Nellie Francis Court

Ryan Companies selected Project for Pride in Living (PPL) as one of two affordable housing nonprofit partners to develop 20% of the residential units at the new Highland Bridge Development, ensuring these homes remain affordable for individuals and families with lower incomes. As a BIPOC-led nonprofit developer, equitable development is at the heart of PPL’s mission. The organization has rights to develop affordable housing across five parcels within the Highland Bridge Development.
Development of one of these parcels has already been completed and is now home to two PPL properties, including Nellie Francis Court. With 75 units of affordable housing available to individuals and families earning 30-50% of the area median income, Nellie Francis Court offers workforce housing for essential workers such as bus drivers, teacher assistants, and others in critical community roles.

However, the economics of affordable housing have shifted dramatically. Rising costs and changing market conditions have created a significant financing gap for these properties. Since 2023, property insurance for the Nellie Francis site has increased by over 200%, while security and operational costs continue to climb. At the same time, incomes have remained stagnant, making it difficult to raise rents or collect them consistently. These pressures have made stabilizing affordable and deeply supportive homes more challenging and more expensive than ever before.

This project aims to close this critical financing gap, ensuring these homes remain affordable while reducing organizational risk and sustaining the future and long-term impact of PPL’s equitable development work.