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Housing's Helping Hands
Sandy and Edgard Romero with their children, Kelvin, 11, left, and Edgard Jr., 14, in their condo near Gallaudet University. The family bought the condo from a D.C. charity.
(Ricky Carioti - The Washington Post)
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The group operates Willis P. Greene Manor, a 60-unit facility on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE that serves as transitional housing for people trying to get on their feet. Residents get their own room and share a bathroom down the hall.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]The organization is also in the midst of a project. It is redeveloping the 569-unit Mayfair Mansions apartment complex, at 3819 Jay St. NE. Ultimately, the group said, 160 units will be for affordable homeownership and the rest affordable rentals.
"There's a lot of development in the city, particularly east of the river, which has been described as the last frontier," said Angela Copeland, director of communications and resource development for the Marshall Heights community group. "We want to make sure people who have lived here and worshiped over the years aren't displaced."
In Virginia, AHC runs 19 affordable rental apartment complexes in Arlington County and plans to add more than 200 units in the next year.
Catherine Bucknam, director of community relations for AHC, said many rental units in Arlington County are pricey, averaging about $1,300 a month for a one bedroom.
"That's pretty darn expensive," she said. "We've seen a lot of affordable units that have been converted to upscale rentals, or they have gone condo."
Funding is always an issue. Many organizations get money from public and private entities, individual donors, and foundations. December is often the busiest time of the year for private donations.
"We are always touched by regular working people in Ward 7, but we are working to increase the philanthropic donations," Copeland said. "We are working to do better."
George Rothman, president of Manna, said charities are particularly challenged when trying to buy properties at a time of high prices.
"That's the biggest obstacle for us," he said. "It's the acquisition of the projects, the vacant land, the vacant buildings."
He said, "The gap between the market rate and affordable housing is getting greater."
Some organizations, like the Calvert Foundation in Bethesda and the OpenDoor Housing Fund in Silver Spring, lend money to develop affordable housing around the region. The Calvert Foundation also provides funding nationally and internationally.
