DHA Celebrates JJ Henderson Grand-Opening 10/28/2022

To view more photos from the event, visit the JJ Henderson Grand Re-Opening gallery.

Renovated Property Revitalizes Affordable Housing for Durham's Low-Income Seniors

California Commercial Investment Group (CCI), along with Durham Housing Authority (DHA) and the Florian Companies (Florian) is proud to announce the Grand Re-Opening of JJ Henderson Senior Apartments in Durham, North Carolina. The $31.2 million project was completed on time and on budget despite the challenges of historic construction cost increases and an occupied building.

DHA, CCI and Florian, along with elected officials, community leaders and other stakeholders will celebrate the completed renovation of JJ Henderson, an age-restricted, 62 and older HUD Project-Based Section 8 Property, on October 28th at 10 a.m. The grand opening will take place in the newly renovated ground floor lobby.

WRAL News Video on Grand Re-Opening of the JJ Henderson Senior Apartments:

Located at 807 S. Duke Street and built in 1979, JJ Henderson Senior Apartments consists of 177 units designated for seniors or disabled community members. As federal funding for public housing continues to wane, DHA utilized the Rental Assistance Demonstration program (RAD) as a tool to improve its affordable housing through public private partnership that enabled the financial and physical repositioning of JJ Henderson, a legacy affordable housing tower in the heart of Durham. The renovation work included HVAC upgrades, energy efficient appliances, improvements to interior air quality, a new roof, interior unit renovations and building system upgrades.

CCI and Florian lead the rehabilitation of the community. With a presence in over 25 states and over 7,000 units under management, CCI is a national housing preservation, management and development firm that specializes in preserving affordable senior communities. Florian provides local development and design expertise as well as construction management services.

"The completion of work at JJ Henderson is an incredible milestone for the community as we strive to bridge the gap of available affordable housing in Durham. It is the culmination of goals under the Durham Housing Authority Downtown Housing Neighborhood Plan and the support of Durham through the Affordable Housing Bond Program. It embodies the best of public-private partnerships represented by the collaboration of the US Department of Housing & Urban Development, City of Durham, our private development partners, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, and a host of other critical participants. This is the model we desire to duplicate as we continue our mission as a catalyst for affordable housing for all in Durham," said DHA CEO Anthony Scott.

The City of Durham provided a $2.9 million loan to the project through the City's Dedicated Affordable Housing Fund. The development team also leveraged the federal low-income housing tax credit and HUD insured debt to bring this renovation to reality.

Garry Collett, Co-President of CCI, explains, "The successful redevelopment of JJ Henderson is a testament to the public/private partnership that the LIHTC program promotes. Being able to leverage private resources for a public cause in a community such as Durham, so that elderly residents can afford to live in the place they love, has been an especially rewarding experience.  We are grateful to DHA, the City of Durham, HUD and all of our other partners for their support in getting this project to completion

For more information, email Leeanne Berry of CCI.