By Southwester Staff
In August, two separate investments in Southwest’s rapidly developing Buzzard Point were announced by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, including new funding for flood protection and affordable housing.
On August 10, Bowser announced $20 million in new funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to strengthen resilience to climate change amid rising sea levels and more frequent and severe natural disasters. The funding was provided through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which helps communities fund mitigation actions to combat climate change and protect communities that are vulnerable to disaster. The DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency submitted several projects for consideration, of which five were selected.
Among the selected DC projects is the District Department of Transportation’s Project Scoping for Living Shoreline in Buzzard Point, which will receive $242,987 in federal funds and $132,013 in local funds. This multi-year project will work to develop comprehensive flood protection along Buzzard Point to reduce building and property damage, as well as protect the area’s transportation infrastructure to maintain its function during and after flood events.
On August 11, Bowser announced an addition of $170 million to the District’s Housing Production Trust Fund to support 11 affordable housing projects. The funds will serve as
gap financing for the projects, in addition to a mix of Local Rent Supplement Vouchers and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The projects will produce 955 net new affordable homes while preserving another 164 homes across the city.
Southwest’s Parcel B Buzzard Point Senior is among the projects to receive additional funds. It will produce 110 net new units of affordable housing, with a majority targeting the District’s lowest income households. The project is a collaboration between Volunteers of America National Services and Hoffman & Associates.