Greetings Washingtonians,
I was honored to join Mayor Muriel Bowser and other public and private sector stakeholders on May 10 to witness her signing a Mayoral Order that will advance her bold affordable housing vision.
In this order, she charges DHCD and other District agencies to identify new policies, tools, and initiatives to begin fulfilling her goal of creating 36,000 new housing units, 12,000 of them affordable, by 2025.
This was not a staid ceremony in a boardroom; we celebrated the order’s signing at an Invest in Housing Rally in Ward 7, on the site of a future workforce housing project. There, complete with signs, music and pomp poms, stakeholders and community members showed support for the housing investments in the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget.
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A few days later, the Mayor stressed the importance of those investments at a celebration outside of the Beltway—a summit by the Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County. There, the Mayor accepted the Robert C. Weaver Award for her efforts to promote affordable housing. In her remarks, she reiterated that her budget creates new tools to address housing challenges, and Washingtonians are relying on the DC Council to fund them.
But as it stands now, the DC Council would significantly slash the Mayor’s plan. If you understand that being a Housing First City means increasing our investments in housing, there’s still time to share your feelings with Councilmembers before May 28. One example you can use is this Marketwatch article that spotlights how resources like the Preservation Fund and the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF) are critical tools for funding affordable housing projects.
Polly Donaldson, DHCD Director
Follow me on Twitter: @maryrandolph
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 The District Is One Step Closer to Using DOPA
To Preserve Affordable Housing
Mayor Bowser announced on May 3 that her Administration is one step closer to using its authority under the District Opportunity to Purchase Act (DOPA) to preserve more affordable housing for Washingtonians. DHCD released a list of 40 pre-qualified developers to which the Mayor may assign the District’s purchase right.
Under DOPA, which generally runs parallel to the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), the District government reviews sale offers for eligible properties, and subsequent DOPA notices, to determine if the property likely qualifies for DOPA. If the Mayor submits a Statement of Interest to the seller and tenants of DOPA-eligible properties, DHCD will also issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) that the pre-qualified developers will respond to. If tenants have been unable or have chosen not to exercise their TOPA rights and DHCD receives acceptable responses from pre-qualified developers, it will select the most qualified proposal. The developer-assignee then has a certain time period to negotiate a purchase agreement under DOPA.
 Mayor Bowser Delivers 549 Preserved and Renovated Affordable Units to Ward 7 Families
On May 15, Mayor Bowser and Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray cut the ribbon at the Fort Chaplin Park Apartments, a preservation project in the Benning neighborhood of Ward 7, delivering 549 mostly family-sized units for low- to moderate-income households. The project is a result of tenants invoking their TOPA rights and working with a developer to expand the property’s affordability. It is the largest tax-exempt bond, preservation deal in the District’s history.
Fort Chaplin Park, located at 4212 East Capitol Street NE, was previously only 70 percent affordable—without a long-term affordability restriction—and in need of substantive repair. After invoking TOPA, the Chaplin Hope Tenant Association selected Standard Communities as their development partner. Together, they implemented a $94 million acquisition and renovation plan financed with $61 million in tax-exempt debt issued by the DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA), and $30.2 million in 4 percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs). DHCD acted as official tax credit administrator.
Through the redevelopment, the community became 100 percent affordable—all 549 units are designated for households making no more than $54,300 (60 percent of the Median Family Income [MFI])—and maintains that affordability for at least 30 years. The unit mix also includes 130 D.C. Housing Choice Vouchers and Section 8 Rental subsidies for 72 units.
 Family-Sized Housing Delivered in Congress Heights
In late April, Mayor Bowser celebrated the opening of the first 70 rehabilitated affordable housing units at Parkway Overlook Apartments in Congress Heights in Ward 8. At completion, the complex, which has been vacant since 2007, will have 220 units for households earning up to $58,600 (50 percent MFI).
The $82.2 million rehabilitation project, located at 2841 Robinson Place SE, will be comprised of 53 one-bedrooms, 108 two-bedrooms, and 59 three-bedroom apartments to accommodate a variety of family sizes. The project also includes 13 units accessible to individuals with disabilities, workforce development training, and energy savings with the installation of solar panels through the District’s Solar for All program.
