On Friday, July 24, Jubilee Housing, along with Washington DC residents, city officials, financiers, and community groups, gathered to celebrate the renovation of the Ontario Court building located in the Adams Morgan section. The renovation will keep the apartment building affordable for families making as little as $19,000 a year.
The 29,700 square foot Ontario Court building is home to 27 residential units and a 4,000 square foot program space used by Jubilee JumpStart, an accredited early childhood education nonprofit that supports infants, toddlers, and preschool students in Jubilee Housing and the broader Adams Morgan community.
The $1.4 million renovation includes improvements such as ramp access into the building, five handicapped-accessible units, new hardwood floors, lighting, kitchen upgrades, and solar panels on the roof that will defray utilities costs (Ontario Court is one of the first affordable housing developments in DC to have them).
“We are so pleased by this renovation,” said Jim Knight, president of Jubilee Housing. “Not only does it guarantee a place in the neighborhood for another generation of families, but it creates new opportunities for those who are handicapped and makes Ontario Court a part of the greening of the city. We are grateful to our partners for their creativity and expertise in making this project work.”
The redevelopment was made possible through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, a federal subsidy for affordable housing rental projects. Key financing partners included United Bank, R4 Capital, DC Housing Finance Agency, DC Department of Housing and Community Development, DC Housing Authority, and the Corporation for Supportive Housing. Bonstra Haresign was the architect for the renovations and Monarc Construction was the general contractor.
Ontario Court’s rehab maintains it as part of Jubilee Housing’s stock of affordable housing in Adams Morgan. By utilizing innovative funding leveraging private and low-income tax credit financing, Jubilee Housing is not only providing needed affordable housing in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, but moving the District toward a more handicapped accessible and environmentally sustainable future.
