Developer-Nonprofit Partnership Provides Affordable, Accessible Housing
Developers who build affordable communities are willing to make their way through complex federal, state and local regulatory requirements to build welcoming, safe apartment communities. That’s why NAHB Multifamily’s annual Pillars of the Industry Awards includes a category for these communities and the companies that build them.
Lawson Companies’ Seaside Harbor Apartments, in Virginia Beach, Va., is the latest Pillars winner in the affordable community (up to 100 units) category. The company’s chairman, Steve Lawson, saw an historic neighborhood near the beachfront and boardwalk that had seen better days. He realized that although there were two small early 1960s-era apartment buildings managed by nonprofit Samaritan House, which was struggling to fund a renovation, there simply wasn’t enough housing for people who worked on the boardwalk or in other service industry jobs.
Lawson’s company purchased the buildings — 39 units in all — at a market-rate price from Samaritan House, and replaced them with Seaside Harbor’s 76 new apartments. The apartments are built to be green and energy efficient, earning an EarthCraft certification. A quarter of the affordable units serve residents earning 40% of the area median income (AMI). The rest are affordable to people earning at or below 60% of AMI.
And the community is inclusive: 15% of the units are reserved for individuals with developmental disabilities, and 25% are fully accessible to those with other disabilities. The community also partnered with Hope House, a nonprofit that provides supportive services to developmentally disabled residents.
“Being to able to help families and provide the services to those families in partnership with Hope House is a unique experience and a hugely rewarding experience,” shared Susan Glancy, vice president of Lawson Companies and president of Lawson Realty Corporation.
Lawson kept Samaritan House on board as co-developer and co-general partner. The Lawson/Samaritan House partnership also provided substantial income and equity opportunities to the nonprofit, which will support its other outreach efforts to the homeless and victims of domestic violence or human trafficking.
Many state and local elected officials applauded the community at its grand opening. City officials who were involved in rebranding the area as the ViBe Creative district were particularly pleased that the new apartments also offered artists and craftspeople a high-quality place to live that was affordable.
“Every person deserves to have a safe place to live,” stated Will Sessoms, former mayor of Virginia Beach. “And Lawson has found the skills — and I really do mean skills, because to get these types of projects done is very difficult. But then after a lot of time and knowing what you’re doing, look what happens — we have a beautiful facility like this.”
For more on this story, see the video below.
For more information on the Pillars of the Industry Awards and how to apply for the 2020 awards, please visit nahb.org/pillars.
Latest from NAHBNow
Oct 09, 2025
3 Ways to Utilize Construction Site Surroundings to Optimize DesignHome design isn’t just about color swatches and backsplashes. Architecturally, building professionals can look toward climate responsive design and ambient design, which both involve using the elements around a home to the client’s advantage.
Oct 09, 2025
Remodeling Market Sentiment Improves in Third QuarterNAHB released its NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the third quarter, posting a reading of 60, up one point compared to the previous quarter. With the reading of 60, the RMI remains solidly in positive territory above 50, but lower than it had been at any time from 2021 through 2024.
Latest Economic News
Oct 07, 2025
Minority-Owned Residential Building Firms Continue to RiseThe share of minority-owned new residential builders and remodelers has more than doubled since the Great Recession, with noticeable gains from 2017 to 2022. Nevertheless, when compared to the overall U.S. population, minority-owned firms continue to be underrepresented within both housing sectors.
Oct 06, 2025
Shorter Apartment Construction Time in 2024The average time needed to complete construction of a multifamily building after obtaining authorization edged down in 2024, according to the 2024 Survey of Construction (SOC) from the Census Bureau. On average, it took 19.6 months from permit to completion, about 0.3 months shorter than in 2023.
Oct 03, 2025
Supply-Side Cost Pressures Drove Housing as Inflation Leader in 2024Though the rate of inflation peaked in June 2022, consumer prices continued to increase throughout 2023 and 2024 as inflation drove further price growth, according to 2024 CPI review from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.