Fannie Mae has introduced a new product enhancement meant to encourage multifamily borrowers to provide resident services that improve the health and well-being of tenants in affordable housing.
The incentive, in the form of a lower borrowing rate, is called Enhanced Resident Services and aims to foster services that address the needs of renters and support health and wellness programs, day care, food access, youth and education programming, and job training, according to Fannie Mae. The new offering became available to borrowers on Jan. 15.
“We believe the strength of an affordable rental housing property is directly linked to the health and stability of the people and families who live there,” said Bob Simpson, vice president of affordable and green financing at Fannie Mae, in a statement. “Affordable borrowers have recognized the value of providing enhanced resident services at their properties for years but have been constrained by the inability to ensure a long-term source of financial support. By participating in our Healthy Housing Rewards program, borrowers will save between $15,000 and $75,000 per year. The amounts saved can be used to offset resident-services costs at [the borrowers'] property for the life of the loan, thus ensuring that the low-income residents who live there have access to health care, education, and other community services.”
Fannie will implement Enhanced Resident Services with the assistance of Stewards for Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF), a nonprofit, multistate group of affordable housing providers that offers initial and ongoing compliance certifications for both the borrower and the multifamily affordable housing property providing the special services. To qualify, at least 60% of the units in the properties seeking the pricing incentive must serve residents earning 60% or less of the area median income.
“Healthy Housing Rewards Enhanced Resident Services is a groundbreaking approach to supporting individuals and families in affordable rental housing,” said Eileen Fitzgerald, president and CEO of SAHF, in the same statement. “We congratulate Fannie Mae on their innovation and foresight in creating a financing strategy that supports ongoing resident services that improve health and wellness and fosters economic opportunity and independence for low-income individuals and families.”
