News: (show all)
Dahlgreen Courts Now Leasing
Perseverance Pays off at Dahlgreen Courts
Dahlgreen Court Apartments - Construction Updates
Preserving Affordable Housing in Washington, DC: Dahlgreen Courts
 
Dahlgreen Courts Now Leasing
Monday, October 01, 2012

This beautifully restored historic property is now leasing studio, 1, and 2 bedroom apartments in Washington DC just a short distance from retail shops, CVS Pharmacy, Giant Supermarket, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Foot Locker, Bank of America and the Rhode Island Metro Station. Dahlgreen Court Apartments are close to the major corridors of Rhode Island Ave (US Route 1), North Capital Ave, South Dakota Ave, Michigan Ave & New York Ave (US Route 50).

Dahlgreen Court Apartments offers many conveniences that are intended to make your life more enjoyable.  Get more details on our website: www.dahlgreencourts.com

 
 

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Perseverance Pays off at Dahlgreen Courts
Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Imagine coming home through a torrential downpour after a long day at work, only to find your living room buried under a pile of soggy plaster... falling from your ceiling! Or think what it would be like to hear rats running through the walls in your apartment at night. Every night... for years. You pay your rent every month on time, and you’ve requested repairs from the management company, but nothing changes. You’d move if you could, but in a city of rising rents, you don’t have a lot of options.

Dahlgreen Courts is comprised of two buildings located at
2504 & 2520 10th Street NE, that were originally built in
the 1920's to provide affordable housing for federal
government workers.
Welcome to Dahlgreen Courts Apartments, circa 2003. This is a true story. Mr. Leon Lightfoot, resident since 1999, took some time to talk with me about his experience. “The first year we lived here was terrible. We were dealing with a total lack of repairs in the building. The water damage from the leaking roof softened the plaster walls, creating mold and mildew issues. It also made it easy for the rats living in the walls to get into our apartments. On top of that, the drug activity in the building and the surrounding neighborhood was out of control. That year 2 people were shot in the lobby of this building. One died. The marks from where the bullets grazed the walls were not removed for years....”

Many residents gave up and moved away, but some like Mr. Lightfoot chose to stay and fight. He began to do some research about tenant rights and in 2003, Mr. Lightfoot and fellow resident Mr. Bennett formed the Dahlgreen Courts Tenants Association (DCTA). They began writing letters and making phone calls, then actually started to go down and testify in front of city councilmembers. They recruited other residents to go along and tell their stories. “One day Mr. Bennett found a brick that had fallen from the exterior of the building. He took the brick as an example of the deterioration of the building when he went to testify. That was the beginning of the turnaround. That day, Councilwoman Mary Cheh requested that an inspector meet us at the property to see how bad it was.”

Property Manager April Merrill and long-time 
resident, Leon Lightfoot look forward to 
celebrating the Grand Re-Opening of the
historic Dahlgreen Courts Apartments.

The tenants persisted, drawing media attention from the local news and the Washington Post. Facing extensive court costs and soaring fines, the owners put Dahlgreen Courts up for sale in 2009, giving DCTA the opportunity to purchase the building. Under Mr. Lightfoot and Mr. Bennett’s leadership, DCTA engaged Mission First to help orchestrate the purchase to preserve long term affordability. Thanks to CDBG funds from the DC Department of Housing and Community Development, the acquisition was completed in late in 2010.

The rehabilitation began in 2011. Since the project is comprised of two separate buildings (both less than 50% occupied at the time of the acquisition), residents moved from one building to the other while the other was under construction. In April of this year, building one was completed, allowing Mr. Lightfoot and other residents to move back into their homes. Building two should be completed later this year, and both the residents and management are looking forward to the celebration!

“It was a rocky road to get here, but it’s all worth it now,” says M. Lightfoot. “I’m sitting in a brand new living room with central air! And the best part about it is the new management team. They actually care about us. They are different than any management we’ve had in the past. They listened. They heard us. And they responded.... respectfully and professionally! It’s a beautiful thing.”

Heartfelt thanks to Sarah Constant, Elizabeth Askew, April Merrill, and the rest of the DC team for their dedication and hard work to make this transformation a reality!      
 - Jessica Stackhouse

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Dahlgreen Court Apartments - Construction Updates
Wednesday, May 02, 2012


Dahlgreen Courts Apartments were originally
built in the 1920's to provide affordable
housing for federal government workers.
 In partnership with the Dahlgreen Courts Tenants Association and with funding from the District of Columbia Office of Housing Finance Agency and Raymond James Tax Credit Funds, MFHDC has been able to preserve long term affordability and avoid displacement of residents in two historic buildings (96 units total) located at 2504 & 2520 10th Street NE in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington DC.


Currently, construction is complete on building 1, with building 2 expected to be complete later this fall.  Here are some quick photos of the completed interiors:









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Preserving Affordable Housing in Washington, DC: Dahlgreen Courts
Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Mission First Housing Development Corporation (MFHDC) is working to close on the funding for the rehabilitation of ninety-six units of affordable housing near the red line Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station. In July, MFHDC orchestrated the purchase of Dahlgreen Courts (two buildings, located at 2504 & 2520 10th Street NE) in partnership with the Dahlgreen Courts Tenants Association (DCTA) and the District of Columbia Office of Housing and Community Development. Through these efforts MFHDC is now able to preserve long term affordability and to avoid displacement of residents.

Dahlgreen Courts is an ideal location for affordable housing: it is two blocks from the red line Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station, and one block from the major thoroughfare of Rhode Island Avenue. The two buildings were built in the 1920’s to provide affordable housing for federal government workers. Although they have remained affordable, the buildings are in desperate need of rehabilitation.

MFHDC plans to use low income housing and historic tax credits to help finance the redevelopment of the two buildings. Renovation plans for the building include major upgrades of all systems, including individual HVAC units, new kitchen and bathrooms, energy efficient windows, expanding and adding an elevator, new roofs, and new utilities. This all will occur while preserving and stabilizing the historic elements of the building, including the lobbies, common area travertine floors, unit hardwood floors and molding, and the building façade.

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