(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the completion of four family-sized affordable townhomes at 8th and T Streets, NW in the Shaw neighborhood of Ward 1. The homes sit on a formerly vacant lot transformed with the help of MANNA, Inc. through the Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) Vacant to Vibrant initiative – a program to turn vacant and blighted properties in the agency’s portfolio into productive uses.
“If we are going to achieve our goal of creating 36,000 new homes by 2025, we must find new ways to build and preserve affordable housing in every corner of our city,” said Mayor Bowser. “The investments we’re making through our Vacant to Vibrant program are turning unproductive sites – whether they are vacant, blighted, or just empty – into housing for DC residents. It’s not enough to just say we need more housing – we’ve got to have a plan in place to make that happen.”
The 8th and T Streets, NW townhomes were constructed by MANNA, Inc. a nonprofit developer of affordable housing. The four family-sized units have three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms each, measuring 1,300 to 1,500 square feet. MANNA, Inc. acquired the vacant lot from DHCD and financed the construction, with over $500,000 from the Housing Production Trust Fund, as well as bank financing. The property will be designated for first-time homebuyers earning between $58,600 – $93,760 (50% and 80% of Median Family Income) and remain affordable for 15 years.
“MANNA has been on the front lines of affordable housing creation in the District for decades and they have brought the life-changing experience of home ownership to so many of my Ward 1 constituents,” said Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau. “This is exactly the kind of neighborhood that needs more affordable housing. It’s a place where real estate values have skyrocketed and it sits at the center of public transit and services that new residents need. Today is an exciting day for all of us who are working hard to bring more affordable housing to the District.”
In December 2017, Mayor Bowser launched the Vacant to Vibrant initiative, a five-point action plan designed to transformed blighted and vacant properties into productive uses. To date, the initiative has auctioned approximately 40 sites in two auctions to create affordable housing, as well as expanded and preserved green space.