At the (Maryland) Governor's Housing Conference on November 28, 2007, Victory House of Palmer Park won in the Aging in Place category in the annual Commitment to Excellence Awards by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. 

Victory House, a 69-unit rental apartment community for low-income seniors in Palmer Park, Maryland, has won other national and regional acclaim for its combination of attractive design and affordable housing. Completed in July 2005, Victory House was built on the grounds of a partially demolished dilapidated commercial center. In addition to Victory House, the remainder of the center was substantially renovated by Prince George's County for social service and commercial purposes.

In addition to the Aging in Place Award, Victory House has won the following:

• Gold Award for Multifamily Housing Design (Affordable Rental Apartments) from the 50+ Housing Council of the National Association of Home Builders (May 2007)

• Second Place Award for Architectural Excellence from the Potomac Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (April 2007)

Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown (left) presents the Commitment to Excellence Award to Victory Housing vice president John D. Spencer (center) and to Prince George's County DHCD director Thomas M. Thompson.

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Victory Heights, Victory Housing's first new construction project for low-income senior citizens in the District of Columbia, was dedicated on October 29, 2007, by Donald W. Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, and other city Federal officials. Over 150 persons turned out at Victory Heights (1369 Irving Street, N.W., Washington) on a beautiful, crisp autumn morning.

Other participants at the event included Vincent Gray, Council Chair, D.C. Council; Councilmember Jim Graham (Ward 1); Leila Finucane Edmonds, Director of the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development ("DHCD"); Deborah Holston, Director if the D.C. Field Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD"); Donn Weinberg, Vice President and Trustee of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation ("Weinberg"); Oramenta Newsome, Executive Director, D.C. LISC; and Jim Brown, President of Victory Housing.

The 75-unit Cheval Court is Victory Housing's seventh apartment community financed under HUD's Section 202 program. In addition to a $7,158,700 Section 202 capital grant from HUD, the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development provided $4,250,000 in HOME funds. Grants were provided by The Local Initiatives Support Corporation ($25,000), The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation ($150,000), and The Clark Charitable Foundation ($25,000). The National Capital Revitalization Corporation provided the land at nominal cost.

Victory Heights ribbon-cutters (left to right): Lou Donatelli and Chris Donatelli, Donatelli Development; Jim Brown, Victory Housing; Dottie Wade, ANC Commissioner; Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl; Councilmember Jim Graham (Ward 1); Mayor Adrian Fenty; Council Chair Vincent Gray; unidentified person; Leila Finucane Edmonds, DC DHCD.

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For those of you who donate to Victory Housing at your workplace, please note our new codes for this year's campaigns, as follows: Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFC) -- #81223; Maryland Charity Campaign -- #1292.

Thank you for your generous support of Victory Housing through these programs.

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On Wednesday September 26, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and Lt. Governor Anthony Brown stopped in at Victory House to announce some proposed income and sales tax breaks for low-income seniors and several proposals to generate revenue to reduce the State's current structural deficit. Virtually all Victory House residents attended the event and actively participated in the question and answer portion of the program following the formal remarks.

Maryland Secretary on Aging Gloria Lawlah (center) welcomes Governor O'Malley (left) to Victory House, as Delegate Joanne Benson and Victory Housing vice president John D. Spencer look on.

Resident George Smith (left) asks a question of Lt. Governor Brown (center) and Governor O'Malley (right).

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Donald W. Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, was joined by local, state and Federal elected and appointed officials, and 75 guests, as he dedicated Cheval Court, a new apartment community for very low-income seniors at 2611 Luana Drive in Forestville.

Participants at the September 26, 2007, dedication included Tommie Thompson, Director of the Prince George's County Department of Housing and Community Development ("DHCD"); Yvette B. Jackson, Supervisory Project Manager from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Baltimore HUB ("HUD"); Donn Weinberg, Vice President and Trustee of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation ("Weinberg"); and Jim Brown, President of Victory Housing. The event also featured a performance by the 50-student strong Mount Calvary School Choir.

The 26-unit Cheval Court is Victory Housing's sixth apartment community financed under HUD's Section 202 program. Financing for the $4.5 million development included a $2.8 million capital grant from HUD, a $1 million grant from a private donor, a $500 K low-interest loan from DHCD, a $120 K grant from Weinberg, a $50 K grant from the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust, and a $25 K grant from the Clark Charitable Foundation.

Cheval Court ribbon-cutting (l - r): Donn Weinberg, Weinberg Foundation; Jim Brown, Victory Housing; Yvette B. Jackson, HUD; Archbishop Wuerl; Tommie M. Thompson, Prince George's DHCD.

Archbishop Wuerl greets Marvis Hayward of HUD.

Mount Calvery School Choir performs at Cheval Court dedication.

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Donald W. Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, was joined by local, state and Federal elected and appointed officials, and 150 guests, as he dedicated Grace House, a new affordable assisted living residence for seniors at 3214 Norbeck Road in Silver Spring.

Participants at the October 17, 2006, dedication included Congressman Chris Van Hollen (Maryland, 8th District); Herman L. Taylor, Jr., Delegate - District 14; Jean W. Roesser, Secretary, Maryland Department of Aging; Shawn Karimian, Acting Secretary, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development; Scott W. Reilly, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, Montgomery County; Reverend Peter J. Sweeney, Pastor, Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church; and Jim Brown, President of Victory Housing.

The 32-unit Grace House is Victory Housing's seventh assisted living community. The residence offers personal care, meals, medication management, activities, housekeeping, laundry, and 24-hour emergency assistance. There is an all-inclusive monthly fee, with some subsidies available for qualified residents.

Financing for the $5.6 million development included a $2.8 million low-cost loan from Montgomery County, a $2.1 million loan from United Bank, a land donation worth $640,000 from Victory Housing, and a grant of $50,000 from the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust.

(Left to right): Reverend Sweeney, Secretary Roesser, Archbishop Wuerl, Acting Housing Secretary Karimian, Congressman Van Hollen, Delegate Taylor, and Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Reilly, flank the daughter of Grace House director Meg DeSchriver, as they cut the ribbon at Grace House, October 17, 2006.

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• Victory Housing Report, Vol. 13, No. 2 (Fall 2006) [PDF]
• Victory Housing Report, Vol. 13, No. 1 (Spring 2006) [PDF]

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