Health

SOME (So Others Might Eat) Officially Opens Karin House To Provide Safe, Dignified Housing To 40 Seniors In Ward 4 On The Historic Walter Reed Campus

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“Karin was a champion of SOME throughout her life and we are honored to open this building bearing Karin’s name,”


WASHINGTON (PRWEB)

On Monday, December 13th, SOME (So Others Might Eat), an interfaith, community-based service organization supporting residents in our nation’s capital experiencing homelessness and poverty, came together to hold the dedication of SOME’s Karin House in honor of Karin Akerson. Karin Akerson and her family were long time advocates and supporters of SOME. This property will provide 40 seniors with newly renovated apartments on the historic Walter Reed campus in Washington, D.C. Karin House will offer efficiency units for older adults who earn no more than 30% family median income (FMI). Karin House is aligned with Mayor Bowser’s and SOME’s shared goal for the equitable distribution of affordable housing throughout the city.

SOME believes that affordable housing and supportive programs improve the economic status of residents, revitalize neighborhoods, and stabilize lives. SOME is proud to continue to expand its affordable housing portfolio into Northwest DC, making these vibrant neighborhoods accessible for those experiencing extreme poverty. Karin House features ADA accessible units, assistive safety features throughout, community space for residents to gather, an office for on-site nursing visits, a vegetable garden, and two beautiful courtyard spaces for the residents to enjoy.

“Karin was a champion of SOME throughout her life and we are honored to open this building bearing Karin’s name,” President and CEO Ralph Boyd said, “this day has been a decade in the making since SOME first submitted applications for a site on this Historic Walter Reed Campus. We are thrilled this day is finally here.”

Karin House will be a part of SOME’s Senior Services continuum, which offers health, wellness, and recreational activities and links participants to supportive services. Residents of Karin House will have access to activities such as fitness classes, health and wellness seminars, senior advocacy workgroups, and community trips (museums, shopping, etc.). The Homebound Senior Program is also included in SOME’s Senior Services programming, providing long-term, intensive case management to seniors in their homes. Case management support services include regular needs assessments, weekly calls, links to community resources, accompaniment to doctor appointments, and other practical assistance to support senior residents.

Special thanks to SOME’s supporters who made the development of Karin House possible, including the Akerson Family, DC Department of Housing and Community Development, DC Housing Finance Agency, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, Hamel Construction, JP Morgan Chase, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Miner Feinstein Architects, National Equity Fund, Parks at Walter Reed and SOME’s staff and volunteers.

About SOME’s Affordable Housing

SOME opened its first transitional housing program in 1986, its first long-term affordable housing program in 1989 and now operates 1,000 units of supportive-service, affordable housing for families and single adults experiencing homelessness and poverty. SOME also has 193 units under construction and 396 units in the predevelopment phase. Most nonprofit housing developers in the District focus on housing for households up to 80% or below of the FMI (Family Median Income); few concentrate on developing affordable housing for those in the lowest economic bracket. SOME has stepped into this vacuum and is filling a critical niche by providing housing to those at 30% or less of FMI ($38,700 for a family of four as of 2021).

About SOME

SOME provides material aid and comfort to our vulnerable neighbors in the District, helping them break the cycle of poverty and homelessness through programs and services that save lives, improve lives and help transform lives of individuals and families, their communities and the systems and structures that affect them. Learn more at https://www.some.org.

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