(Washington, DC) – On Thursday, May 8 at 11 am, Mayor Muriel Bowser will join community leaders to cut the ribbon on Mary’s House for Older Adults, the first dedicated LGBTQ+ affirming communal living space for seniors in Washington, DC.
Mary’s House offers 15 affordable, apartment-style units designed specifically to support LGBTQ+ seniors through housing, health and wellness programs, and access to community services. The communal space offers a range of shared amenities for residents, including a reception area, rooftop terrace, kitchen, dining space, library, computer room, game and crafting areas, and an exercise room. Outdoor and indoor common areas are designed to foster community, connection, and well-being.
Inspired by her late father’s experience in long-term care, founder Dr. Imani Woody has dedicated more than a decade to making Mary’s House a reality for LGBTQ+ seniors. The plot of land that the housing sits on in Fort Dupont was originally the site of Dr. Woody’s childhood home, and the project is named after her mother.
Mary’s House received nearly $1 million from the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF), the District’s highest impact affordable housing tool. Mayor Bowser recently announced that her Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal will include a $100 million investment into the HPTF to support the production and preservation of affordable housing affordable housing throughout the District. In her ten years as mayor, Mayor Bowser has invested over $1.4 billion in the Housing Production Trust Fund. These historic investments in affordable housing have supported the creation of more than 15,000 affordable homes. In 2015, approximately 9.8% of DC residents lived in affordable housing; today, about 30,000 more residents live in affordable housing, or about 14% of the population.
When:
Thursday, May 8 at 11 am
Who:
Mayor Muriel Bowser
Councilmember Robert White, At-Large
Councilmember Wendell Felder, Ward 7
Charon P.W. Hines, Director, Department of Aging and Community Living
Japer Bowles, Director, Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs
Colleen Green, Director of DC Department of Housing and Community Development
Christopher Donald, Executive Director, DC Housing Finance Agency
Dr. Imani Woody, President and CEO, Mary’s House for Older Adults
Where:
Mary’s House for Older Adults
401 Anacostia Road SE
*Closest Metro Station: Minnesota Avenue Station*
*Closest Bikeshare Station: 34th St & Minnesota Ave SE*
Press interested in attending the event are asked to RSVP to [email protected].
The DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment will provide a live feed of this event. To view the event, visit mayor.dc.gov/live, tune in on Channel 16 (DCN), or watch on Mayor Bowser’s Facebook or X.
Mayor Bowser X: @MayorBowser
Mayor Bowser Instagram: @Mayor_Bowser
Mayor Bowser Facebook: facebook.com/MayorMurielBowser
Mayor Bowser YouTube: https://www.bit.ly/eomvideos