IHDA expanded its business in FY16 to include 1st Mortgages to better support the development and preservation of affordable housing across the state. IHDA is uniquely positioned to offer construction and permanent financing through one common application process, offering time saving efficiencies and some of the best rates and terms in the marketplace.

Aurora St. Charles Senior Living

When Evergreen Real Estate Group took on the rehabilitation of the former St. Charles Hospital in downtown Aurora, IHDA’s new Credit Advantage Program provided a key solution. The development team, which had assembled a complex combination of financing and tax credits, planned to transform the long-vacant property into a 60-unit independent senior living community. However with a critical piece of the financial puzzle – the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Tax Credit – set to expire at the end of 2016, this was of the essence to complete the renovations before the deal fell apart.

The development was awarded Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in June 2015, leaving Evergreen just 18 months to close the deal and complete construction. Recognizing the aggressive schedule, IHDA proposed the developer utilize the Credit Advantage first mortgage resource. By working with IHDA as a one-stop-shop for both the first mortgage and the tax credits, Evergreen reduced the overlapping requirements for due diligence and attorney review typically required for multi-source deals. This allowed them to close on schedule with the financing structure intact while at the same time taking advantage of some of the most competitive rates and terms in the marketplace. Construction began in February 2016, and the first residents are scheduled to move in at the end of the year.

“At the end of the day, we were amazed that IHDA was in many ways as efficient – if not more efficient – than our private lending partners, because they understood the need to meet our deadlines.”

David Block
Director of Development – Evergreen Real Estate Group

“We were absolutely blown away by how efficient the process was, how effectively everyone worked together as a team,” said David Block, Director of Development at Evergreen. “At the end of the day, we were amazed that IHDA was in many ways as efficient – if not more efficient – than our private lending partners, because they understood the need to meet our deadlines.”

IHDA is uniquely positioned to offer construction and permanent financing with competitive terms and interest rates through one common application process. The streamlined process means fewer moving parts, faster execution, and ultimately less time and money spent getting a deal to the closing table. For Evergreen and the City of Aurora, the Credit Advantage Program was the difference that preserved a historically significant building, supported 220 construction jobs for local companies and added 60 affordable apartments to the local housing stock.

“Projects get done more efficiently, and more units are produced,” Block said.