Country Ridge Estates
New Markets Tax Credits in the News
August 10, 2021
The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program is a federal financial program developed by the United States Department of the Treasury to incentivize community development and economic growth using federal tax credits allocated by private investors in disadvantaged and distressed communities. The private investors are financial intermediaries that provide loans and investments administered by the US Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. The local financial intermediaries are known by the program as Community Development Entities (CDEs). In this biweekly blog, LifeCity will discuss key developments related to the NMTC Program.
Projects
Country Ridge Estates will be a new 32-unit multifamily affordable housing project in Opelousas, Louisiana. There will be eight residential buildings of four apartments each. On-site, there will be a playground, a community meeting center, an exercise area, a picnic area, a walking trail, and a community garden. The development will be located within two miles of a grocery store, a hospital, a school, a public library, and a fire station. United Bank and UB Community Development CDE provided $4 million in construction financing.
St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Louisiana is in the midst of a renovation scheduled for completion in December 2022. The school experienced declining enrollment for a number of years, with parents citing outdated facilities as a primary reason for choosing to not enroll their children. The $8.3 million project will fully modernize classrooms, STEM labs, and energy efficiency. Student enrollment is predicted to increase by 25-35 students per year. The project will create 6 new full-time jobs and 50 construction jobs. Financing for the project was in part NMTC allocations provided by Enhanced Capital CDE.
St. Augustine Preparatory Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is scheduled to undergo a $42 million expansion and renovation. The expansion, once completed, will allow for 900 more students to attend. The expansion will feature 40 additional classrooms, a gymnasium, a theater, a rooftop playground, a library, and special education facilities. Hope Community Capital LLC is the supporting CDE pursuing NMTC financing for the project.
These great projects and more are underway across the US. LifeCity specializes in impact assessments and third-party validation services for CDEs engaged in NMTC financed projects. As a third-party, we help CDEs and other companies measure, manage, track, and report their impact to ensure a credible and transparent message. Our services are available across all stages of the NMTC allocation process and provide personalized impact reports and videos that support clients, projects, and communities.