projects in alphabetical order. For a deeper dive into each, click on the hyperlinks within and see what makes these projects special.
43 Green
Chicago, Ill.
43 Green is the first equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD) on Chicago's South Side. Read more about this project in:
87th & Western
Los Angeles, Calif.
87th & Western Apartments is a proposed 160-unit, mixed-use, affordable housing development that will be built along Western Avenue in the Westmont neighborhood of Los Angeles. Read more about this project in:
- 7 mixed-use developments that don't sacrifice housing affordability
- 7 affordable developments built near historic districts, community ties
330 Distel Circle
Los Altos, Calif.
Distel Circle will deliver the first 100% affordable housing project in Los Altos, Calif., for individuals and families earning 30-80% of the area’s median income. Read more about this project in:
- 3 multifamily projects dedicated to 100% living affordability
- 7 affordable developments built near historic districts, community ties
425 Grand Concourse
Bronx, N.Y.
425 Grand Concourse, located in the Bronx, N.Y., is the largest Passive House project in North America to date. Read more about this project in:
- Passive House, sustainability standards meet multifamily development
- 7 mixed-use developments that don't sacrifice housing affordability
- 3 affordable housing projects that overcame building obstacles
508 Pershing at Oakwood Shores
Chicago, Ill.
508 Pershing is a mixed-use, mixed-income building that is part of the larger Oakwood Shores revitalization plan. Read more about this project in:
683 Thwaites Place
Bronx, N.Y.
683 Thwaites Place is a for-profit development featuring 36 high-quality affordable apartments, street-level retail, and community spaces. Read more about this project in:
Atlantis Apartments
Denver, Colo.
Atlantis Apartments provides 60 units and has been configured to be one of the most accessible buildings in the country. Read more about this project in:
Bronx Point
Bronx, N.Y.
Bronx Point is a 530,000-sf mixed-use development that will bring 542 units of permanently affordable housing, retail, and engaging open space to South Bronx. Read more about this project in:
Canal Commons
Bend, Ore.
Canal Commons is a 44,525-sf multifamily development located in Bend, Ore., that proves affordability doesn’t have to compromise sustainability. Read more about this project in:
Castle Argyle Hollywood
Hollywood, Calif.
Castle Argyle is a historic art deco “castle” revived as low-income housing for seniors. Built in 1928, this luxury hotel/apartment building was created to attract silent-film stars. Read more about this project in:
- These 9 novel housing communities offer support beyond affordability
- 7 affordable developments built near historic districts, community ties
Common Melrose
Los Angeles, Calif.
Common Melrose is a residential duplex in the heart of Los Angeles, Calif., that offers a novel co-living model. Read more about this project in:
DESC Burien
Burien, Wash.
DESC Burien is a new affordable housing development being built in the Seattle, Wash., area for residents dealing with mental illness and substance use disorders. Read more about this project in:
Fifth & Dinwiddie West
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Fifth & Dinwiddie West is slated to be a 190,000-sf mixed-use, mixed-income development in Pittsburgh, Pa., that is already pre-certified PHIUS. Read more about this project in:
- Passive House, sustainability standards meet multifamily development
- 7 mixed-use developments that don't sacrifice housing affordability
- 7 affordable developments built near historic districts, community ties
H3C
New Orleans, La.
H3C is a 210,000-sf, 192-unit affordable housing and healthcare development under construction in Central City New Orleans, La. Read more about this project in:
Harrison Row Townhomes
Chicago, Ill.
Harrison Row Townhomes is a 40-unit modular housing community in Chicago, Ill., for households earning up to 120% of the area’s median income. Read more about this project in:
Hilltop at Signal Hills
West St. Paul, Minn.
Hilltop at Signal Hills provides 393 units designed to provide a living experience on par with luxury buildings in the market. Read more about this project in:
HUB 32 at Lake & Kedzie
Chicago, Ill.
HUB 32 is a proposed 63 unit mixed-use project in the Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago, Ill., with its design inspired by the concept of quilting and stitching. Read more about this project in:
Lucille and Bruce Terwilliger Place
Arlington, Va.
Lucille and Bruce Terwilliger Place was born out of a need to support at-risk veterans and community members in Arlington, Va. Read more about this project in:
- 3 multifamily projects dedicated to 100% living affordability
- These 9 novel housing communities offer support beyond affordability
The Rollins
Millbrae, Calif.
The Rollins provides 80 affordable units dedicated for veterans with Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers. Read more about this project in:
- 7 mixed-use developments that don't sacrifice housing affordability
- These 9 novel housing communities offer support beyond affordability
The Row
Chicago, Ill.
The Row Fulton Market is one of Chicago’s first 80/20 buildings—setting aside 20% of its residences as affordable housing. Read more about this project in:
Willkommen
Cincinnati, Ohio
Willkommen is the largest addition of affordable housing in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, distributed across 11 historic renovations and three new buildings. Read more about this project in:
Wynne Watts Commons
Gresham, Ore.
Wynne Watts Commons marries accessibility and sustainability in a 97,000-sf shell, and is the largest Net Zero Energy affordable housing project in the Pacific Northwest. Read more about this project in:
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 21, 2024
Massachusetts launches program to spur office-to-residential conversions statewide
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey recently launched a program to help cities across the state identify underused office buildings that are best suited for residential conversions.
Affordable Housing | Mar 20, 2024
240-unit affordable housing community to be built on site of former shopping center
Jefferson Plaza Apartments, being built on a 7.6 acre site of a former shopping center, will comprise seven 3-story buildings with 147 one-bedroom and 93 two-bedroom units.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 19, 2024
Jim Chapman Construction Group completes its second college town BTR community
JCCG's 200-unit Cottages at Lexington, in Athens, Ga., is fully leased.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 19, 2024
Two senior housing properties renovated with 608 replacement windows
Renovation of the two properties, with 200 apartments for seniors, was financed through a special public/private arrangement.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 18, 2024
YWCA building in Boston’s Back Bay converted into 210 affordable rental apartments
Renovation of YWCA at 140 Clarendon Street will serve 111 previously unhoused families and individuals.
MFPRO+ News | Mar 16, 2024
Multifamily rents stable heading into spring 2024
National asking multifamily rents posted their first increase in over seven months in February. The average U.S. asking rent rose $1 to $1,713 in February 2024, up 0.6% year-over-year.
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 15, 2024
San Francisco voters approve tax break for office-to-residential conversions
San Francisco voters recently approved a ballot measure to offer tax breaks to developers who convert commercial buildings to residential use. The tax break applies to conversions of up to 5 million sf of commercial space through 2030.
Affordable Housing | Mar 12, 2024
An all-electric affordable housing project in Southern California offers 48 apartments plus community spaces
In Santa Monica, Calif., Brunson Terrace is an all-electric, 100% affordable housing project that’s over eight times more energy efficient than similar buildings, according to architect Brooks + Scarpa. Located across the street from Santa Monica College, the net zero building has been certified LEED Platinum.
MFPRO+ News | Mar 12, 2024
Multifamily housing starts and permitting activity drop 10% year-over-year
The past year saw over 1.4 million new homes added to the national housing inventory. Despite the 4% growth in units, both the number of new homes under construction and the number of permits dropped year-over-year.
Affordable Housing | Mar 11, 2024
Los Angeles’s streamlined approval policies leading to boom in affordable housing plans
Since December 2022, Los Angeles’s planning department has received plans for more than 13,770 affordable units. The number of units put in the approval pipeline in roughly one year is just below the total number of affordable units approved in Los Angeles in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined.
