Description: 6-bedroom group home for individuals with disabilities; income limits at 50% of Area Median Income.

Amenities: Ben Franklin House is 100% handicapped accessible, with six bedrooms, a sitting room, dining room, living room, kitchen with walk-in pantry, laundry room, office, mechanical room, and two and a half bathrooms, one of which features a walk-in bathtub.  The property also makes use of its expansive garden with a new deck, shaded by large deciduous trees.

Location: Springfield, Virginia.  The house is located in a quiet residential neighborhood, close to many commercial businesses, including a variety of shopping and service establishments.  Residents also have access to public transportation via the Franconia/Springfield Metro and the VRE train less than a mile away.

Leasing Information: Contact Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board’s Resident Services Department at 703.324.4400

History: Completed in 2009, Wesley Housing converted a single-family house into a group home serving individuals with disabilities.  The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board partnered with Wesley Housing, by providing funds for property acquisition and handicapped-accessible renovations, ensuring long-term stability for the project with a 25-year lease, and managing onsite resident programs. Other partners on the project include Virginia Community Capital, Inc. (VCC), a nonprofit community development financial institution who provided construction financing in the amount of $700,000.  After completion, VCC’s investment was repaid with long-term financing provided by the Virginia Housing Development Authority, via a SPARC loan in the form of a 35-year mortgage.

Partners: Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board; Virginia Housing Development Authority; Virginia Community Capital, Inc.