The Georgia Department of Community Affairs has granted a 9 percent tax credit award to National Church Residences to help fund the construction of a new senior affordable housing community in Pembroke.

The proposed three-story structure will be built on 3.65 acres at 104 Ash Branch Road and will consist of 55 one-bedroom and 15 two-bedroom units available to seniors age 55 and older.

Amenities will include a wellness center, library, community space with a kitchen, a community garden, gazebo and an on-site laundry facility, according to Matt Rule, senior vice president of development for National Church Residences.  

A full-time property manager and maintenance technician will be responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the campus. In addition, a service coordinator will work with residents to identify their needs and coordinate with appropriate service providers in the area. 

“The City of Pembroke is honored to be a recipient of our second competitive Low Income Housing Tax Credit project since we became a Georgia Initiative for Community Housing city in 2013,” said Tiffany Walraven, city council woman and head of Pembroke’s housing initiatives.

“The new housing development will be an asset to Bryan County providing our aging citizens with safe, affordable accommodations in a community style setting,” she added.

Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2019 and will take about a year to complete. The proposed development is located within walking distance of pharmacies, convenience stores, department stores, banks, restaurants and other services in downtown Pembroke. Adjacent to the site is the Mikell Foxworth Recreational Center, which is open to the community. 

“Collaboration between The Bryan County Board of Education and the City of Pembroke along with a partnership with National Church Residences helped bring this project to a reality,” Walraven said. “Government officials, business leaders, and nonprofits in our community also played an integral role in this process as members of the GICH team. We look forward to continuing our work with National Church Residences as we move forward with the design phase of the complex.”