The River at Eastline Village brings 56 new affordable and accessible homes to Tempe, Ariz.
Developed by the Housing Authority of Maricopa County in partnership with Gorman & Co., the community serves as replacement housing for the aging Clare Feldstadt I and 2 public housing projects in Mesa.
Using the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration program, the developers converted the old public housing units into new project-based rental assistance at the River at Eastline Village. It’s a move that provides one-for-one replacement of the public housing, with residents of Clare Feldstadt given the first right of return to move, says Gloria Munoz, executive director of the housing authority, who estimates that roughly 95% of the residents relocated.
“The site has improved their lives because it puts them closer to transportation, education, and employment,” she says.
Twenty units serve residents earning between 30% and 40% of the area median income (AMI), 26 units serve households between 40% and 50% of the AMI, and 10 units are for those earning 50% and 60% of the AMI. The rental assistance contract helps the development, which has a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, reach families at the lower end of the income spectrum.
Residents have access to services that were not available at the Clare Feldstadt site. The ground floor includes office space for Newtown Community Development Corp., a nonprofit that assists families with financial counseling, home buyer education, and other resources.
The $17.2 million River at Eastline Village is part of a larger master-planned development and is the first project completed as part of the area redevelopment, according to Sally Schwenn, Arizona market president for Gorman.
