VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A first-of-its-kind affordable housing community for families with disabilities has made its way to Virginia Beach.
Congresswoman Elaine Luria joined Mayor Bobby Dyer, Virginia legislators, business leaders and nonprofit partners to celebrate Seaside Harbor, the newest affordable housing with a special purpose.
Seaside Harbor
Located at 509 18th Street in the ViBe Creative District, the new 76-unit apartment building replaced two aging 1960’s-era complexes owned by Samaritan House.
The once 39 units were no longer economical to maintain, however, they still provided much needed flow of rental income essential to operate Samaritan House’s programs and services for the community.
The proximity to the oceanfront resort and the amenities offered in the ViBe Creative District are extremely favorable to residents. Seaside was designed with 19 fully-accessible apartments , 25% of the inventory, 11 of which were set aside for residents with developmental disabilities. The industry average for ADA-accessible units is just 5% to 10%.
Currently, Seaside Harbor is 100% leased with workforce from Virginia Beach and nine people with developmental disabilities who receive services through Hope House Foundation.
Co-developed by The Lawson Companies and Samaritan House, Seaside Harbor utilized Virginia Housing and Development Authority (VHDA) Special Initiative Pool funding to create a unique housing opportunity serving multiple purposes – for families with developmental disabilities, families with accessibility needs and for the workforce at the oceanfront.