This effort in affordable housing preservation was made possible through the collaboration of four agencies: DCHA, DCHFA, the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) and DHCD, which provided $20.1 million in HPTF financing.
 Maplewood Courts Welcomes Home Residents
Director Donaldson gave remarks at May 9 ribbon cutting of Maplewood Courts, 2306 Hartford Street SE in the Garfield Heights neighborhood of Ward 8.
Maplewood Courts provides 94 units of affordable housing, with 10 units for households at or below $33,090 (30 percent MFI), with the balance for households at or below $55,150 (50 percent MFI). Vesta Corporation is the developer.
Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White praised DHCD for its $6.7 million HPTF investment in the project. Marvin Turner, who heads HUD's Mid-Atlantic office, used the occasion to praise Mayor Bowser's affordable housing leadership, noting that the District has the lowest rate of homelessness he’s ever seen during his tenure.
Celebrating Small Business Week
DHCD partnered with several local organizations to recognize, celebrate, and promote small businesses around the city as part of National Small Business Week, May 5-11, 2019.
DHCD was a member of the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED) DC Small Business Week Committee and kicked off the week at a celebratory program that honored Bus Boys and Poets owner Andy Shallal. Director Donaldson spoke to get businesses fired up for the week’s events. Other ways that DHCD celebrated small businesses included:
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The 4th Annual POWERUP DC. DHCD was a Silver Sponsor for this event, which focused on one of the greatest needs of entrepreneurs: access to capital to start, grow, and prosper. Ed Davis, DHCD’s Neighborhood Based Activities Programs Manager, was a panelist speaking on “Accelerating Capacity for Non-Profits Grant Funding: Relationships and Relevance.” DHCD also had a resource table where we distributed information on our small business technical assistance (SBTA) and storefront façade improvement programs.
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Mayor Bowser’s Citywide Resource and Empowerment Expo: Find Your Future. This event helped shine the light on the many community-based services throughout the District, while offering attendees the opportunity to network. Our IZ and Residential and Community Services Division (RCSD) team staffed our resource table.
2019 Small Business & Economic Development Summit. Sponsored by the DC Chamber of Commerce, this event was designed to connect and showcase organizations and companies in the Washington, DC business community. DHCD was an exhibitor.
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SBTA CBO Wacif Is Nonprofit of the Year. The Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif) was recently named the 2019 Nonprofit Organization of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce and the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD). Wacif is a DHCD-funded community-based organization (CBO) that offers SBTA. It received the honor during National Small Business Week for its achievements in providing financial services to low-income communities and people who lack access to financing. The award also recognized Wacif’s role in expanding economic opportunities and investing in equitable approaches across the District.
Tiny House in Action Team Was Finalist for Cafritz Awards. A team of public and private-sector partners who worked on the Vacant to Vibrant DC initiative, Tiny House in Action, was one of the six team innovation finalists for The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Awards for Distinguished DC Government Employees. Each year, the Cafritz Awards recognize and reward outstanding performance and exemplary service by District government employees. The Team Innovation Award is designed to honor the achievements of work units, groups, or teams in one or multiple agencies. Although not chosen as the final winner, the Tiny House team will be given a certificate of recognition at the 18th Annual Cafritz Awards Gala on June 20. Congratulations to the team: From DHCD: Latrena Owens, Michael Woodson, Stanley Fields and Chantese Rodgers. From the DC Students Construction Trades Foundation: Paula Ralph. From the Academy of Construction and Design at IDEA Public Charter School: Shelly Karriem and Dennis Chestnut. From CAUSES at UDC: James Killette. From DOEE: Lauren Linville.
CBO Head Named as One of Major Influencers in Hispanic Community. Marla Bilonick, executive director of the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), was named by El Tiempo Latino as one of the 100 most influential people for the Hispanic community in the Washington metropolitan area.
TOPA Tenants Celebrate Start of Construction. The first phase of construction to preserve 43 units of affordable housing at the Luzon, 6323 Cooperative, in the Brightwood neighborhood of Ward 4, is well under way. Cooperative members invoked their TOPA rights to purchase their building in 2016 with the support of Mi Casa, Inc. and DHCD. In about three months, the full building renovation will begin.
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