Woda Cooper Companies, Inc.

We were honored to hear that Canaan Crossing won a top management award at the recent Georgia Affordable Housing Coalition conference. Canaan Crossing, which we opened in early 2023 with Parallel Homes as co-developer, provides 60 townhomes and apartments in a campus-like setting in Madison, GA. Madison’s urban renewal agency, the Downtown Development Authority, provided a long-term lease for the land where Canaan Crossing is located in an effort to boost economic development in the area. ?Funding for the $14 million property was supported through the allocation of federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits by the GA Department of Community Affairs who also provided a HOME loan, an investment by CREA LLC. Congrats to the Canaan Crossing team!

Last week's groundbreaking for Gordon Crossing was a sunny celebration of the strong public and private backing supporting the 54-unit mixed-income housing development that’s now under construction.?The $17.6 million investment represents a milestone in expanding affordable housing options within Cleveland’s dynamic Hough and University Circle neighborhoods. The groundbreaking event, held at 1862 E. 101st Street, gathered an impressive group of local leaders, including the City of Cleveland’s Mayor Justin Bibb, City Council President Blaine Griffin, City Council Member Stephanie Howze-Jones, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, and State Representative Terrence Upchurch, plus many other influencers and housing advocates.?The great turnout of leaders committed to addressing Cleveland’s growing housing needs demonstrated the strong connections that our partners – Sheila Wright and Angela Bennett of FRONTLINE DEVELOPMENT GROUP, LLC – have in Cleveland. Thank you to all who turned out who represent the city and county, plus CEO Dr. Warren Morgan from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), and other representatives from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority, and Port of Cleveland.?Also attending were representatives of Gordon Crossing financing partners including RBC Capital Markets, Dollar Bank, and CFBank.?We also thank Ohio Affordable Housing Foundation, West Union Bank for its support for Gordon Crossing. ?A special highlight at the event was celebrating the involvement of student interns from CMSD working at the site, along with workers representing Hard Hatted Women and other local organizations. Gordon Grossing is a four-story development that will be reserved for residents with household incomes of 30% to 80% area median income. It will feature 42 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom apartments, offering modern apartments and community spaces designed for both comfort and convenience.

We were excited to show Congressman Mike Carey (at left in photo) our early stages of work to adapt Columbus’ historic former downtown YMCA building into new affordable housing for 121 residents at the Lofts at 40 Long. The adaptive reuse will preserve much of the 7-story building’s historic architectural features including its complex brickwork and cut-stone exterior detailing, ornate staircases, and beautiful millwork, while creating new modern, energy-efficient general occupancy housing units of varied sizes. During the tour led by Woda Cooper’s Senior Vice President Joe DiCesare (at right in photo) and Assistant Project Manager Alex Argust (center), Congressman Carey recalled playing basketball in the YMCA gym as a youth and swimming there later as an adult. The former gym will be redesigned so that new residents will have a basketball court, a recreation area, and an outdoor-sized play structure. The Lofts at 40 Long, scheduled for completion in early 2027, will serve renters with 30% to 80% of the area median income.

Woda Cooper Companies’ Senior Vice President and Corporate Counsel Chris La Grand and housing advocate (and former Ohio Housing Finance Agency staffer) Guy Ford attended the recent National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) Legislative Conference, March 10-13, 2025, in Washington D.C. While in Washington, Guy and Chris met with 15 Ohio delegation congressional offices to advocate for support of the affordable housing credit and other pro-affordable housing policies. “Support for affordable housing appears to be at an all-time high given the widespread need for housing across Ohio,” said Chris.

