Developer holds groundbreaking ceremony for 428 affordable apartments in two Antioch projects
Without state or local subsidy, but with public financing
Standard Communities brings extremely-low, very-low and low-income units being built near City’s neighborhood of highest valued homes that successfully fought to stop nearby apartment project over 20 years ago
The Joyfield Flats projects represent a $192 million investment in two family designed communities and will deliver workforce housing in less than 2 years
By Allen D. Payton
ANTIOCH, Calif. — Los Angeles-based Standard Communities, a leading national affordable housing investor, developer and operator, broke ground Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, on two affordable apartment communities that will together make up a $192 million investment and deliver 428 new homes for working families in Antioch, CA. Mayor Pro Tem Don Freitas was the only council member to participate in the groundbreakings and he spoke during the brief ceremony on behalf of Mayor Ron Bernal who was at another event representing the Mayor’s Conference.
In a press release issued Tuesday, the company said, “Joyfield Flats at Lakeview Center and Joyfield Flats at Buchanan Crossing are the first Joyfield communities on the West Coast, following the brand’s first community in Virginia. Through the innovative model of Joyfield Living, combined with the strong public-private partnership with the City of Antioch and Contra Costa County, Standard Communities will build these income-restricted units with the finishes, amenities and service standards of a market-rate apartment in less than two years, without state or local subsidies.”
They are on two of the 10 parcels the City Council rezoned using Commercial Infill Housing overlays allowing for either medium- and high-density residential or mixed-use projects. They only require administrative design review and project approval by City staff without any hearings by the Planning Commission or City Council for public input. (See related article)
The Lakeview project, located on the south side of Lone Tree Way next to the CVS store and shopping center, will consist of 233 affordable units and the Buchanan project, located next to the Grocery Outlet store on the north side of Buchanan Road west of Somersville Road, will include 195 affordable units, both for extremely-low, very-low and low-income residents.
In 2004, residents who live in the neighborhoods off Golf Course Road rose up and successfully defeated a proposed apartment complex on Blue Rock Drive on the north side of Lone Tree Way, across from the Lakeview project site.
According to the Standard Communities press release, “The communities are designed with families in mind, including offering two- and three-bedroom apartments. Because of the innovative model of Joyfield Living, both communities are being delivered for under $500,000 per home, an atypical cost basis for the Bay Area, and all 428 homes are income-restricted under the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, serving households at 30% to 70% of area median income (AMI).”
“As our city continues to grow, and the cost of just about everything continues to go up, individuals and families need housing they can afford.” said Ron Bernal, Mayor of the City of Antioch. “More than 400 new homes are currently under construction because we made meeting our housing goals a priority, and Standard Communities is investing in and helping us meet that commitment. These units will serve every segment of our community with a quality place to call home for years to come.”
Standard Communities says they, “capitalized both transactions with private construction debt, federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity and tax-exempt bonds issued by the California Municipal Finance Authority, without the city, county or state gap funding such projects typically require. Both communities were approved under the City of Antioch’s Commercial Infill Housing (CIH) Overlay, which allows by-right, ministerial approval for housing on underused commercial sites.”
“Antioch’s innovative commercial infill housing process gave us a predictable, efficient path to approval,” said Feras Qumseya, Chief Development Officer at Standard Communities. “That speed is what lets us build at scale and hold costs where they need to be. Joyfield Living is proof that a resident can have the finishes, the amenities and the services of a market-rate apartment at a workforce housing cost, and we are proud to bring it to the East Bay.”
Standard Communities further said, “These communities are designed for the teachers, nurses, first responders, service workers and other households who earn too much to qualify for deeply subsidized housing and too little to absorb Bay Area market rents. Residents will have access to a community lounge, fitness center, computer lab, children’s playground, picnic areas and a dog run, along with bike and tenant storage and on-site management.”
Joyfield Flats at Lakeview Center
Located at 4020 Lone Tree Way, Joyfield Flats at Lakeview Center will bring 233 homes across seven buildings, including 109 one-bedroom, 58 two-bedroom and 66 three-bedroom apartments. Vertical construction begins in December 2026, with completion anticipated in the third quarter of 2028.
