Volunteers of America preserves
affordable housing complex in Sacramento

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Volunteers of America today announced the commencement of the second phase of the renovation of Greenbriar Apartments, a 138-unit family garden style affordable housing community on Wright Street in Sacramento County, California. The renovation is part of a public-private partnership with the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) which helped finance the first phase -- exterior renovation including new siding and window replacement -- with a $500,000 HOME loan.

The second phase, including the conversion of the project to a tax credit project, is being financed by the recent award of $8.3 million in tax-exempt bonds issued by SHRA and the sale of tax credit equity.

The second phase renovation will focus on interior improvements including creating seven handicapped accessible units and upgrading kitchen and bathrooms throughout the complex. Built in 1974, the Greenbriar housing community is comprised of 30 two-story buildings with multifamily apartments and two one-story buildings containing a management office and a community center. The multifamily property, which targets individuals and small to medium size families, is 100 percent Project-based Section 8.

Over three-quarters of the residents are Russian immigrants, most of whom arrived in the United States over the past decade. To serve the needs of its tenants, the Greenbriar property management coordinates a comprehensive package of services that assists with their transition to U.S. citizenship. English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are offered free of charge every weekday morning for 3 hours, and citizenship classes are offered every weekday afternoon for 2.5 hours, also free of charge. Volunteers of America has committed to providing free classes for at least the next ten years and the classes are open to area residents as well as Greenbriar tenants.

The planned rehabilitation, which will be completed in one year, was designed to address outstanding capital needs, improve the property's value and contribute to the overall quality of its neighborhood. Volunteers of America is one of the largest nonprofit providers of affordable housing in the country, and owns and operates more than 250 affordable housing communities in 31 states that are home to more than 20,000 people.

Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, spiritually based organization providing local human service programs and opportunities for individual and community involvement. It is one of the largest nonprofit providers of quality affordable housing and last year served nearly 2 million people in need. Volunteers of America nurtures, supports and uplifts the human spirit -- working with children and youth, the elderly, homeless individuals and families, and others to empower them in reaching their full potential. For more information about Volunteers of America, visit http://www.volunteersofamerica.org/.