Nation takes note as D.C.-area churches create affordable housing – Thomson Reuters Foundation – October 4 2018

In the summer of 2017 – after five years of discussions, planning, and making complex financing decisions – APAH began construction to re-develop Arlington Presbyterian Church into Gilliam Place.

The project began in 2012 when Arlington Presbyterian Church approached APAH to create a space that would both provide affordable housing and serve as a place of crossroads and connection for the community. The congregation selected the name Gilliam Place for the new affordable housing development to honor Ronda Gilliam (1906-1970), a church elder who was a steward and visionary in the community.

Read the original and full story from Thomson Reuters Foundation here.

 

Excerpt:
“The movement to convert church properties to social housing has become a “major trend” in the capital region, said Janopaul of the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing. Church-held properties are often large and centrally located, with substantial parking lots, she noted. For local governments looking to develop affordable housing, such properties can be a jackpot.”