Sunflower Hill

Situation:

Sunflower Hill is a non-profit organization committed to developing housing communities (similar to senior living) for individuals with special needs. This demographic is largely overlooked as it relates to housing needs. Locating property that is conducive for this specific type of development is a daunting task but one that is critical to addressing the overarching affordable housing crisis that is increasing all over the state and country.

Task:

Sunflower Hill engaged Cerro Vista to assist in acquiring and developing property in the San Francisco Bay Area for the development of these communities.  Faced with an environment of scarce land availability and increasing community opposition to any type of housing; the path to success was paved with obstacles and complexity.

Action:

Cerro Vista has successfully employed land acquisition tactics to address these challenges. They involve partnering with both market-rate and affordable housing developers to identify creative solutions to developing projects that are being embraced by local communities.

CV specifically identified a market rate housing developer who was struggling to gain approval for their Irby Ranch Project in Pleasanton, CA. This developer agreed to donate 1.7 acres of his project to Sunflower Hill for the development of their first special needs community.

Cerro Vista then helped to orchestrate a partnership between Sunflower Hill and Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (SAHA) wherein tax credit financing was obtained in order to fund construction of the project.  Aligning the interests of the City, community and the developer required Cerro Vista to draw upon experience in multiple real estate development disciplines. There were also complex contractual and financing arrangements to be drafted and agreed upon.

Result:

The City of Pleasanton and the local community embraced this innovative housing concept and 31 one and two bedroom units will be built as well as 4,800 sf of community/program space for residents.

Cerro Vista is thrilled to be immersed in ongoing efforts with Sunflower Hill in several other bay area communities to develop similar trend-setting projects.  We are confident that we have created a powerful and creative process that can be replicated in order to provide desperately needed housing and services to this marginalized population.

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