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Wesley Housing Breaks New Ground for Seniors and Disabled

Herndon, VA—More than 100 supporters of housing for Northern Virginia’s disabled and senior residents gathered on Tuesday, September 16, for the groundbreaking of Wesley Housing Development Corporation’s Coppermine Place I & II in the McNair Farms area of Herndon.  A campus-style community, Wesley Housing at Coppermine Place will provide 88 units of much-needed affordable rental housing for two vulnerable populations: very low-income persons with severe physical disabilities and seniors living on fixed incomes. The event took place at the McNair Farms Community Center in Herndon. Fairfax County Supervisor Catherine M. Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) gave remarks, followed by a groundbreaking ceremony and a light lunch.


The “groundbreakers” (left to right): Scott Charnock, Virginia Housing Development Authority, Fairfax County Supervisor Catherine M. Hudgins, Nancy Novak, Chairman Katherine K. Hanley, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, William Turner, Wachovia, Al Zemaitis, Zemaitis & Associates, Tom Wahl, Hamel Builders, Nancy Minter, Wesley Housing Board Chair, Commissioner Lee Rau, Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Geoff Flaherty, SunAmerica Affordable Housing Partners, Raymond Spicer, City of Falls Church, John Hudson, Fairfax County.
“Affordable housing for the elderly and the disabled is a vital need throughout Fairfax County, and I look forward to these 88 units gracing the Hunter Mill District,” said Supervisor Hudgins, an unflagging supporter of the project. Wesley Housing partnered with Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI) of St. Paul, Minnesota, to design Coppermine Place I’s fully accessible, independent living apartments for individuals with mobility impairments.  "As a nonprofit organization that provides accessible, affordable housing with supportive care services in 25 states, ASI is proud to be a partner with Wesley Housing on Coppermine Place I.  The resulting 22 one- and two-bedroom units will represent Northern Virginia's first barrier-free apartment complex for very low-income adults with physical disabilities,” said ASI’s President and CEO, Stephen Vander Schaaf. Coppermine Place II will feature 66 one- and two-bedroom units for seniors. The community will be housed in two four-story elevator buildings. Expected completion for both buildings is 2005.

The region’s affordable housing crisis is accelerating at an alarming pace.  The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Fairfax County is $1,222, according to the County’s Department of Systems Management for Human Services. Seniors living on fixed incomes—local residents and those who re-locate to be near family—have few housing choices. Options shrink further for low-income physically disabled individuals in need of affordable, accessible housing. “Housing that is affordable and adapted to the needs of the elderly and disabled is lacking in Northern Virginia,” said Nancy Minter, Wesley Housing’s Board Chair. “Lower income seniors and disabled individuals often must choose between paying rent and other necessities such as insurance or medication. Wesley Housing’s goal is to allow residents to choose where to live, not what to sacrifice in order to keep a roof overhead.” Developed under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 811 program, Coppermine Place residents will receive partial rental assistance.

Barbara Gilley, longtime disabilities advocate and Co-Chair of Disability Housing Advocates of Northern Virginia, has been a supporter of Coppermine Place since its beginning in 1999. As Chair of the Coppermine Place Steering Committee, Gilley and committee members advised Wesley Housing on the development of the state-of-the-art community. "It took us a very, very long time to get to this point, and several families and individuals have been with us for the long haul. For some of the residents, this will be the first time they have a home that truly meets their accessibility needs.” With its planned supportive services and convenient location, Coppermine will provide “an opportunity for these individuals and others to live independently surrounded by amenities and services most people without disabilities take for granted.”  That, Gilley reminds us, is what this is really all about. “Coppermine offers real choice—the opportunity for folks with severe disabilities and low incomes to choose where to live.”

Key partners for Coppermine Place include Fairfax County’s Redevelopment and Housing Authority and Department of Housing and Community Development, the City of Falls Church, the Virginia Housing Development Authority, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Equity for the sale of tax-credits was provided by SunAmerica Affordable Housing Partners, Inc. Wachovia Bank N.A. is providing construction financing. "I am thrilled that the construction of this project is beginning and equally pleased that both the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax Affordable Housing Partnership Fund were able to contribute financially,” said Supervisor Hudgins. Zemaitis & Associates Architects designed Coppermine Place; Hamel Builders will construct the community. 

Wesley Housing Development Corporation, a leading nonprofit Northern Virginia developer,  has been working to provide affordable rental housing for families and individuals for nearly thirty years.  Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, Wesley Housing has purchased or developed 18 communities and served more than 10,000 low- and moderate-income families. The organization supplements housing with site-based educational and social services.