93 Units of Affordable Senior Housing Apartments Break Ground in Upper Northwest Washington

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser joins Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home and Urban Atlantic to celebrate expanded senior care capacity and affordable housing options in D.C.’s Ward 3.

**Lisner Aerial View 93 Units Affordable Senior Apartments, Renderings Courtesy** **Wiencek and Associates Architects**

(Washington, D.C.—October 25, 2023) – D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser today joined the premier senior care nonprofit Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home (LLDHH) and Urban Atlantic Development in celebrating a groundbreaking for construction of 93 units of affordable senior living apartments in Upper Northwest Washington. The milestone also begins a renovation of an existing assisted living building that has been uninhabitable since a 2020 flood. These two projects advance the Home’s vision to create a single-campus community of continuing care for low- and modest- income seniors that enables residents to move seamlessly between housing environments as needs change.

“We know that reaching our bold housing goals requires a citywide vision and a commitment to building affordable housing in all parts of Washington, DC,” said Mayor Bowser. “We’re proud that through this historic investment from the Housing Production Trust Fund, we will be creating 93 new units of senior affordable housing in Ward 3. We’re grateful to all the government and community partners who are making this project a reality and continuing the Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home’s legacy of serving DC seniors.”

The 93 units of senior housing represent the Ward 3 neighborhood’s first affordable housing to be built in Ward 3 in many years, and has been warmly welcomed by the community, D.C. Councilmember Matthew Frumin, and neighboring Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.

“We are thrilled that our dream of a continuing care community for the city’s most vulnerable seniors will soon become a reality,” said L. Ward Orem, CEO of the Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home. “The new affordable senior living apartments, along with the assisted living building renovation, will transform the lives of the seniors we serve for generations to come.”

“I have a long history with Lisner, and I could not be prouder of its leadership in moving forward the first-ever Housing Production Trust Fund project in Ward 3", said Councilmember Matthew Frumin. "It is critical we add more housing –– especially affordable housing –– in Ward 3. This project shows that we can construct abundant, affordable housing in a way that meets important needs and is respectful of the neighbors. Achieving these goals takes hard work, but with today’s groundbreaking, Lisner, Urban Atlantic and Mayor Bowser and her team have shown again that it can be done in Ward 3."

The project is financed through D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development’s Housing Production Trust Fund, federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and D.C. Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) bonds. Boston Financial Investment Management and Rise Impact Capital provided equity investment. Capital One Community Finance, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, and D.C. Green Bank provided debt financing. A gift from Amazon Housing Equity Fund supports renovation of the existing building.

“Urban Atlantic is honored to serve as the development partner with this extraordinary LLDHH team. We are particularly gratified by the embrace of neighbors who are setting a national precedent of support for affordable housing in their community,” said Vicki Davis, Managing Partner at Urban Atlantic.

Designed by Wiencek and Associates Architects, the 93 one-bedroom units include 41 units at 50% of MFI, or residents with an income of $53,250 for a one-person household, and 52 units at 0-30% MFI, or residents with a maximum annual income of $31,950.

With convenient access to Metro, restaurants and shopping, common areas at the new complex will feature a computer center, salon, hobby room, fitness center, outdoor patio areas and extensively landscaped grounds to complement the surrounding bucolic neighborhood. Each unit will have a washer and dryer, center island, microwave, and spacious walk-in closet. Renovations to the 1940s-era building will support private assisted living with kitchenettes and bathrooms, accessibility components for resident independence, and innovative green/sustainable elements for energy efficiency and improved air quality.

Consistently recognized among the “Best Nursing Homes'' by U.S. News and World Report and carrying the highest rating from the Federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare, LLDHH has provided housing options for low- and modest-income seniors in the District for more than 80 years. LLDHH is known for excellent resident care and strong bonds with neighbors and volunteers who provide financial support and a caring and stable workforce.

Notable Quotes

"As the senior population is growing amidst the nationwide affordable housing shortage, there is a need for safe, stable and affordable housing that centers around senior residents' needs," said Ed Delany, Senior Capital Officer for Community Finance at Capital One. "Capital One is pleased to support the expansion of Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home in DC's Friendship Heights neighborhood -- funding the development of more than 90 units of affordable seniors housing -- through a construction loan and low income housing tax credit equity investment."

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to help the Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home increase access to affordable housing for low- and moderate-income seniors with our support of the renovation,” said Senthil Sankaran, Managing Principal, The Amazon Housing Equity Fund. “Amazon is committed to partnering with organizations like LLDHH to address the critical need for affordable housing across our communities, and is pleased to help preserve and create new affordable housing in high cost/high opportunity areas like Ward 3 of the District of Columbia.”

"DC Green Bank is proud to support transformative projects like the Lisner Senior Independent Living Facility,” said Trisha Miller, CEO, DC Green Bank. “This green investment represents climate solutions in action, and it will deliver affordable and sustainable housing for seniors in our community.”

“We are grateful to our development partner Urban Atlantic Development and our public and private financing partners including DHCD, DCHFA, and Amazon, plus the many donors. community members, volunteers and supporters who have helped us bring this independent and affordable senior living facility to this historic moment, said Susan Hargreaves, Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home. “We will continue to be grateful to those who do or will provide financial support necessary to meet the full cost of the assisted living building renovation. And we are grateful to our incredible staff who every day advance our mission to care for residents.”

About the Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home

The mission of the Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home is to provide extraordinary health and life care services to low- and modest-income seniors of the District of Columbia, empowering them to live their lives to the fullest. The Home is one of the oldest, continuous-serving long term care facilities in Washington, D.C., and has been in operation for more than 80 years. Our commitment to providing superior care for some of the most at-risk individuals of the nation’s capital and our delivery of such care every single day marks us as an institution which brings a legacy of service to at-risk senior citizens of DC which is perhaps unparalleled. The Home is licensed by the District of Columbia as an assisted living residence (ALR) and a skilled nursing facility (SNF) and is recognized as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service. Visit www.lldhhome.org for more information.

About Urban Atlantic

Since its founding in 1998, Urban Atlantic has established a strong track record of successfully investing and developing in inclusive, large-scale, mixed-income TOD communities exceeding 10,000 residential units and three million square-feet of commercial. Headquartered in the Washington metro area, the firm’s portfolio includes over $3 billion in completed real estate developments. Additionally, Urban Atlantic’s third-party investments have leveraged over $2 billion in real estate developments and operating businesses in emerging markets. Visit www.urban-atlantic.com for more information.