History

In 1997, DCHA was awarded $20.3 million in HOPE VI funding for a proposal, ranked number one nationwide, to redevelop the largely vacant and uninhabitable 312-unit Valley Green, a public housing development, and Skytower, a 91-unit HUD-foreclosed property acquired by DCHA. 

The redevelopment team, for Valley Green/Skytower was comprised of residents, DCHA and a joint venture of A&R Development Corporation and the Enterprise Social Investment Corporation (ESIC). The HOPE VI funds were leveraged with public and private funds, including public housing funds, low-income housing tax credits and a property disposition grant from FHA, to total approximately $54 million.

Project Summary

The Wheeler Creek of today is a newly constructed 314-unit development consisting of 48 low-income family rental homes and 100 elderly rental apartments, both subsidized by public funds, 32 market-rate rental units, 30 lease/purchase units and 104 homes for purchase.  Amenities include a 13,000 square foot community building and a daycare center to support the needs of residents.  The public housing and market rate units are intermixed and physically indistinguishable from one another. 

The ease with which the respective units were rented or sold provides further support of the mixed-income concept employed at all of the DCHA HOPE VI sites.

Wheeler Creek represents the first of the three properties included in the Gateway Strategy.  The completion of Wheeler Creek, and the subsequent awards of HOPE VI funding for the other two Gateway properties, Henson Ridge and New East Capitol, have sparked significant additional private investment into the community.

Project Highlights

Success of the Wheeler Creek CDC

The Wheeler Creek CDC was formed by Valley Green/Skytower residents as part of the HOPE VI planning process.  Created originally to run the Family Self-Sufficiency Program and assist with asset management, the CDC has since established an on-site business employment agency, Home Buyers Club and Business Training/Family Development/Drug Treatment programs, all funded through over $1 million in non-HOPE VI sources secured by the CDC.  The CDC continues to provide technical assistance to resident organizations participating in HOPE VI projects in other communities who wish to emulate the success of the Wheeler Creek CDC.

Home Ownership Opportunity

Wheeler Creek currently boasts the largest percentage of home ownership units in any completed HOPE VI site nationwide, with 104 units. A total of 11 former public housing residents successfully made the transition to home ownership at the newly redeveloped site, with an additional 30 public housing residents involved in a lease to purchase program.  All other units set aside for home ownership have been purchased.

 Economic Development Activity

The HOPE VI project resulted in individual career employment assessment and skills training for 130 residents and full-time, living-wage employment for 80 people.  Additionally, employment services provided by the Wheeler Creek CDC generated $500,000 for the CDC and resulted in the employment of 65 public housing residents in construction related activity.

      

State of the Art Senior Center

A beautifully constructed 100-unit senior building is located on the Wheeler Creek property.  Amenities include a community room with kitchen facilities, library, pool room and exercise room.

 On Time Completion

Awarded a HOPE VI Grant in 1997, all of Wheeler Creek’s 314 residential units were completed and fully occupied within 48 months of grant execution.

 Awards 

Wheeler Creek was awarded HUD’s Best Practices award in 2000, the Innovations in Government Award sponsored by the Ford Foundation and Harvard University in 2001, Best in American Living Design, HUD Secretary’s Award for Excellence and the National Association of Homebuilders award in 2002.

For more information please call the

Office of Planning and Development at

(202) 535-1445

8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday thru Friday

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