Explanation
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with National Church Residences for an affordable senior housing development in an amount up to $2,000,000.00. National Church Residences will enter into a grant agreement with the city for the bond funds as a pass-through entity. Scarborough Senior Housing Limited Partnership is the ownership entity of the project and National Church Residences is the owner of the limited partnership.
Ordinance No. 2210-2025, passed on September 8, 2025, allowed for the establishment of a Housing Development Agreement to utilize Affordable Housing bond funds from the City’s Capital Budget in the amount of $2,000,000.00 for the project.
The Scarborough is a proposed new construction, affordable senior housing community designed to house low-income seniors aged 62+ within Central Ohio. The project consists of eighty-four (84) one and two-bedroom units of new construction in an elevator-served building located on the Near East Side of Columbus. National Church Residences & Trinity Baptist Church with Development Partner, Nix Development Company, have partnered together to build senior housing on the Trinity Baptist campus and serve the seniors who reside there holistically, allowing them to stay home for life.
National Church Residences received funding for the development costs through the HUD Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program, which will pair with 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The HUD Section 202 Housing for the Elderly award will also include rental subsidy for approximately 45 one-bedroom apartments and will include an on-site Service Coordinator who will be funded out of project rents.
The Scarborough will consist of one building with eighty-four (84) one and two-bedroom apartment units. Each unit has a separate kitchen, bathroom, living area, and bedroom. A percentage of the residential units will be designed to be 100% accessible and will be consistent with Section 504, Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, Fair Housing and ADAAG. This apartment community also includes dedicated staff office space, commons areas for social and wellness activities.
In addition, National Church Residences will incorporate building design features to enable residents to age in place including but not limited to accessible means of egress/ingress for each unit, 36” door widths, lever handles, and faucets, clear floor space of 30” x 50”, and accessible locations of lighting and environmental controls. The building will also incorporate sustainable design practices and methods in accordance with LEED for Homes standards. Safety features include smoke detectors, fire alarms, sprinklers in all areas, and security cameras.
Scarborough Senior Housing Limited Partnership is the ownership entity of the project with National Church Residences being owner of the limited partnership. The Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with National Church Residences, who will act as a pass-through entity to loan the funds to Scarborough Senior Housing Limited Partnership.
Emergency action is requested in order to maintain the project schedule and to meet deadlines for this project. Without emergency action, new affordable housing would be further delayed from a low-income community in urgent need of it.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding in the amount of $2,000,000.00 is available in 2025 Capital Improvement
Budget, Affordable Housing Bond fund.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: the vendor number is 032683 and expires 08/12/2026.
Title
To authorize the Director of Development to enter into a grant agreement with National Church Residences for an affordable senior housing development in an amount up to $2,000,000.00; to authorize the expenditure of up to $2,000,000.00 from the Affordable Housing Bond Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($2,000,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of Development seeks to enter into a grant agreement with National Church Residences for an affordable senior housing development in an amount up to $2,000,000.00; and
WHEREAS, the Scarborough is a proposed new construction, affordable senior housing community designed to house low-income seniors aged 62+ within Central Ohio; and
WHEREAS, the project consists of eighty-four (84) one and two-bedroom units of new construction in an elevator-served building located on the Near East Side of Columbus. National Church Residences & Trinity Baptist Church with Development Partner, Nix Development Company, have partnered together to build senior housing on the Trinity Baptist campus and serve the seniors who reside there holistically, allowing them to stay home for life; and
WHEREAS, National Church Residences received fundng through the HUD Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program, which will pair with 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits, will also include rental subsidy for approximately 45 one-bedroom apartments, and will include an on-site Service Coordinator who will be funded out of project rents; and
WHEREAS, a percentage of the residential units will be designed to be 100% accessible and will be consistent with Section 504, Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, Fair Housing and ADAAG; and
WHEREAS, National Church Residences will incorporate building design features to enable residents to age in place, incorporate sustainable design practices and methods in accordance with LEED for Homes standards, and include various safety features; and
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with National Church Residences, who will act as a pass-through entity to loan the funds to Scarborough Senior Housing Limited Partnership; and
WHEREAS, to authorize the expenditure within the Affordable Housing Bond Fund in an amount up to $2,000,000.00; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development to pass this ordinance as emergency in order to maintain the project schedule for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; NOW,THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Development be and is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with National Church Residences for an affordable senior housing development in an amount up to $2,000,000.00.
SECTION 2. The Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with National Church Residences, who will act as a pass-through entity to loan the funds to Scarborough Senior Housing Limited Partnership.
SECTION 5. That for the purpose as stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $2,000,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized in fund 7779 (Affordable Housing Bond fund), Project P782050-100018, Dept. 44-10 (Housing), in Object Class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 7. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 8. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer the unencumbered balance in a project account to the unallocated balance account within the same fund upon receipt of certification by the Director of the Department administering said project that the project has been completed and the monies are no longer required for said project.
SECTION 9. That for the reasons stated in the Preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this Ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.