On August 28, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray, and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) broke ground on two 100% affordable housing communities, Providence Place and the Strand Residences, which will deliver 179 affordable units in the Deanwood neighborhood of Ward 7 through the New Communities Initiative (NCI).

“After years of delays on these projects, Mayor Bowser charged us with making sure that we delivered for the residents of Ward 7, ” said Interim Deputy Mayor Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “Thanks to the commitment and hard work of District agencies, the community and our development partners, we are realizing the future for this historic Deanwood community.”

Providence Place is a 93-unit community with a mix of family-size apartments located at 601 50^thStreet, NE on the campus of the historic Progressive National Baptist Convention headquarters. The Strand Residences, located at 5119 Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE, next to the historic local landmark, the Strand Theater, will include 86 one- and two-bedroom affordable apartments and first floor retail space for a neighborhood non-profit and a community-based retailer.

Both properties include units prioritized for residents from Lincoln Heights and Richardson Dwellings – 35 units at Providence Place and 28 at the Strand Residences reserved for households at less than 30% median family income (MFI), or approximately $35,150 for a family of four. The remaining units at both properties, 116 units total, will be made available to other households earning up to 60% MFI, or approximately $70,320 for a family of four.

Providence Place and Strand Residences were made possible through a collaboration of District government agencies including DMPED, the DC Housing Finance Agency, and the DC Housing Authority. Development partners for Providence Place include Urban Matters and Atlantic|Pacific Communities with the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Developers for the Strand Residences are NHP Foundation, The Warrenton Group, and the Washington Metropolitan CDC. Congratulations to all involved!

Yolanda McCutchen, Director of Public Relations for the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) and HAND member, received her first National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Salute to Excellence Award earlier this month. At the NABJ Annual Convention ,  McCutchen was awarded the “Public Relations/Marketing Campaign- Government” award for DCHFA’s  media campaign on the agency closing its   first HUD Level I Risk Share Deal.

Woodmont Crossing, a 176-unit preservation project in Ward 8, was DCHFA’s first risk share deal after the agency because a HUD Risk Share Lender in 2017. McCutchen’s press outreach helped spread the word that DCHFA offers this loan product to affordable housing developers and showcased the only deal of its kind in the agency’s portfolio. Articles about the project appeared in The Washington Post, The Washington Informer, Multi Housing News, Commercial Real Estate Direct, MultifamilyBiz, and Real Estate Business Online.

DCHFA is  a long term  member of HAND and the agency’s  Senior Vice President of Multifamily Lending & Neighborhood Investments Christopher Donald is a member of HAND’s Board of Directors.   As one of the District’s leading financiers of affordable housing and only risk share lender, DCHFA’s mission is to advance the District of Columbia’s housing priorities by investing in affordable housing and neighborhood development, which provides pathways for D.C. residents to transform their lives. The agency accomplishes its mission by delivering the most efficient and effective sources of capital available in the market to finance rental housing and to create homeownership opportunities.

Congratulations are in order! HAND member UrbanMatters Development Partners, Reid Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church, Reid Temple CDC and Atlantic|Pacific Communities recently closed on the Woodlands at Reid Temple. As the largest affordable senior housing project in Prince George’s County, the community will host 252 units specifically for seniors. Congrats to all involved in this development!

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposed Debt Collection Rule is now open for comments through August 19, 2019. As drafted, the rule allows debt collectors to:

1. Phone 7 times per week, per debt. Consumers with 8 medical debts could receive 56 calls a week.
2. Contact by text, email or direct message without permission, and send legally-required notice through hyperlinks in email or texts.
3. Sue people without the debt collectors’ attorneys reviewing original account documents to make sure that they are suing the right person and the debt is the right amount.
4. Collect debt that is so old that the deadline for a lawsuit has passed and records of who owes the debt and for how much may be lost.

The National Consumer Law Center provides resources to tell the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that our communities need stronger protections from abusive debt collectors. Tools include a Comment Roadmap with prompts for pulling together an impactful comment, fact sheets with state data, and an August 8 webinar in collaboration with Prosperity Now.

On Tuesday, June 11, 2019, the Interfaith Housing Alliance Inc. and developer PIRHL held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for 520 N. Market St. in Frederick, Md. The apartments at 520 N. Market St. combined rehabilitation of a building and new construction to build 59 housing units, the majority of which are for households making between $20,000 and $60,000. As part of the ribbon cutting ceremony, the rooftop patio was dedicated to the memory of Michael Kunzle, a Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development staff member who passed away in 2017, and was instrumental in the project.

The plaque to be placed on the patio reads:

This rooftop patio is dedicated to the memory of Michael Kunzle. We celebrate his commitment to creating and preserving affordable housing. In his work with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Michael was committed to the highest standards of design and construction for safe,  energy-efficient, and affordable communities like this one. He believed in the power of affordable housing to revitalize neighborhoods. Michael’s passion and leadership inspired coworkers and development partners alike. His legacy as an inspiring colleague, a caring mentor, and a warm friend will never be forgotten.

To watch the ribbon cutting ceremony, visit Frederick County Government TV here.