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The Gatesway Foundation has broken ground on Villages at Rose Hill, a $58.8 million integrated housing and mixed-use development that will expand affordable housing options for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities while also serving the broader Broken Arrow community.
The development, located at 1433 E. College St. in Broken Arrow, is part of Gatesway's long-term effort to increase community-based housing and promote independence for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The nonprofit has served Oklahomans with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those with autism and Down syndrome, for 62 years.
What Villages at Rose Hill will include
The project will feature a 180-unit apartment community designed to provide affordable housing for both individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the general public.
Gatesway said the development will triple its housing capacity, with 20% to 30% of the apartments reserved for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, Down syndrome or low-income residents who do not qualify for a Medicaid waiver, depending on demand.
The accessible units will include design features that support residents with a wide range of disabilities and accessibility needs, helping promote independence and community inclusion.
Greg Arend with the Gatesway Foundation said the project addresses one of the country's most pressing housing issues.
"Most people understand the lack of affordable housing is a nationwide challenge, a nationwide crisis," Arend said. "This is an opportunity for Broken Arrow to engage in that in a substantive way."
Workforce housing also planned
The remaining apartments will serve as workforce housing for middle-income residents, including teachers, health care workers and first responders who may struggle to afford market-rate housing.
Arend said the community is designed to bring together residents of all abilities.
"It's going to be done in such a way that it's fully integrated," Arend said.
Funding and project support
The Broken Arrow City Council approved the project in January 2025.
In May 2025, the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency awarded the development $10 million in state funding and about $27 million in 4% federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits to help finance construction.
The project also received $2 million in federal Investment Tax Credits to install solar energy throughout the property. Gatesway said electricity costs will be included in residents' rent.
Looking ahead
Arend said construction will continue over the next several years, with residents expected to begin moving into completed buildings in phases.
"The buildings should start being completed by the end of 2028, and definitely in 2029 people will be moving in," Arend said. "They'll move in in phases as the buildings are completed."
In addition to the apartment community, approximately 25 acres of Gatesway's 41.2-acre campus are planned for future mixed-use development, including additional housing and commercial space. Gatesway said the expansion is intended to create a community where its clients, known as Friends, can interact with neighbors, businesses and the broader Broken Arrow community.
Arend said he is grateful for the support the project has received.
"I'm extremely thankful for the city and for its support," Arend said. "I know new developments can be a challenge for neighborhoods, and I'm appreciative of the neighbors and how well they're handling it. There's a lot of construction going on out here, but overall it's just an exciting time for the Gatesway Foundation."
