Walter Webdale and three fellow leaders were inducted into the Affordable Housing Hall of Fame at last week’s AHF Live in Chicago. For the past 20 years, Walter has served as the President and CEO of AHC, a nonprofit that provides affordable housing throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, and longtime HAND member. He has helped to grow the organization’s affordable multifamily portfolio from 1,600 units to 8,000 at nearly 60 properties today. Prior to AHC, he served as the first director of the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development in Virginia.
Other trailblazers honored at the conference include:
Congratulations to Walter and all of the honorees! You can read more details from AHF’s story here.
On November 17, Arlington Presbyterian Church (APC) celebrated their homecoming, returning to their former site opening a new worship, office and multi-use space on the ground-floor of Gilliam Place, a 173-unit affordable housing community developed by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) along Columbia Pike. The project includes eleven barrier-free units for persons with disabilities and approximately 8,500 sq. ft. of ground floor space that will include a new home for Arlington Presbyterian Church as well as expanded facilities for La Cocina VA, a bilingual culinary training program for low-income individuals. La Cocina, which will begin its construction later this year, will also provide kitchen space and training for entrepreneurs and a community café.
The press release reads: “APC’s move back to their former property where they worshipped for over a century, completes an 8-year journey for their congregation in discerning new ways they might be called to be church in the community. After their bold decision to sell their existing church building and property to APAH for the development of affordable housing in 2014, the congregation returned to lease a portion of the ground-floor retail space from APAH in the completed building. ‘APC’s new worship space is a communal, Spirit-filled gathering area that invites participation, creativity, and equality for the sake of South Arlington,’ said Pastor Ashley Goff. The brand-new multi-use building is named in honor of Ronda A. Gilliam, APC’s first African-American elder, a community leader and clothing ministry founder.”
Financing was provided by Enterprise Community Partners Faith Based Development Initiative, Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA), Arlington County and the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. Additional partners on Gilliam Place include: Capital One, KGD Architects and Donohoe Construction Company.
Congratulations to APC, APAH and all partners!
To read more details, check out media coverage here.
An Enterprise press release issued last week announced a $5 million, three-year commitment to help expand access to economic opportunity for local residents and small business owners along the 16-mile Purple Line light rail corridor in the Greater Washington region. It reads:
The Purple Line project in Maryland’s Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties will provide more efficient transit and spark redevelopment around its 21 stations. As part of the JPMorgan Chase’s $25 million, five-year commitment to the Greater Washington region, from Northern Virginia to Baltimore, this new investment will create and preserve affordable housing and support small businesses along the transportation corridor.
Specifically, it will allow community organizations Enterprise Community Partners, the National Housing Trust and Latino Economic Development Center, with support provided by Enterprise Community Loan Fund, to provide targeted loan capital and resources for projects related to high-quality affordable housing and small business expansion. With this investment, the collaborative, called Purple Line Equitable Transit-Oriented Development, seeks to:
HAND congratulates all of our members and partners involved! Read the full press release here.
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 50thStreet, 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!
The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency’s (DCHFA) issuer credit rating was raised to “A+” with a “stable” outlook, according to Standard and Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings.
“The stable outlook reflects our view of a combination of DCHFA’s high profitability and equity ratios relative to those of peers, and its relatively new but experienced management and strategic initiatives,” wrote Aulii T. Limtiaco, S&P Credit Analyst.
Under the leadership of Todd A. Lee since 2016, DCHFA has undergone several changes to include the launch of new programs like the Housing Investment Platform (HIP), the DC Mortgage Assistance Program (DC MAP) and the Reverse Mortgage Insurance & Tax Payment Program (ReMIT), the addition of a Chief Operating Officer to the staff, and a rebranding among other innovations to improve the Agency’s day-to-day functions. Lee’s leadership, there has been over $1 billion invested in the creation and preservation of affordable multifamily rental and workforce housing units in addition to supporting homeownership all over the city.
DCHFA is celebrating its 40th year of service to District residents in 2019. The Agency aims to provide the most effective, innovative and efficient solutions to affordable housing in the District. The Agency aims to continue investing in affordable housing and neighborhood development as a way to provide pathways for D.C. residents to transform their lives for many years to come.
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Housing Expo: Plan to exhibit? Download the Housing Expo FAQs here.
Omni Shoreham Hotel Room Block: For attendees looking to secure overnight accommodations on May 25th, HAND has secured a rate starting at $189 for conference attendees. There are a limited amount of rooms available, so visit this link today to reserve your room. May 10th is the last day to secure a room at the discounted rate.
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Door Prizes: Are you interested in donating a door prize to this year’s Annual Meeting? Email annualmeeting@handhousing.org to coordinate with our team.
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