THE JOHN AND JILL KER CONWAY RESIDENCE
Washington, DC
Washington, DC’s first mixed-income supportive housing development, the John and Jill Ker Conway Residence, broke ground in September 2014 and now provides 124 service-enriched, affordable homes for homeless, at risk, and disabled veterans and DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) referrals. The 14-story building is LEED Silver certified and has received numerous architectural awards and the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award.
Developed on land owned by the District of Columbia, the property is located just one-half mile from Union Station, in DC’s popular and rapidly developing NoMa neighborhood. The property location provides accessibility to public transportation, groceries, retail amenities, employment, a public library, a recreation center, and services that help residents thrive.
The co-developers are McCormack Baron Salazar and Community Solutions, a non-profit focused on homeless solutions in communities nationwide. RBC Community Investments syndicated over $9.7 million of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit) equity on the project.
Sixty homes are subsidized through the Veterans Administration Supportive Housing (VASH) program. Seventeen homes are subsidized through a project-based Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP) intended for DBH clients. The VASH and LRSP contracts are administered by the DC Housing Authority headquartered two blocks from the property. The remaining forty-six units were financed by the Housing Credit and serve residents earning less than 60 percent of area median income, plus one unit designated as a manager’s unit.
VASH tenants are supported through case management provided directly by the VA and several local service providers. Services include medical care coordination, mental health assessment and treatment, and drug and alcohol abuse counseling. DBH tenants have case management provided by a DBH-approved agency and similar local services. The property offers counseling and administrative space for the several agencies working on site. Community Solutions have trained staff from the property management firm and the security agency staffing the front desk 24/7.
Learn more about the property grand opening in 2017, including statements from residents and Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro here.
Photos and property details compliments of RBC Community Investments. For more information, contact Craig Wagner, Co-Head and Managing Director, RBC Community Investments.
Learn more about how the Housing Credit serves veterans here.