Two DHCD Sites to Transform into 28 Affordable Housing Units in Wards 1 and 5

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Mi Casa and Manna projects will include family-sized units

Washington, DC) – The DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced that 28 affordable housing units—most of which will be family-sized—will be coming to Wards 1 and 5 as the result of the disposition of District-owned properties.

While some may contend that you cannot create affordable housing in popular neighborhoods in the District, we are proving in fact it is possible,” said DHCD Director Polly Donaldson. “We are making this happen by using every tool in our toolbox, such as the vacant property in our inventory, to provide affordable housing. We are particularly pleased that through these projects, more families, singles and seniors can grow roots in District neighborhoods where housing prices have risen dramatically in recent years and can have easy access to transportation, schools, retail and other amenities.”

Mi Casa, Inc., will develop property at Florida Avenue and Q Street NW in Ward 5 into the Barnett-Adan Apartments, a 24-unit affordable housing project with 75 percent family-sized units. It will include permanent supportive housing (PSH), fully accessible and aging in place units.

Manna Inc., will construct four units of affordable housing for families, along with two market-rate units, at the intersection of 8th and T Streets NW. That Ward 1 site is in the Shaw Greater U Street Historic District.

The properties were part of the inventory in DHCD’s Property Acquisition and Disposition Division (PADD).

The Barnett-Adan Apartments will reflect the architectural tradition of the nearby Bates, Bloomingdale, and Truxton neighborhoods. It also will reflect the desire to offer a variety of affordable housing choices in those neighborhoods by providing six three-bedroom units, 12 two-bedroom units and six one-bedroom units. All will be affordable to households making no more than 80 percent of the Median Family Income (MFI). The specific MFI breakdown (for 2018) is as follows: (1) five units at or below $35,160 (30 percent MFI); (2) five units at or below $58,600 (50 percent MFI); (3) eight units at or below $70,320 (60 percent MFI); and (4) six units at or below $93,760 (80 percent MFI). The project also will have ground floor commercial space, and its Energy Star/high-efficiency construction will include a rooftop terrace and solar. Rear off-street parking will be available for residents and commercial tenants. Construction is expected to begin within six months.

Mi Casa is thrilled to be awarded the site, as we believe the proposed Barnett-Adan Apartments will provide an attractive neighborhood benefit for years to come,” said Mi Casa Deputy Director Elin Zurbrigg. “We are committed to building an attractive, low-density, in-context building that has housing options for seniors, lower income households, young professionals, middle class families and persons with special needs.”

Manna’s four affordable housing units will be three bedrooms, which will allow families to grow in place. They will be designated for first-time homebuyers making between $58,600 and $93,760 (50 percent and 80 percent MFI).

Our gratitude goes to Mayor Bowser and her commitment to affordable homeownership in all Wards of DC, to Director Polly Donaldson and her staff at DHCD and those at United Bank [which will help finance the development] who have worked diligently to make this project possible,” said Manna Founder/President/CEO Jim Dickerson. “The legacy of this project will be a lasting one—not only for the first-homebuyers who live there but also for their children and grandchildren who will benefit from this example of homeownership.”

Bowser Administration’s Commitment to Affordable Housing

Since coming into office, the Bowser Administration has sparked the creation or preservation of more 10,400 affordable units, with another 2,950 in preconstruction. In Fiscal Year 2017, the District made historic investments in affordable housing, getting more than $138 million in Housing Production Trust Fund financing out the door to support 23 projects that will produce or preserve more than 1,500 affordable units.

Recently, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the sale of 33 District-owned vacant properties that will be transformed into affordable workforce housing. The properties were sold in an auction as part of Vacant to Vibrant DC -- a program announced December 2017 to turn the balance of PADD’s inventory into vibrant and productive solutions.

The District’s multi-pronged approach to housing production and preservation, homeownership, and development of vacant properties is winning national recognition. The District is the 2017 winner of the Urban Land Institute’s Larson Housing Policy Leadership Award. This annual award, provided by ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing, recognizes innovative ways the public sector is addressing the nation’s affordable housing crisis.

During her State of the District address, Mayor Bowser announced Roots to Roofs DC, an initiative that highlights the programs, tools, and resources her Administration is using to make Washington, DC more affordable for residents in all eight wards.

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