JPMorgan Chase provides construction financing for the development of Lakeview Center, with federal tax credit equity from Freddie Mac, syndicated by Boston Financial, and permanent financing arranged by Freddie Mac, serviced by Walker & Dunlop.
“Communities grow stronger when families have access to quality, affordable housing, and Joyfield Flats at Lakeview Center will help drive that growth in Antioch,” said James Vossoughi, Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Community Development Banking. “J.P. Morgan is proud to provide the construction financing to bring 233 new homes for families to life, complete with amenities and spaces designed to help residents thrive. This development is an investment in Antioch’s future, and in the opportunity and stability of the families who will call it home.”
Joyfield Flats at Buchanan Crossing
Located at 3210 Buchanan Road, Joyfield Flats at Buchanan Crossing will bring 195 homes across six buildings, including 91 one-bedroom, 49 two-bedroom and 55 three-bedroom apartments. Mass grading is complete and retaining wall construction is underway. Vertical construction begins in January 2027, with completion anticipated in July 2028.
U.S. Bank provides construction financing and federal tax credit equity investment for the development of Buchanan Crossing, with permanent financing arranged by Freddie Mac, serviced by Berkadia.
“We’re honored to support Buchanan Crossing as an equity investor and lender, working with Standard Communities to create 195 units of housing in Antioch, California,” said Yun Tong, affordable housing senior project manager at U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance, the community development and infrastructure finance division of U.S. Bank. “This is a great example of how our financing solutions help our clients expand access to affordable housing and help build a foundation of financial stability for future residents.”
233-Unit Extremely Low, Very Low and Low-Income Lakeview Center Apartments Near Golf Course Road
Asked if the leaders at Standard Communities would want this type of housing near their neighborhood and if they held community meetings with nearby neighbors before submitting their plans to the City and take into consideration their concerns, Marie Lloyd, Head of Corporate Affairs at Standard Communities responded:
“This didn’t happen behind closed doors. This project was approved through the City’s Commercial Infill Housing process that went through public forums and City Council meetings. Joyfield Lakeview Center and Joyfield Buchanan will transform unused, blighted commercial sites into high-quality and professionally managed housing built especially for the teachers, nurses, first responders, line cooks, and other working people who deserve the opportunity to live near and in the communities they serve.
Standard Communities has owned and operated housing in California since 2007. We don’t build and walk away. We plan to be in Antioch for decades. A healthy community — both economically and culturally — is one where working people cannot just survive, but thrive and contribute. Joyfield Lakeview Center and Joyfield Buchanan are meaningful steps in that direction.”
Split Council Votes on Public Financing, Only Matters They Could Decide
However, that’s not correct, as the only matter the city council could deal with was the public financing for both projects. Both complexes received split votes but were approved 3-2 with Freitas and District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson – who lives across Lone Tree Way from the Lakeview project – voting against the public financing. That’s in spite of the fact she voted for the CIH Overlay District rezoning in 2022 which allowed for the projects to be staff approved and built, and in spite of Bernal raising concerns about traffic at the Lone Tree Way, Golf Course Road and Bluerock Drive intersection.
As previously reported, under the Tax Equity Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, the Council voted to approve the issuance of one or more series of revenue bonds by the California Municipal Finance Authority to provide for the financing or refinancing of the acquisition, construction, improvement and equipping of the projects.
So, financing would not have been from City funds. But the developer’s rep for both Joyfield Flats projects said, if the Council voted against the financing it would have killed both projects. That’s due to timing on the financing and because the dirt from the Lakeview project will be used as fill for the Buchanan project.
Furthermore, the property behind CVS where the Lakeview project is under construction was not a “blighted commercial site”. It had merely sat vacant as open land after Lone Tree Way was rerouted in the 1980’s.
About Standard Communities
Standard Communities is a national affordable housing investment, development, and operations platform with approximately $7 billion in assets under management, nearly 30,000 units, and over 200 communities across 22 states and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit standard-communities.com.
the attachments to this post:
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Joyfield-Flats-at-Lakeview-Center
Standard-Communities_Antioch-Groundbreaking-Shovels Lakeview
