Jamboree Housing Corporation and the City of Anaheim announced today that construction has begun on Manchester-Orangewood, the seventh affordable housing development the nonprofit affordable housing developer has built in the City of Anaheim. Since 2008, the long-term partnership between Jamboree and the City of Anaheim has added more than 536 affordable homes to Anaheim’s housing supply.
The development of Manchester-Orangewood is 13 years in the making and yet another step in a long-term commitment to reclaim the entire neighborhood of Haster Orangewood. Long plagued with overcrowding, high rates of crime, and drug trafficking, city leaders drafted the Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP), a comprehensive revitalization strategy that spans more than 15 years. During monthly NIP meetings, the working group has overseen major changes in the neighborhood, with the new Manchester-Orangewood affordable housing community serving as the final development piece needed to unlock the neighborhood’s potential. “I think what makes Manchester-Orangewood a unique development is that it came from the community,” said Laura Archuleta, Jamboree President and CEO. “This isn’t a project that has had to overcome NIMBYism (Not in My Backyard), but rather an example of a community that understands the role that affordable housing can have in transforming lives – and a real desire to see more of that in their neighborhoods.”
In recent years, the City of Anaheim has focused heavily on increasing the available supply of affordable housing in the city, approving three additional affordable housing developments, including Manchester-Orangewood, in 2019. “We’ve had a strong, more than decade-long relationship with Jamboree here in Anaheim, and Manchester-Orangewood marks another great step forward in serving the neediest in our community,” said Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu. “In these unexpected and difficult times, helping those who are struggling to find housing that is affordable is more important than ever.”
Manchester-Orangewood will transform a vacant 2.86-acre lot, currently owned by the Anaheim Housing Authority, into a four-story apartment community with 102 units of high-quality affordable housing for local working families. Manchester-Orangewood is a model for job- and transit-rich affordable housing development. Bookended by two regional employment centers, The Anaheim Resort – home to Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and numerous hotels and restaurants – and the Platinum Triangle – an emerging high-density, mixed-use community that includes Angel Stadium, Honda Center, The Grove of Anaheim, and Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) – Manchester-Orangewood will offer new housing and transportation opportunities to the local Anaheim workforce.
The architectural design of Manchester-Orangewood is influenced by the contemporary, modern style found throughout the city. The property will feature nearly 15,000 square feet of outdoor amenities for residents to enjoy. Central to the overall design of the development is an approximately 15,000 square foot, two-story, community building with flexible recreational space, onsite management offices, and free onsite resident services. This community center is the largest space for resident services that Jamboree has designed at any of its 90+ communities throughout the state. It is a physical manifestation of the nonprofit’s commitment to resident services – and the individual success of its residents.
With a laser focus on community health and educational outcomes, Jamboree’s resident services plan for Manchester-Orangewood already includes partnerships with Orange County Head Start and the Child Guidance Center. Orange County Head Start is a comprehensive child development program designed to meet the educational, emotional, social, health, and nutritional needs of more than 3,000 low-income children and families. This is Jamboree’s second partnership with Orange County Head Start and the 3,800-square-foot early education center at Manchester will serve 40 children.
In addition to the onsite Orange County Head Start program, the Child Guidance Center will provide family behavioral health services at Manchester-Orangewood, providing up to 10 clinicians to serve residents as well as the most vulnerable families in the surrounding Haster Orangewood community, including those who are eligible for Medi-Cal. Child Guidance Center will offer one-on-one counseling, group therapy, and Parent-Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT), an innovative process in which parents are coached in real time as they play and talk with their kids. Hours for these free services will include afternoons and evenings so that parents can access these vital services for their children without having to take time off from work.
“We’ve continued to see affordable housing evolve from being just about a building and the rent residents are paying, to an innovative platform for delivering mental health services,” said Lori Pack, Chief Executive Officer of Child Guidance Center. “For over 50 years, we’ve provided comprehensive mental health treatment services to vulnerable children, teens, and their family members in Orange County. We look forward to offering high-quality care and integrated services as we work with Jamboree to improve health outcomes for this underserved community.”
Manchester-Orangewood is the second project to begin construction during Jamboree’s 30th Anniversary, a celebration of 30 years of Building for Good across Orange County and throughout California. “While affordable housing is certainly critical, the services we provide at Jamboree’s affordable communities truly transform the lives of our residents,” said Archuleta. “Manchester-Orangewood exemplifies what creative partnerships and 30 years of experience can do to improve the comprehensive level of services residents and the local community receive – at no additional cost to the city.”
While Manchester-Orangewood points to the significance of city leadership in creating more affordable housing, the financial partnerships that make this development feasible highlight the importance of the business sector in addressing affordability issues. The Orange County Housing Trust (OCHT), powered by NeighborWorks Orange County (NOC) and Orange County Business Council (OCBC), provided $1.5 million in “last-mile” funding to Manchester-Orangewood. The connection between affordable housing and jobs is a strong one. “Without a strong housing market – across all income brackets – we risk losing the economic vitality of the Orange County region as workers begin to leave for lower-cost areas or suffer long commutes, increasing congestion,” said Lucy Dunn, CEO of OCBC and Chair of OCHT. “Orange County businesses understand the important role they play in addressing Orange County and California’s affordable housing crisis.”
The “last-mile” funding resulted from a generous $5 million contribution to OCHT from the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim in March 2019 – the first leadership-level commitment in support of gap financing for the acquisition, development and construction of permanent supportive and affordable housing projects in Orange County. “The collaboration between OCHT and the Disneyland Resort shows the power of local business to transform communities through high-quality affordable housing like Jamboree’s Manchester-Orangewood,” said Helen O’Sullivan, President and CEO of NOC and Executive Director of OCHT. When complete in 2021, Archuleta underscored that this new property will open up opportunities for hundreds of Anaheim families, adding that, “The Disneyland Resort’s commitment to Anaheim and Anaheim families is inspiring and a virtuous example for other flagship businesses in Orange County and California.”
Additional financing for the $55.3-million development consists of a $10.2 million land note and $4 million loan from the City of Anaheim; $25.3 million in tax credit equity, $14.3 million in permanent financing, and $32.2 million in construction financing provided by Union Bank, and the $1.5 million loan from OCHT.
