(Washington, DC) The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development announces the release of its 8th Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of 37 properties in Ivy City as part of the Home Again Initiative. This RFP marks the largest concentration of formerly vacant and abandoned property made available in any one neighborhood since the inception of Home Again four years ago.
At least 50% of the units produced will be affordable, with special emphasis on units affordable to buyers who earn below 50% of the Area Median Income. The RFP also allows for developers to propose alternative homeownership models, such as limited equity co-operatives and longer periods of affordability ranging from 25 to 99 years. The District has allocated up to $3 million in public subsidy to assist developers in meeting the affordability requirement.
“This Request for Proposal is the result of a collaborative and inclusive process with the community,” says Stanley Jackson, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. “The result is an RFP that strikes a desirable balance by providing unprecedented affordability for a neighborhood revitalization project of this type while creating more opportunities for workforce housing for teachers, police officers, and workers in the hospitality industry.”
For more than six months, Home Again worked with residents and the Ivy City Task Force to address neighborhood concerns, including parking and transportation-related issues. An urban design consultant was hired and conducted a community design workshop, which led to the creation of the community design guidelines of preferred development options for each of the properties offered in the RFP.
The RFP also encourages the use of high performing, green building technologies in the development of the new housing units. The DC Office of Planning will make available technical assistance with implementing green building technologies to the selected developer(s).
Responses to the RFP from developers who are pre-qualified to participate in the Home Again Initiative are due by noon March 31, 2006.
About Home Again
Home Again is designed to stabilize neighborhoods by removing blight and creating more affordable housing opportunities. To address this challenge, Home Again has two goals: 1) Encourage property owners to rehabilitate and/or occupy their vacant and abandoned residential property; and 2) Acquire, dispose of, and rehabilitate properties when owners fail to maintain them. Since its start in January 2002, Home Again’s efforts have resulted in over 350 formerly vacant and abandoned properties being rehabilitated.
Developers must be pre-qualified in order to participate in the program. Interested in becoming a pre-qualified developer? Contact Home Again at (202) 478-1355 or visit their website.
