Mayor Bowser Breaks Ground on 202 Affordable Housing Units at St. Elizabeths East
(WASHINGTON, DC) – (RealEstateRama) — Mayor Muriel Bowser broke ground on the Residences at St. Elizabeths East, a 252-unit apartment community with 202 affordable housing units on the historic St. Elizabeths East Campus, delivering on her commitment to provide high-quality affordable housing to the Congress Heights neighborhood in Ward 8.
“Today, we are delivering on a commitment to build new, high-quality affordable housing in Ward 8,” said Mayor Bowser. “As we continue the transformation of the historic St. Elizabeths East campus, we remain focused on ensuring that longtime residents have the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from the housing and amenities that are coming to the area.”
Located at 1201 Oak Drive, SE, adjacent to the new Entertainment and Sports Arena, the Residences at St. Elizabeths East will be comprised of 252 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, including affordable units for households earning up to 50 percent of the median family income (MFI), which is $58,600 for a family of four. The affordable units include 19 units available for 0 to 30 percent of the MFI and 183 units available for 31 to 50 percent of the MFI; another 50 units will be available at market rate. Amenities for residents will include a fitness center, clubroom, secured parking, and community areas including a playground, recreational area, and outdoor grilling area.
The creation and preservation of affordable housing remains a top priority for the Bowser Administration. On October 1, Mayor Bowser celebrated a record annual investment in affordable housing—in fiscal year 2018, her Administration was able to commit $167.6 million from the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF) to projects that will create or preserve affordable housing. For three straight years, the Mayor has consistently exceeded her annual commitment of $100 million to the HPTF, increasing investments from $58.6 million in FY15 to $106.89 million in FY16 to $138.59 million in FY17 to $167.6 million in FY18. This funding provides gap financing for projects affordable to low and moderate income households. As a result, the Bowser Administration has been able to use multiple programs and tools to deliver 6,000 units of affordable housing, with an additional 5,200 under construction.
This groundbreaking follows the recent announcement of a $51 million affordable housing investment in Ward 8 through the Housing Protection Trust Fund (HPTF) and other funding sources for fiscal year 2019.
The development of the Residences at St. Elizabeths East is a collaboration of DC Government agencies, including the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and the DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA). Flaherty-Collins and the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation are the development partners for the project.
The Mayor was joined at today’s groundbreaking by Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Brian Kenner, community members, and representatives from the development team.