There were many heartfelt moments at the recent tour and ribbon-cutting at Hawkins Pointe in Hendersonville, NC, where an estimated 1,000 structures were destroyed due to last year's flooding after Hurricane Helene. Hawkins Pointe is one of the first new affordable housing communities with funding supported by housing tax credits to open in western North Carolina following the storm. It provides 43 one and two bedroom apartments for residents aged 55 and older who have 30% to 80% area median income. Several new residents were impacted by the storm. One of them we met at the March 14 tour was Joy Rockett. She recalled waking up September 27, 2024, in ankle deep water that rushed into her former apartment, destroying many of her belongings and making her home unbearable. Joy told guests touring her new apartment at Hawkins Pointe, including Hendersonville Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Hensley, NC Representative Jennifer Balkcom, and NC Housing Finance Agency Executive Director Scott Farmer (shown in hallway photo), that it seems like landing in heaven after living in a hotel for months and months. She loves seeing a gorgeous mountain range from her windows and the modern but cozy feel of the new property. “The colors make you smile,” Joy said. Thank you to NCHFA, Wells Fargo Bank, and West Union Bank for supporting Hawkins Pointe and to all the guests who came to the visit. #Hendersonville #HeleneStorm. #NorthCarolina #AffordableHousing

Congratulations to Maia Cooper, VP - Development, for being named to the Board of Directors for the OpenDoor Women's Recovery Alliance. We are so proud to kick off Women's History Month with this announcement -- read more about Maia and OpenDoor below. There's no doubt Maia will make a great impact.

Congratulations to Emiko and Erica! Exciting. Encouraging. Excellence. Exceptional. Educational. Engaging. Enjoy your partnership!

Here is a look-back at the Bains Pointe Groundbreaking event held in Portsmouth, VA. The new community, developed in partnership with Bay Aging, will provide 50 affordable homes, with two and three bedroom units, for residents with incomes up to 80% area median income.? We thank all of the partners and supporters for this development, including the City of Portsmouth and the Portsmouth Economic Development Authority, the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority, STOP Inc., Virginia Housing, Truist Bank, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, and Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development. Bains Pointe was named in honor of Eliza Bains, a Portsmouth hotel worker who assisted enslaved people escaping to the north on the Underground Railroad. Thank you to the City of Portsmouth for this fantastic video! https://lnkd.in/g-kUGV6x

We were excited to learn that Gina Schnaudt and Casandra Hutchinson were partners in the OWAHN's Mentorship Program. Thanks for their efforts to engage and advance the understanding of the affordable housing industry. #WomeninHousing #AffordableHousing

Our celebration of Black History Month kicked off early on January 28, 2025, at the groundbreaking for Bains Pointe in Portsmouth, Virginia.?This affordable community for families, individuals, and seniors, will be named after Eliza Bains, a Portsmouth hotel worker and slave who helped other enslaved people escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Ceremony attendees learned the story of Eliza Bains from Professor Claudette White, Vice President of the AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PORTSMOUTH INC. ?She explained Eliza Bains worked at the Crawford Hotel which put her in a position to hear when ships were heading north from the local ports. ?She became an important source of information for slaves and those helping them leave Portsmouth to head north to Massachusetts or even Canada, explained Professor White. Her reach was “far and it was wide,” said Professor White, who was thanked by several speakers for the mini history lesson. Congressman Bobby Scott applauded Woda Cooper for its tradition of naming properties after “people (like Eliza Bains) whose name we should remember,” he said. Bains Pointe will include 50, including 39 two-bedroom apartments and 11 three-bedroom apartments with several with features for those with disabilities.?The City of Portsmouth, Virginia and its Economic Development Authority, who sold the land to Woda Cooper, was a champion for Bains Pointe to expand housing options.?The PORTSMOUTH REDEVELOPMENT & HOUSING AUTHORITY INC will provide rental assistance for eight units occupied by families and individuals who are exiting homelessness, at risk of homelessness or facing multiple barriers to independent living. STOP Inc. will coordinate services for these eight units and all residents. ?There will be a community space with kitchenette, supportive services office, telehealth space, fitness room, central laundry, playground and covered seating areas. Primary equity financing from Truist Bank was made possible through the allocation of tax credits by Virginia Housing.?Truist also provided a construction loan.?Other lenders include Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust and Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development.???A mid 2026 completion date is expected. ??