DC Green Bank is proud to announce the closing of $3 million in financing to improve the energy efficiency of a new building in the Barry Farm redevelopment in Ward 8. The new building, The Edmonson, will be all-electric and seek Passive House certification, one of the highest standards for green buildings, and will deliver 139 new permanently affordable sustainable housing units.
The project is financed through a unique collaboration by the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, DC Green Bank, JPMorgan Chase, DC Housing Finance Agency, and the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, and co-developed by Preservation of Affordable Housing and the District of Columbia Housing Authority.
DC Green Bank’s financing will support the installation of a geothermal heat pump – a highly efficient heating and cooling system that will cut utility costs and increase climate resiliency for the community by reducing reliance on the electric grid. The geothermal system also has the potential to serve future construction projects in the redevelopment of the community, benefiting future residents. The building will also include a rooftop solar system and several innovative green features, such as energy recovery ventilation and solar shading.
“This historic investment in a community that has been too often left behind is not only delivering affordable housing, but also putting the residents of Barry Farm at the forefront of a clean energy future,” said Trisha Miller, CEO of DC Green Bank. “DC Green Bank is proud to be a partner in the redevelopment of Barry Farm and to invest in green affordable housing for residents of Ward 8.”
Originally established after the Civil War as the first African American homeownership community in Washington, D.C. for newly freed slaves, Barry Farm is a historic neighborhood in Southeast DC. With input from residents, the Ward 8 neighborhood is in the process of being redeveloped to replace dilapidated public housing with a revitalized mixed-income and mixed-use community as part of the District’s New Communities Initiative.