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Opening Doors Across Florida: Advancing Affordable Housing in Florida Through Partnership

  • Mar 17
  • 6 min read

5 Ekos Properties

Across Florida, in communities separated by miles but connected by shared need, the Ekos portfolio continues to grow - not as a collection of buildings, but as a testament to what’s possible when two organizations commit to showing up for people again and again. CREA’s longstanding partnership with McDowell Housing Partners has become a meaningful pillar in Florida’s affordable housing landscape, built on trust, shared mission, and a belief that home is the foundation for dignity, opportunity, and stability.


This story highlights the Ekos communities brought to life through CREA’s partnership with McDowell Housing Partners (MHP), reflecting our shared commitment to expanding access to high‑quality affordable housing across Florida.


Together, CREA and MHP operate with a shared understanding that affordable housing is not only an economic solution. It is emotional infrastructure. It is the foundation under a senior’s feet as they age, the stability a working parent needs to hold down a job, and the safety and respect a veteran deserves after serving their country. Every Ekos community carries this intention forward.


“MHP is a sponsor that fundamentally understands the importance of leveraging transactional resources to deliver the highest beneficial impact in the communities they partner with. Their thoughtful approach on design and amenities is a critical facet of improving the narrative around Affordable Housing developments. When deciding on where to allocate the valuable and coveted resources entrusted to us by our investors, we are proud to have been afforded the opportunity to partner with our friends at MHP on these transformational Ekos developments.” - Charles Anderson, President
Ekos on Santa Barbara

Ekos on Santa Barbara: Where the Ekos Story Began

In Naples, Ekos on Santa Barbara marked the first chapter of impact in the partnership between CREA and MHP. Built through deep collaboration with Collier County and a 99‑year ground lease designed to secure affordability long into the future, the community has been transformational for working families. Children play in the pool, parents unwind after long shifts, and veterans and seniors access homes intentionally set aside for their needs. In a city marked by escalating housing costs, Santa Barbara demonstrates that affordability and high quality can coexist when strong partnerships lead the way.


Ekos on Santa Barbara – Naples, FL – Opened January 2024

  • Homes and buildings: 82 affordable family homes across two garden‑style buildings.

  • Amenities: Clubhouse, fitness center, media center, cybercafe, swimming pool, playground, and game room.

  • Impact: A leading public‑private model delivering workforce housing in one of Florida’s most cost‑burdened markets.


Ekos Cadenza Phase 1

Ekos Cadenza Phase I: A Senior Community That Filled Immediately

Before Phase II opened, Ekos Cadenza Phase I revealed the depth of local need. The community leased fully within about thirty days, confirming the urgency among older adults living on fixed incomes. Cadenza creates a supportive environment shaped by connection, comfort, and thoughtful design. With wellness amenities, accessible living spaces, and county‑supported services, seniors find not only a home, but a place to be seen, supported, and part of something meaningful.


Ekos Cadenza Phase I – Naples, FL – Opened October 2024

  • Homes: 160 affordable senior homes, including studios, one‑bedroom, and two‑bedroom layouts.

  • Amenities & wellness: Resort‑style pool, fitness center, pickleball, game and media rooms, and a clubhouse, alongside healthcare services and county‑run daily meals across the shared campus.

  • Impact: A dignified, service‑rich senior community that anchors aging in place in Collier County.


Ekos Cadenza II

Ekos Cadenza II: Completing a Campus Designed for Dignity

Later that same year, Ekos Cadenza II filled the illustrated demand for affordable housing for older adults throughout Collier County. With more than twenty years since the county’s last affordable senior housing development, Phase II completed a thoughtfully planned senior campus where connection, safety, and wellness take priority. Seniors who had been pushed to the margins by rising rents could finally return to homes that honor their contributions and support their well‑being.


Ekos Cadenza II – Naples, FL – Opened November 2024

  • Homes: 160 affordable senior apartments for adults age 62 and older, completing a 320‑unit senior campus.

  • Services & amenities: Onsite health programming and a county‑operated nutrition program offered across the campus, plus modern senior‑focused amenities.

  • Impact: Restored affordable senior housing options to Collier County after more than twenty years without new development.

 

“Residents are at the heart of every Ekos community. Seniors, veterans, and working families each bring their own needs, and through the dedicated work of McDowell Housing Partners and others, they’re met with programs, services, and amenities built intentionally for them - health and nutrition resources, accessible homes, and spaces designed for connection and stability. CREA is proud to support partners who put people first and to help make communities possible where residents can feel supported, respected, and truly at home.” - David Ciminelli SVP, Originator

Ekos Creekside

Ekos Creekside: A Breakthrough Under the Live Local Act

With Ekos Creekside, CREA and MHP embraced a new chapter of innovation. As the first affordable development in Collier County to break ground under Florida’s Live Local Act, Creekside reflects what is possible when policy aligns with community priorities. For the teachers, service workers, medical assistants, and hospitality staff who keep Naples running, Creekside offers long‑awaited relief. Modern homes, sustainable design, and supportive amenities make this community a blueprint for the future of workforce housing.


Ekos Creekside – Naples, FL – Expected to Open in Spring 2027

  • Homes: 160 affordable homes for working families

  • Amenities & Design: Targeting National Green Building Standard certification; amenities include a resort‑style pool, fitness center, tech‑enabled business center, and clubhouse.

  • Impact: Ensures essential workers can afford to stay in the communities they support every day.


“Our relationship with CREA is the standard we measure every other partnership against. I have worked with CREA for over 15 years, and since founding McDowell Housing Partners in 2019, they have been our most active and trusted syndicator. From senior leadership to the closing team, every person we interact with is professional, responsive, and genuinely attuned to the concerns that matter most to MHP as a developer and operator. When we bring CREA into a transaction, we move with speed and confidence, because we know the team, we trust the process, and we have never been let down”  – Chris Shear, President,  McDowell Housing Partners

Ekos on Warrington

Ekos at Warrington: Expanding the Ekos Mission Northward

In Pensacola, Ekos at Warrington continues the Ekos mission for families, service members, and veterans near Naval Air Station Pensacola. In a place where rising rents have made stability feel out of reach, Warrington offers a critical turning point. With modern, energy‑efficient homes and family‑centered design, it represents CREA and MHP’s continued commitment to meet families where they are, with the homes they deserve.


Ekos at Warrington – Pensacola, FL – Expected to Open Fall 2027

  • Homes: 120 affordable family apartments across four buildings, designed for working families, active‑duty service members, and veterans.

  • Status & design: New construction with modern, energy‑efficient features.

  • Impact: Extends the Ekos footprint into Northwest Florida, supporting stability for families and the military community.

 

Across these communities, a powerful truth remains constant. CREA and McDowell Housing Partners keep showing up. Community after community. Need after need. More than seven hundred households across Florida now have a place to call home. The Ekos story is still unfolding, but CREA and MHP stand committed to the promise of affordable, dignified housing. This partnership is more than a model. It is a movement, and its impact will echo across Florida for generations.



Financing

In addition to LIHTC equity provided through multi-investor CREA Tax Credit Funds 103 and 105, and three proprietary funds, the Ekos portfolio is also financed with:

 

Economic Impact

Based on averages provided by the National Association of Home Builders, in their first year, these Ekos properties will generate over 850+ jobs, $53.9MM in local income, and $5.6MM in taxes saved, as well as $16.4MM in local income, and $3.0MM in taxes saved annually.


*Source: National Association of Home Builders. Note: Totals are based on national estimates regarding the economic impact of residential construction for the U.S. economy as of April 1, 2020.

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