The 60,000-square-foot site will create 52 units of deeply affordable housing and an innovative aquaponics farm
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — On September 20, Jubilee Housing closed on Ontario Place, its new development at 2400 Ontario Road NW in Adams Morgan. The development converts four parcels of vacant commercial properties into a single site featuring 52 units of affordable housing plus an innovative rooftop aquaponics farm that will produce fresh produce for residents and the wider community. A groundbreaking ceremony was held September 13 in anticipation of the closing.
“Very few things of lasting importance in this life happen without a dream to fuel them,” said Jim Knight, President & CEO of Jubilee Housing. “Our dream has been simple, albeit elusive — to create a place where families facing the greatest barriers to thriving could build or rebuild their lives in safe and supportive housing with access to fresh food, jobs, and services.”
Acquisition of the site was one the first investments supported by Jubilee’s Justice Housing Partners Fund, a social impact fund providing quick-strike acquisition capital that enables Jubilee to better engage in a competitive real estate market. Ontario Place will follow Jubilee’s Justice Housing® model, which couples deeply affordable housing with onsite and nearby supportive services in high-opportunity D.C. neighborhoods. Units will be reserved for households earning 30%, 40%, and 50% of the Family Median Income (FMI). Guided by research that indicates zip code may be the single biggest predictor for children’s future success, Jubilee has committed half of the units as 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units to address a citywide need for affordable family-size apartments.
Ontario Place also brings the D.C. region its first affordable-housing-based aquaponics farm, designed in partnership with Florida-based nonprofit FreshMinistries. It is expected to produce around 13,000 fresh fruits and vegetables per month, which will be offered to Ontario Place residents, at a community kitchen expected at Jubilee’s King Emmanuel Baptist Church (KEB) project next door, and to the wider Jubilee community. Surplus produce will be sold at market to limit food waste and offset program costs. The farm, alongside the KEB community kitchen, will be the site of workforce training programs for residents and community members.
“It’s almost too good to be true, being able to provide quality food on a consistent basis in a place with limited resources is invaluable,” said Fresh Ministries Founder, Chairman and CEO Rev. Dr. Robert V. Lee III.
Ontario Place also builds on Jubilee’s successful Reentry program, founded in 2011. A portion of the units at Ontario Place will expand Jubilee’s long-term housing and services for returning citizens who have reached stability and are seeking an environment that supports their continued well-being. As Jubilee’s current long-term units for returning citizens are efficiencies, Ontario Place’s family size units are expected to provide a greater ability for Jubilee to welcome reunified families.
Evaluation of Ontario Place’s impact was provided by Georgetown University’s Steers Center for Global Real Estate. The development is anticipated to generate approximately $750,000 per year in wages from jobs associated with the aquaponics farm and approximately $900,000 per year in cost savings for the District in reduced recidivism and reduced health emergencies, totaling approximately $16M in 10 years.
Acquisition financing for Ontario Place was made possible by United Bank; the Local Initiatives Support Corporation; and the Justice Housing Partners Fund. Rehabilitation and permanent financing was provided by D.C. Green Bank, D.C. Housing Authority, D.C. Housing Finance Agency, D.C Department of Housing and Community Development, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Red Stone Equity Partners, and RiseImpact Capital. Philanthropic support was provided in part by the William S. Abell Foundation, Diane and Norman Bernstein Foundation, Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, District Social Justice Fund, and Jim Marsh, Jr. Additional project partners include PGN Architects, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Troutman Pepper, Goulston & Storrs, Holland & Knight, Rosewood Strategies, Montage Development Group, and EquityPlus.
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About Jubilee Housing
Jubilee Housing builds diverse, compassionate communities that create opportunities for everyone to thrive. We do this by building justice through housing — Justice Housing®. Homes are deeply affordable for families with low incomes and those facing the greatest barriers to housing, have onsite and nearby services to address additional systemic barriers to thriving beyond housing, and are located in resource-rich neighborhoods with access to high-performing schools, transit, grocery stores, and employment. For more information, visit www.jubileehousing.org.