Monday, April 11, 2011

Manna, Inc., Holds Groundbreaking for New Affordable Housing in Washington, D.C.

by Erin Angell Collins, Deputy Media Relations Manager, NeighborWorks America




Front Row (L to R): George Rothman,

Oramenta Newsome (Washington DC LISC),

Mayor Vincent Gray, Diana Meyer (Citibank),
Lawanda Prather (future Bexhill homeowner)

Back row (L to R): Jack Gilbert (Community Housing Capital),

District Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. (Ward 5-D), Chris Helmers,

Rev. Jim Dickerson (Manna Founder), Robert Trent (DHCD),

Jacqueline Manning (Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner);


Today Manna, Inc., a member of the NeighborWorks network and Washington, D.C.'s leading developer and builder of for-sale housing for low-income individuals, celebrated the groundbreaking of the Bexhill Townhome Condominiums, part of the District of Columbia's Ivy City Initiative. Upon completion, the Bexhill will feature 20 new townhouse condos, ranging from 2-4 bedrooms and one-and two-levels.

The groundbreaking featured several speakers including The Honorable Vincent Gray, mayor of the District of Columbia; George Rothman, Manna, Inc.; Rev. Jim Dickerson, Manna, Inc., Robert Trent, Department of Housing and Community Development (D.C.); Jack Gilbert, Community Housing Capital, Diana Meyer and Courtney Ward, Citibank/Citi Foundation; Stephen Briggs, Wells Fargo; and Tim Adams, NeighborWorks America, among others.

The Ivy City demonstration project is a redevelopment initiative designed to increase the number of quality affordable housing opportunities for families in Ward 5 of the District of Columbia. As with any Manna project, the Bexhill Condominiums would not have been possible without the support of others. Manna has been fortunate to receive substantial support from financial institutions, including Citi Foundation's Partners in Progress award and Wells Fargo Housing Foundation's Leading the Way Home Priority Markets award. Financing for the Bexhill is being provided by Community Housing Capital, a direct lender to the NeighborWorks network.