(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) welcomed the first residents moving into the Residences at St. Elizabeths East, an apartment community that, at completion will have 202 affordable homes 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.
“With the first residents moving into their homes at the reimagined St. Elizabeths, it is safe to say that this campus is finally seeing the renaissance that the residents of Ward 8 deserve,” said Mayor Bowser. “Together, we remain focused on ensuring that our longtime residents are and benefiting from all the new amenities and opportunities 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% of the median family income (MFI), which is $58,600 for a family of four. The affordable units include 19 units available up to 30% of the MFI, inclusive of 13 permanent supportive units, and 183 units available for 31-50% 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.
“Today is a special day as we welcome residents home to a historic place that had been closed off and underutilized for many years,” said Interim Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “St. Elizabeths East is being transformed into a center for community and destination for entertainment and our residents will be in the middle of all the excitement to come.”
This milestone at St. Elizabeths follows the Mayor’s announcement last week that Whitman-Walker Health signed a lease to build a state-of-the-art health center on St. Elizabeths East just steps away from the new apartments. Whitman-Walker Health and the Residences at St Elizabeths East joins other project deliveries such as The R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center, Gateway DC pavilion, and the Entertainment and Sports Arena, home of the 2019 World Champion Washington Mystics. Earlier this year, Mayor Bowser also announced that Parcel 15, next to the arena, will be transformed into a vibrant town square destination with retail, housing, and a stand-alone hotel just steps away from the Congress Heights Metro.
Mayor Bowser remains committed to ensuring residents across the income spectrum have access to high-quality, affordable housing. The Fiscal Year 2020 budget includes historic investments in the District’s funds to build and preserve affordable housing – $116 million for the Housing Production Trust Fund (up from $100 million in FY19) and $11.5 million for the Housing Preservation Fund (up from $10 million in FY19). 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 10,000 units of affordable housing since 2015.
The development of the Residences at St. Elizabeths East is a collaboration of DC Government agencies, including DMPED, the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and the DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA). Flaherty & Collins Properties and the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation are the development partners for Residences at St Elizabeths East.
“We’re proud to welcome our first residents to The Residences at St. Elizabeths East,” says David Flaherty, CEO of Flaherty & Collins Properties, who co-developed with property along with Anacostia Economic Development Corporation (AEDC). “A lot of vision, teamwork, and partnership went into making this project a reality and we cannot thank our partners enough for helping bring this fantastic community to Ward 8.”
“This project is another step in making a positive impact on our East of the River community,” says Stan Jackson, President and CEO of AEDC. “With all of the great projects happening here, it connects, activates and enhances the relationship of the campus to the community, creating a shared quality of life experience for all.”
The Mayor was joined at today’s event by new residents, Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, representatives from District agencies, community members, and representatives from the development team.