A new partnership with Bank of America enables Howard University to provide testing and health care to DC’s most vulnerable and under-served neighborhoods. An excerpt from the press release reads: 

Bank of America has awarded a $1M grant to the Howard University Faculty Practice Plan (HUFPP) to improve access to COVID-19 testing in the diverse Washington, D.C. communities located east of the river.

‘We’re excited to partner with Bank of America to get these critical resources to the areas that need them the most,” says Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “Many of our patients travel great distances to come to Howard University Hospital, which makes it challenging to seek medical attention at the first sign of illness. Our goal is to meet the community where they live so their access to care greatly improves and hopefully we can reduce the spread of the coronavirus significantly.’

Beginning on Tuesday, May 5, Howard University Faculty Practice Plan will host testing at the new Benning Road Center, located at 4414 Benning Road, N.E., Washington, D.C., Suite 2400. The free testing will be available on Tuesdays and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the next three months. Residents can sign up by appointment by calling 202-865-2119, option 3. The team will see patients who are showing symptoms or who believe they are asymptomatic.

‘You will not need to have a doctor’s prescription in advance to get tested at our location,” says Dr. Hugh E. Mighty, Howard University vice president of clinical affairs. “We want to eliminate the obstacles so more people can be tested because we believe everyone should be tested. We want to screen our community neighbors in the areas where there are higher incidents of hypertension, heart disease and diabetes because those pre-existing conditions are linked to the higher incidents of coronavirus that we’ve seen in African American communities.’

As the need increases, the Howard team will look at expanding to include a mobile unit to provide testing options in a second area of the city. In addition to funding the tests and equipment, a portion of the grant will be used to enhance Howard University Hospital’s telehealth services. This will expand a doctor’s ability to see patients remotely and increase the patient’s access to care.

Read the full announcement here.

Our partners at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLB) have opened the window for their Affordable Housing Program Competitive Grants.

Applications are due April 2, 2020. The AHP Competitive program provides funding to develop or rehabilitate housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income families. Real estate developers partner with financial institutions to apply for up to $500,000 per project to help finance the construction of apartments, supportive housing, subdivisions, single-family homes, and more.

By participating in AHP Competitive projects, your institution can generate new business with developers and other stakeholders while achieving your affordable lending mission and/or compliance goals related to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).

If you have identified a project for the 2020 Competitive Round, please note, we do offer technical assistance to both Sponsors and Members regarding their applications.

Additionally, a number of helpful resources are available to you:

• Webinars: Learn what’s new for 2020 – project eligibility, application process, scoring and more. View a recording
• Find a Member: If you have not identified a financial institution partner to approve your application, Find a Member on the website
• New Sponsor Registration: If you are new to the AHP, you must complete a one-time sponsor registration

You can refer to the AHP Implementation Plan for additional program information or reach out to one of their staff for assistance with your application:

Joel Brockmann, Production and Portfolio Manager
404.888.8156 jbrockmann@fhlbatl.com

James Monaghan, Production and Portfolio Analyst
404.888.8429 jmonaghan@fhlbatl.com

John Florio, Production and Portfolio Analyst
404.888.8341 jflorio@fhlbatl.com

Andrea Rattray, Production and Portfolio Team Leader
404.888.8443 arattray@fhlbatl.com

Richard Mauney, Production and Portfolio Analyst
404.888.5642 rmauney@fhlbatl.com

Jessie Marquardt, Production and Portfolio Team Lead
404.888.8230 jmarquardt@fhlbatl.com 

The DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) is currently signing up qualified District residents (those who meet the income qualifications listed below) for its Solar For All program. It aims to sign up around 2,000 District residents in the next few months. Qualified residents that sign-up receive credits on their Pepco bill of around $500 per year, which is about 50% of the average Pepco bill for District residents, allowing them to share in the benefits of clean solar power. For more information, please contact DOEE at solarforall@dc.gov or (202) 299-5271.

Washington DC residents can participate in Solar for All single family solar or community solar options if the household income is below 80% of the area median income (AMI) threshold.

^{Household income amounts listed in the eligibility table are effective as of 06/28/19, but may change.}

In 2017 National Housing Trust (NHT) partnered with Enterprise Community Partners to create Where Will We Live, a campaign which highlights the importance of affordable housing by uplifting resident voices and drawing the connection between access to affordable housing and health, education and economic opportunity.

Throughout 2018, the Where Will We Live team traveled across the country interviewing over 150 low-income residents and community members about their experiences with affordable housing and how access to federal housing assistance helps residents access greater economic opportunity, health care, supportive services, and education.

The growing gallery of resident stories is available as a resource for stakeholders to use to help make the case for affordable housing for low-income residents – it can even be filtered by state and cross-sector topic. This information can be shared via blogs, newsletters, tweets, or other media. Access the gallery here.

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 15!
The DCSEU is accepting applications for the FY 2020 Income Qualified Efficiency Fund. The fund allows owners and managers of affordable housing, clinics, and shelters, as well as contractors working on projects at these buildings, to apply for funding from the DCSEU for energy efficiency projects. The deadline for applications has been extended to November 15, 2019. For more information, please contact the DCSEU at 202-479-2222 or incomequalified@dcseu.com.

The DCSEU has no-cost technical assistance, financial incentives, and training opportunities available for DC affordable housing developers, building owners, and property managers:

• The DCSEU’s Income-Qualified Efficiency Fund recently opened its application process for FY 2020. If you own or operate a multifamily property, shelter, or clinic that serves low- to moderate-income District residents and are making upgrades to your building, find out more about financial incentives available from the DCSEU for your projects.
• The DCSEU has rebates available when you upgrade to more energy-efficient equipment in your building. Find out more about rebates available for lighting and HVAC equipment.
• DC-based Contractors and maintenance staff can join the DCSEU for a free class on Energy Efficiency Best Practices for Contractors on September 4^th and 5^th. The class will cover HVAC and lighting, focusing on critical topics such as heating, cooling, water heating, lighting fixtures, controls, and more. Contact the DCSEU at 202-479-2222 or incomequalified@dcseu.com to find out more and sign up.

For more information on how the DCSEU can help you, call 202-479-2222 or e-mail incomequalified@dcseu.com.