It was a busy and productive September for the church Building Beloved Community Committee (BBCC). The most exciting news is that we have entered into a formal agreement with the Baltimore Washington Conference Affordable Housing Committee (BWAHC) to be our development consultant, to help guide us through the process and provide invaluable expertise on both the local and conference level at every stage. The BBCC has also begun the process of interviewing potential attorneys to help us create the legal entity for the development project and represent the church’s interests at every step of the venture.
Most important, we have begun the process of meeting with and interviewing potential development partners. The BBCC has made it a priority to engage developers who understand and share our vision and values for a future affordable housing development. Our first meeting was with Virginia- based AHC (Affordable Homes and Communities) and Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland. AHC has worked with several church properties in Virginia and has teamed with Habitat on a large affordable housing development near Veirs Mill & Randolph roads. Upcoming meetings include Rick Edson and AHP Virginia, LLC and Rob Goldman, president of MHP (Montgomery Housing Partners). One of MHP’s newest affordable housing projects is just getting underway up Georgia Ave at Forest Glen.
The BBCC is most interested in hearing potential partners’ mission and priorities, their development experience with church properties, and how they communicate, plan and work with their partners. Our goal is to complete the interview process and decide on our development partner by mid-January 2024, and to have a joint venture agreement signed by the end of February.