Ground Breaks in Alexandria for New Carpenter’s Shelter and Bloom Affordable Apartments
Governor Ralph Northam, Congressman Don Beyer, Alexandria City officials break ground on new affordable apartments with Alexandria Housing Development Corporation and Carpenter’s Shelter
Alexandria Housing Development Corporation (AHDC) broke ground on their new development, The Bloom and Carpenter’s Shelter, today at 3:00 PM. Governor Ralph Northam, Congressman Don Beyer, and several city representatives dug shovels into the future. This development will replace the current Carpenter’s Shelter building at 930 North Henry Street.
The development will add 97 units of affordable housing to the Braddock Road Metro neighborhood, in addition to constructing a new, purpose-built shelter for local non-profit Carpenter’s Shelter. The shared building will also include underground parking, a 1,600 square foot produce garden, a playground, and community gathering spaces. Construction is expected to be completed in 2020.
The one, two, and three-bedroom apartment units will be reserved for households making less than 60% of the Area Median Income, or no more than $70,320 for a family of four. The Bloom will also have 10 Permanent Supportive Housing units for former Carpenter’s Shelter residents who are ready to transition out of the shelter but continue to require wrap-around services like employment counselling from Carpenter’s Shelter.
Adding affordable housing and preserving the shelter in this high-opportunity neighborhood are critical priorities at this time. As this area rapidly adds luxury rate housing, The Bloom and Carpenter’s Shelter will create space for lower-income households to continue to access the Braddock Road neighborhood’s amenities – easy access to the Metro, convenient post office, health, and grocery resources, and community locations such as the Charles Houston Rec Center.
