Nonprofit plans its first affordable housing complex near Lakeline Station

Nonprofit Foundation Communities is slated to begin construction on an affordable housing complex near Capital Metro's Lakeline Station Park & Ride in 2015 to provide low-income families with access to public transportation, retail and jobs.

The property, located in Northwest Austin bordering Cedar Park, is named Lakeline Station Apartments and will be located at 13635 Rutledge Spur Road, about a half-mile from Lakeline Station Park & Ride, a public transportation hub for rail and buses.

Austin-based Foundation Communities offers housing, education and financial planning services to low- and moderate-income families. On-site services at Foundation Communities properties include health and academic support for families, children, veterans, seniors and individuals with disabilities. Lakeline Station will be the first property Foundation Communities has had in Williamson County.

"We like to build and create affordable housing in areas where there is good employment," Foundation Communities Executive Director Walter Moreau said. "We're trying to help lower-income families that work hard and maybe make $30,000 a year, and they are trying to balance their budget. It's not just the rent you pay; it's the utilities and transportation costs."

Foundation Communities plans to make significant efforts to keep apartment utility costs low through the use of solar power and participating in the Living Building Challenge, a national green building certification program. Moreau said although the nonprofit will not be able to achieve all certifications included in the challenge, architects and engineers will be encouraged to make the site as environmentally sustainable as possible.

Upon completion the property will have 128 units including 13 units dedicated for families transitioning out of homelessness. The complex will have one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, and average rent for an apartment will be about $650 per month. Residents who live at Foundation Communities properties typically make an average annual income of $25,000, said Julian Huerta, deputy executive director at Foundation Communities.

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs gifted $30 million in funding to Foundation Communities on July 31 to build three low-income residential properties in Austin, including Lakeline Station Apartments.