Developed with Melton Center, The NRP Group, PHFA, and Finance Partners, the Community Will Be Located in a Walkable, Amenity-Rich Urban Area
Church Housing Corp., a faith-based not-for-profit that provides housing and supportive services to people with special needs, families, individuals and seniors with modest means, has broken ground on The Melton Center Apartments, a 51-unit affordable housing development in downtown West Chester, Pennsylvania, adjacent to The Charles A. Melton Arts & Education Center.
Located at 500 E. Market Street, The Melton Center Apartments will be a mixed-income workforce housing rental community that will cater to families that have members with mobility, hearing and visual impairments.
“There is an increased need for attainable and affordable housing, and the Melton Center’s partnership with Church Housing Corporation not only expands these housing options within our community, but connects people in need with job training and services so they can live with dignity and purpose,” said West Chester Mayor Dianne Herron. “I am grateful to the leadership of the Melton Center for remaining true to the mission of service to its community, while simultaneously strengthening its long-term financial position. This is what hope looks like, and it’s just the beginning of the next 100 years for The Melton Community Center.”
The Melton Center Apartments is being developed in partnership between Church Housing Corp., Melton Center, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), finance partners, and The NRP Group, a vertically integrated, best-in-class national developer, builder and manager of multifamily housing.
“The mission for The Melton Center Apartments is extremely important – it’s an effort to build the community through a community effort,” said Kathryn Evans, Executive Director of Church Housing Corp. “We’d like to thank The Melton Center and The NRP Group for their partnership with this development, PHFA for its faith in our vision, and our finance partners for their considerable support. We’re excited to see the final product and look forward to delivering an affordable, and supportive living environment to West Chester.”
The property will feature 10 townhomes and a four-story, 41-unit apartment building. The townhomes will include three- and four-bedroom layouts, washer/dryer hookups, ample interior and exterior storage space, attached garages and driveways. The apartments will be elevator-serviced and will have a mix of one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom units. Shared amenities will include a community room, library, laundry, management offices, and on-site supportive services. Residents will also have access to the considerable social, educational, and active lifestyle programming available at The Melton Center.
“The Melton Center Apartments will provide much needed workforce housing for Chester County and the Philly metro area,” said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. “We’re especially pleased that supportive services will be available at this location because they’re so important for helping people stay in their housing and succeed in their lives.”
The Melton Center Apartments are situated in a highly desirable and walkable area that offers convenient access to places of worship, full-service restaurants, fast food, grocery stores, boutiques, pharmacies, and outdoor recreation areas and parks. The neighboring Melton Center offers academic skill building, educational, cultural, civic and recreational programming for adults, youth, families and the elderly. The apartments are also less than one mile from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and just 35 miles from Philadelphia.
“This is our first development in the Philadelphia metro area,” said P. Christopher Dirr, Senior Vice President of Development at The NRP Group. “Given West Chester’s demographics, this development was especially interesting to us, as it’s located in an area that has been experiencing a lot of market-rate and luxury development. The NRP Group has always been dedicated to delivering quality, affordable living options to communities, and The Melton Center Apartments grants us the opportunity to continue enhancing communities in which we are located.”
The Melton Center Apartments is expected to be completed in 2021.
“The Melton Center was founded to help address the unmet needs of citizens who were traditionally marginalized by and disenfranchised from society based on their economic status, gender, or race,” said Lisa Dorsey, Board President at The Melton Center. “It’s been our mission to provide opportunities for revitalization, education and growth to our neighborhood, and we’re thrilled to participate in this initiative."
About Church Housing Corp.
Church Housing Corp. (CHC) has over 35 years of outstanding experience of developing and providing housing and supportive services to people with special needs, families, individuals and seniors with modest means. CHC has built its portfolio by engaging in communities and being part of the affordable housing solutions. CHC combines exceptional property management with in-house social services to fulfill its mission of providing safe, affordable housing with financial peace of mind to its residents.
CHC and its leadership team have won multiple awards and recognitions such as the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary’s Commendation for high performing multifamily properties, Fannie Mae Multifamily Distinguished Development Award, Housing Authority of Chester County Landlord of the Year and various recognitions from legislative representatives. Church Housing Corp. continues to leverage its mission driven focus to provide affordable housing options to communities and those in need. For more information, visit churchhousing4u.org.
About The Charles A. Melton Arts & Education Center
The Melton Center’s mission is to “provide education, recreation, culture and civic opportunities to the greater West Chester area.” The affordable housing development will allow us to not only contribute to the affordable housing issue in West Chester, but also to honor our predecessors by continuing the fight for fair housing for displaced families and individuals. In 1966, Bayard Rustin, Clifford Baptiste, Charles A Melton and many other community leaders of the day, marched on Market Street to promote Fair Housing for African Americans. Today, we feel this Initiative is in alignment with their fight for fair housing.
About Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency works to provide affordable homeownership and rental housing options for older adults, low- and moderate-income families, and people with special housing needs. Through its carefully managed mortgage programs and investments in multifamily housing developments, PHFA also promotes economic development across the state. Since its creation by the legislature in 1972, it has generated more than $14.8 billion of funding for more than 179,850 single-family home mortgage loans, helped fund the construction of 136,215 rental units, distributed more than $109.2 million to support local housing initiatives, and saved the homes of more than 50,300 families from foreclosure. PHFA programs and operations are funded primarily by the sale of securities and from fees paid by program users, not by public tax dollars. The agency is governed by a 14-member board.
About The NRP Group
The NRP Group is a vertically integrated developer, owner, builder, and manager of best-in-class multifamily housing. Since its founding in 1994, NRP has developed more than 43,000 apartment homes, and currently manages over 23,000 residential units. The company utilizes the entire breadth of its in-house capabilities to fulfill its mission: creating exceptional rental housing opportunities for individuals and families, regardless of income. Through its disciplined approach to vetting opportunities, NRP has established a track record of delivering impressive returns for investors. The company’s formidable size and depth of talent provides the experience and infrastructure necessary to execute developments of varying degrees of complexity and scope in both urban-infill and suburban locations, including market rate, affordable, and senior housing.
The NRP Group has been named the 2020 NMHC #6 Top Multifamily Builder in the U.S. and #7 Top Multifamily Developer, and Affordable Housing Finance has named The NRP Group #4 Top Affordable Housing Developer. The NRP Group is a three-time recipient of the National Association of Builders Multifamily (NAHB) Pillars of the Industry award for national “Development Firm of the Year.” NRP is leveraging its decades of practice by also providing construction and property management services to outside owners and developers. For additional information, visit https://www.nrpgroup.
