National Church Residences Expands Affordable Housing in Atlanta

ATLANTA ­– National Church Residences celebrated the grand opening of True Light Haven, the organization’s newest affordable senior housing community in Atlanta. This recently developed, 124-unit independent living apartment community offers seniors age 55 and older, a fitness room, a business center, in-unit washer and dryer hook-ups, a generous community room with a kitchenette, multi-purpose rooms, shuttle service, free Wi-Fi and free utilities for all residents.

“I’m proud to continue our commitment to providing affordable housing here in Atlanta,” said National Church Residences’ Senior Director of Affordable Housing, Dennis Richards. “True Light Haven was designed to provide amenities and services to allow senior residents to enjoy independence as they age in place in the community where they raised their children, attended church and have lived for many years.”

Located at 295 Penelope Drive in the Penelope Neighbors neighborhood on the Westside of Atlanta, this new construction development was made possible by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Invest Atlanta, National Equity Fund, Bank of America, and Berkadia Commercial Mortgage in partnership with Freddie Mac. This development was designed by Foley Design Architects of Atlanta and built by Alabama-based general contractor McShane Construction Company.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms agrees that True Light Haven is an example of what is needed across the Atlanta metro area. Like most cities in this country, Atlanta is struggling with a critical shortage of affordable housing. This crisis is even more acute for the growing population of seniors in poverty.

“There’s still so much work ahead for us to provide our seniors with more affordable housing options in Atlanta,” said Mayor Bottoms at the True Light Haven grand opening ceremony. “This is the work that is important to us all and it will continue to shape our community for many years to come.”

Attending the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony were Vice Chair of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Natalie Hall; Office Director of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Donna Tyler; as well as President and CEO of Invest Atlanta, Dr. Eloisa Klementich. Musical artist Myrna Clayton performed during the celebration.

National Church Residences has nine communities with 1,381 apartments in the Atlanta metro area, including Baptist Gardens, Baptist Towers, Betmar Village, Big Bethel Village, Lakewood Christian Manor, Panola Gardens, Princeton Court, Trinity Towers and True Light Haven. With the opening of True Light Haven, National Church Residences has 1,612 apartments spread across 13 senior communities in Georgia.

About National Church Residences

National Church Residences serves more than 42,000 seniors through its array of housing and health care services. The not-for-profit organization is driven by a vision of advancing better living for all seniors, enabling them to remain home for life. With 340 communities in 25 states, it is the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of affordable senior housing and the largest manager of service coordinators. The organization also offers residential senior communities, home and community-based services, as well as permanent supportive housing for the formerly homeless and disabled. For more information, visit us at NationalChurchResidences.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.