ANAHEIM, CA—Services that support special populations and a movement to create standards for services in affordable-housing communities are just two of the ways these offerings are changing, Jamboree Housing Corp.'s VP of community impact George Searcy tells GlobeSt.com. Jamboree and Innovative Housing Opportunities recently completed construction of Rockwood Apartments, a 70-unit, multifamily property here that provides quality housing for families—many of whom were homeless—and formerly homeless individuals living with mental illness.

Rockwood Apartments was developed as a public/private partnership with the City of Anaheim on a 1.83-acre urban-infill site adjacent to Abraham Lincoln Elementary School and within walking distance of Lincoln Park as well as community services and public transportation. The new apartment community offers a spectrum of resident services provided by Jamboree and IHO that include life-enhancing programming such as homework assistance and tutoring for young people, plus health and wellness programs for families. Residents will also have the opportunity to participate in IHO's Economic Self-Reliance™ program that provides ongoing financial-empowerment tools, career development and entrepreneurship training to help residents develop financial security and plan for homeownership.

We spoke with Searcy about trends in affordable-housing services and how they are being funded.