Construction is expected to take about 11 months.

"It does fill a niche here in our community," said Pineville Mayor Clarence Fields.

"We are thrilled to break ground on Arbor Hill," said Shane Doran, vice president of public relations for Humanities Foundation. "The city of Pineville has been great to work with, and we look forward to a successful development."

The 56-unit development will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments within one elevator-served building. The units are for residents 55 or older and are income-restricted.

Amenities include washer and dryer hookups in each unit, common areas with a central kitchen for entertaining, a gazebo and a nature preserve.

Fields noted the complex's proximity to Main Street can boost business in downtown and provide residents with convenient access to fill many of their needs.

"The senior center is only two blocks away, which is advantageous," he said. "Dollar General will be there (a location is under construction on Main Street). It gives them an opportunity to take care of their everyday business on Main Street. And the road improvements on Shamrock Street will be right in front of this complex. It's like a puzzle coming together."

Founded in 1992, Humanities Foundation has developed nearly 1,400 units of affordable housing in South Carolina and Virginia. This is its first Louisiana project.

Anyone interested in becoming a resident or an employee of Arbor Hill can call (843) 353-0771 and ask for Erin.

Representatives from the Humanities Foundation, Boston Capital and Virginia Housing and Development Authority addressed the audience during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by an open house. A bluegrass and barbeque lunch was served after the ceremony.

Waterford Village Apartments is a 96 - unit, Earthcraft-certified housing community for the elderly. It was developed as a joint venture between the Humanities Foundation, a non - profit developer of affordable housing based in Mount Pleasant, SC and James Doran Company, a commercial real estate developer with extensive multi-family experience.

Tracy Doran, the foundation’s president, said “We have targeted Virginia as an excellent growth opportunity that fits our overall strategy for a regional presence in the Southeast.

“Augusta County is a growing, business-friendly community with a relatively low unemployment rate,” she said. “We are pleased to be able to provide first-class housing to help the Staunton area continue to thrive even in these difficult times.”

Shane Doran, the foundation’s Vice President of Public Relations continued, “We believe that Waterford Village Apartments are the nicest in the Staunton area. We are proud to show Augusta County just how nice affordable housing can be.”

Rents at Waterford Village start at $604 for a two-bed bedroom apartment and $698 for a three-bedroom. All units are income-restricted and all applicants must go through a comprehensive screening process when applying. Anyone interested in becoming a resident should call 540-416-4178.

Montague Terrace, another 96-unit development in Stuart’s Draft, Va., is also a joint venture between JDC and the foundation and will be completed this Fall.

Waterford Village Apartments have been designed with the environment in mind. In addition to the Earthcraft certification, the foundation has applied for LEED Gold status from the Green Building Council and anticipates that confirmation of LEED Gold status will be granted soon. The LEED certification takes site sustainability, energy and water efficiency, materials, resources, indoor environmental quality, design innovation and other factors into account to ensure that a building is built in an environmentally responsible way and is the most popular green building rating system in the world. Waterford Village Apartments boasts 9-foot ceilings, a pavilion, playground area, a state-of-the-art fitness center, clubhouse, first-class architecture and landscape design and, for some residents, spectacular views.

Two other developments also are under way. Regent Park, a 72-unit family development in Columbia, S.C., is slated for completion in the Fall and Arbor Hill, a 56-unit elderly community in Pineville, La., will break ground in late summer. Both of these developments are joint ventures between JDC and the foundation.

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An apartment complex aimed at filling a need for affordable housing opened Wednesday in Fishersville.

Waterford Village Apartments off Imperial Drive is a development from the Mount Pleasant, S.C.-based Humanities Foundation. It contains 96 two- and three-bedroom units, and it was built in conjunction with the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, which allows the Humanities Foundation to offer affordable rents.

“The tax credits help to pay for construction, making a smaller amount needed for a mortgage loan and enables a smaller rent to be charged,” said Jim Chandler, director of Low Income Housing Tax Credit Programs for the Virginia Housing Development Authority.

That’s important considering the lack of affordable housing in the Valley.

“We’re very needy in this area,” said Ophelia Kier-Johnson, a housing resource specialist with Total Action Against Poverty. “I’ve placed 200 people into homes since I began with this program, from January 2010 through now. There are lots of small families that cannot afford housing but don’t qualify for Section 8 vouchers.”

Waterford Village accepts vouchers, she said, but also is income-based.

Laura Kirkpatrick, the complex’s office manager, said that rents are the same for all tenants not subsidized: $604 for a two-bedroom apartment and $698 for a three-bedroom.

Anyone interested in leasing an apartment will need to qualify through a screening process that includes a check of the income of all persons who would occupy an apartment.

Kirkpatrick said the income levels change depending upon the number of people in a household, but the base numbers are $20,150 for one person to $34,000 for a family of six. Yearly and monthly income levels must be at least $1,500 for a two-bedroom, and $1,725 for a three-bedroom.

What impressed Kirkpatrick about Waterford Village was the Humanities Foundation’s attitude towards people.

“They’re not just building apartment buildings,” she said, “they are building communities bringing in other resources its [residents] might need like tutoring, social services and more.”

The Humanities Foundation and the VHDA have another 96-unit development under construction that would help low-income families in Stuarts Draft. It’s called Montague Terrace and is slated for completion this fall.

An affordable housing development also is under construction in Weyers Cave by William Park of Pinnacle Construction in Charlottesville, said the VHDA’s Chandler.

Dennis Burnette, Augusta County’s director of economic development, figures the projects are an indication that the times are changing.

“I do think it’s a sign of the economy turning around,” Burnette said. “We have a quality structure here. It’s a huge investment by Humanities Foundation.”

He noted that many people are having to regroup after being laid off and/or losing their homes. So they need more housing options.

“Now we’re able to offer it to the people,” Burnette said. “We’ve had some holes there in the past, and there are still some homes for sale. But people can get a new start with a new job and be able to afford a place to live.”

Wednesday, the Humanities Foundation opened Waterford Village just off Route 250 east of Staunton. It's a 96-unit complex with two- and three-bedroom apartments starting at $475 a month.
Affordable housing is based on income, and tenants go through rigorous screening when they apply for a lease. The foundation believes this housing option is greatly needed in Augusta County.

The non-profit Humanities Foundation has more than a thousand apartments in the state of South Carolina and recently began to eye other states.

For their first development in Virginia, directors say they chose Augusta County because of its strong growth and red carpet for business.

Shane Doran with the Humanities Foundation said, "It's a very thriving and growing community, and affordable housing is a key to that. We don't think you should have to be rich to have a nice place to live. All the surveys and all the market studies show that there is a great need for it, especially now in these hard times."

During the opening ceremony, county supervisors said Waterford Village is ideal for industrial workers, firefighters and teachers. Construction was partly funded by low-income tax credits.

The Humanities Foundation has applied for LEED Gold certification. It's an efficiency rating that translates to lower utility bills for tenants.

The non-profit plans to open a similar complex in Stuarts Draft this fall and is also eying two more possible locations in Augusta County.