(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, Mayor Vincent C. Gray, other government officials and representatives of the development and financing teams celebrated the groundbreaking of The SeVerna on K – a residential housing development that will provide affordable rental housing as part of the Northwest One New Communities Initiative. The development will further the District’s economic-development efforts in Ward 6, and it follows other recent improvements to the neighborhood – such as the development of The SeVerna (Phase I) and the ongoing construction of 2M Street.
“As I said earlier this month in my State of the District Address, one of my top priorities is providing affordable housing to ensure that every resident in the District of Columbia has a safe, clean and reasonably priced place to live,” said Mayor Gray. “This latest part of the Northwest One New Communities Initiative underscores the District government’s commitment to improving the quality of life, the availability of housing and the convenience of amenities here in Ward 6 and across all eight of our wards.”
Mayor Gray was joined for the groundbreaking by District agency leaders, including Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) Victor Hoskins, D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Director Michael Kelly, and D.C. Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) Director Harry Sewell. Other participants included members of The Severna on K development team (Golden Rule Apartments, Inc.; Mission First Housing Development Corporation; and The Henson Development Company) and financing partners (Bank of America Merrill Lynch and PNC Bank, including PNC Regional President and D.C. Workforce Investment Council Chair Michael Harreld).
“The New Communities Initiative is seeking to provide some of the District’s most viable affordable housing solutions while knitting together the fabric of community,” said Deputy Mayor Hoskins. “The SeVerna on K will provide more than 130 new homes here in the Northwest One New Community, and its unit count is one we hope to match in many more housing developments to come thanks to the Mayor’s newest financial commitment to affordable housing. A 10,000 unit commitment is one we are capable of accomplishing thanks to the Mayor’s $100 million budget allocation, in addition to the collaborative spirit among District agencies and found throughout the private sector.”
The SeVerna on K construction is Phase II of The SeVerna development project. Sustained by $35 million in bond, grant and tax-credit financing through DCHFA, DHCD and DMPED, and private financing, the SeVerna on K represents a significant District investment in affordable housing and its commitment to the Northwest One New Communities Initiative. This second phase of the project will feature a total of 133 housing units. The project is part of the over $2.4 billion worth of District-affiliated projects currently under construction across the city, creating thousands of construction jobs and permanent jobs.
The Northwest One New Communities project currently consists of The SeVerna (Phase I), The SeVerna on K (Phase II) and 2M Street as well as the Walker-Jones Education Campus. Additional information on The SeVerna can be found via the website of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development here.
The New Communities Initiative is a comprehensive public-private partnership designed to improve the quality of life for families and individuals living in four District neighborhoods: Northwest One (Ward 6), Barry Farm (Ward 8), Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings (Ward 7), and Park Morton (Ward 1). Goals of the program include protecting and expanding affordable housing, promoting mixed-income communities and engaging residents in the decision-making process and design of their communities. For more information on the New Communities Initiative, please click here.
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Media Contacts
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