October 1st, 2018 | Contact: Elaine Myada, 202-997-1049 or emyada@myadacommunications.com
Fortitude at Delta Towers Breaks Ground to Provide Affordable Housing for Seniors
Mayor Bowser Announces Record $167.6 Million Investment in Affordable Housing in DC
Today, Dantes Partners in partnership with the Gilbane Development Company and Delta Housing Corporation of the District of Columbia (DHCDC) broke ground on Fortitude at Delta Towers, an affordable housing building for seniors and disabled individuals located in Ward 5 along the H Street corridor, adjacent to the existing Delta Towers. DHCDC also announced the name for the new building at the groundbreaking.
“Dantes Partners is committed to developing and preserving affordable housing for residents of the District,” said Buwa Binitie, Managing Principal of Dantes Partners. “This project is vital and will provide housing for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents, seniors and the disabled. We are honored to partner with Delta Housing Corporation and Gilbane Development Company to create affordable housing with Fortitude at Delta Towers.”
At the groundbreaking, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the city has committed and will invest a record $167.6 million for affordable housing in the fiscal year 2018 from the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF). HPTF provides funding for projects that will create or preserve affordable housing for Washingtonians. The Delta Towers project will receive $23.3 million in HPTF funds and will produce 30 additional units to increase capacity from 149 units to 179 units for seniors, including 18 permanent supportive housing (PSH) units.
“We have committed to spend more money on affordable housing in the District and will spend $168 million dollars,” said Mayor Bowser. “What kind of city would we be if we weren’t focused on making sure that our families and seniors could not afford to live and stay here. We’re also making tax changes for single family home owners and safe at home programs to make peoples’ homes safe.”
“DHCDC identified a lack of affordable housing in the District for seniors and persons with disabilities, and took action to fill that void,” said Katrina Jones, Board Member of DHCDC and chair of the organization’s Development Committee. “Fortitude at Delta Towers represents DHCDC’s continued commitment to serving the Washington D.C. community and its dedication to public service.”
Fortitude at Delta Towers is the second building of its kind to be developed by DHCDC. In 1979, DHCDC constructed Delta Towers, a 149-unit independent living housing development for seniors or disabled individuals. The new building will replace the existing units while adding 30 more affordable units. Eighteen of the new units will be permanent supportive housing for seniors.
The building will include new features and amenities designed to foster social interaction, including a community room, computer access, and a fitness center. In addition, the development will include 4,300 square feet of ground floor retail. The building is expected to be completed in the fall of 2020.
“We committed to redeveloping Delta Towers in a way that creates the types of housing and resources the community needs – and that includes safe and affordable apartments for seniors,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Brian Kenner.
The groundbreaking of Fortitude at Delta Towers marked the second such event for Dantes Partners in eight days. Last week, Dantes Partners, which is part of the Voltron Community Partners team including Menkiti Group, Spectrum Management, and Bailey Holdings, broke ground at Capitol Vista, a 104-unit affordable housing community for families and individuals in Ward 6. Capitol Vista is a located in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood at 810 New Jersey Avenue N.W. The development will include 3,200 square feet of ground floor retail space and significant public space improvement such as a fitness center, conference room, roof terrace and clubroom. The development will open its doors in the 3rd quarter of 2020.
Both the Capitol Vista and Delta Towers groundbreakings were part of Mayor Bowser’s week-long celebration of #RootstoRoofs Housing Week, a series of events highlighting the city’s progress in creating and preserving affordable housing options across the District.
About Dantes Partners
Dantes Partners’ goal is to facilitate and enhance local urban economic development by designing and structuring innovative funding and financing solutions for affordable, workforce, and mixed-income housing and community-based real estate initiatives. Our success is driven by our technical expertise and our ability to extract value in even the most complex transactions – attributes that position us as leaders in the future of the unconventional financing landscape.
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