FULLERTON : Housing Project to Break Ground Aug. 8

Developers of the Amerige Avenue Senior Apartment Project say they are ready to break ground on Aug. 8 for their $5-million affordable-housing project.

The project, scheduled to open in about a year, would provide 59 units of low-rent housing to the elderly.

The city’s Redevelopment Agency is considering making grants to the project.

Agency Director Gary Chalupsky said it is one of the first projects to apply for money from an $18-million affordable-housing plan approved by the city in December.

The Allen Hotel on Harbor Boulevard has received money from the agency.

The Amerige project will be built on land bought from First Lutheran Church of Fullerton, according to Doug Chaffee, one of the developers.

“Their congregation has been active for a number of years in trying to bring affordable housing to the area,” Chaffee said.

Chaffee and his partners, all members of his family, are applying for federal tax credits, which they could sell to raise money for the project, Chaffee said.

If the federal government allows the credits, the project would be required to be open to people 62 and older. Without federal involvement, the owners would let people 55 and older apply for housing, Chaffee said.

Rents would be set at a percentage of the county median income. Using current figures, 40% of the apartments would rent at $395 and 60% would rent at $509 monthly, Chaffee said.

If the project receives the credits, the redevelopment agency has agreed to grant $1.8 million to the developers. Without those credits, the project will receive $885,000. Chalupsky said the grant would be made only when the project is completed.

Chaffee said his family is putting up the initial money for the project. “We’ve wanted to contribute to the community. We thought this would be a responsible way of doing it,” he said.