The first residents have moved into Mary’s House, an LGBTQ-affirming housing community for seniors in Washington, D.C.
Developed by Mary’s House for Older Adults (MHFOA) and Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures (NREUV), the 15-unit complex was built to provide a safe and affordable housing environment for people 62 and older as they age.
It is challenging to secure housing for people who are older and LGBTQ/SGL [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same-gender-loving], says MHFOA president and CEO Imani Woody.
“With the opening of Mary’s House, LGBTQ/SGL elders no longer have to fear discrimination and bullying,” she says. “They now have access to a safe and inclusive environment in which to age.”
The development sits on the site of her childhood home. Woody was driven to establish Mary’s House after her father spent time in nursing facility. Her urgency grew after she learned that a gay friend died alone in an upscale retirement community, his body not discovered for five days.
Located in the Fort Dupont neighborhood, Mary’s House was completed in January with three units for individuals earning 30% of area median income (AMI), 10 units for residents at 50% of the AMI, and two units for residents at 60% of the AMI.
It is one of only a few LGBTQ/SGL-affirming affordable housing developments for seniors in the country.
In addition to the single-occupancy residential units, the development features 5,000 square feet of communal living space. The ground level includes common spaces such as a reception area, a great room, a porch, a kitchen, dining, a living room, and administrative offices. The upper two levels include a library and computer room, a game and crafting room, as well as common areas for storage, seating, and laundry facilities. Several amenities at the basement level include an exercise room, a quiet room, and a community meeting space.
Much of the building is shared space so it can operate like a house and allow residents to connect, says Gina Merritt, principal and founder of NREUV.
This is important for older LGBTQ/SGL individuals because they often face social isolation, according to supporters.
City leaders helped connect the project partners. Woody brought her vision and community relationships, and Merritt had the development and financing expertise to make Mary’s House a reality.
The development is important to Woody and the residents, but it’s also significant for Merritt. For two decades, she’s completed a number of notable developments on behalf of other companies, but Mary’s House is her first as both lead developer and an owner.
That’s a milestone for her company as it moves to the next level.
For Mary’s House, Merritt worked with a number of important partners. The development received approximately $11.7 million in low-income housing tax credit equity from Goldman Sachs and the National Affordable Housing Trust; a $2.2 million construction loan from Capital Impact Partners; and a $995,000 bridge loan from the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).
Predevelopment funding was provided by Enterprise Community Partners, DHCD, District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency, and National Housing Trust.
Merritt and her firm have also benefited from Wells Fargo and its Growing Diverse Housing Developers program, which provides capital and other support to developers of color.
Other project partners include Hamel Builders, Waldon Studios, Clark I Azar, CID Engineering, ZHG, Engineering Design Group, CDKM Consulting, Emotive Architects, MOI, and Compass Design & Development.
Like many other recent projects, Mary’s House was challenged by rising costs. Fortunately, the many partners worked to pull together enough resources, according to Merritt, who praises the D.C. government for its support.
The team faced another challenge when it discovered public utility lines running through the property that had been put in years ago but not been recorded, according to Merritt. As a result, those utility lines had to be relocated.
It was another step in a journey that has taken more than a decade.
Now that their project has been completed, the developers hope to replicate Mary’s House in other communities in the D.C. area and beyond.
