The Neighborhood Monthly eNewsletter – September 2024

Housing People

Showcasing Colonnade at the Creek 

Visitors from Citi recently toured Colonnade at the Creek in Takoma Park. Robert Goldman and Stephanie Roodman shared insights on what makes the property special, including its vintage-meets-modern colonnade structure, the community center that once housed a boiler room, and the serene location set back amidst nature yet highly accessible to public transportation and major roads.  

MHP recently received the $1M Citi Progress Makers grant, which helps fund projects like Colonnade at the Creek and so much more. We were grateful to connect with other Citi Progress Makers – nonprofits in our region that are making a difference in terms of equitable community development. 

Empowering Families

Back to School with All the Tools

MHP recently held our annual backpack drive to help 700+ students get the tools they need to start the school year right.   

Our team brought backpacks filled with grade-appropriate supplies directly to students participating in our Community Life programs, in addition to hundreds of other young residents throughout our properties, from preschoolers to teens.  

We hosted our second annual summer/back-to-school party at Rollingwood Apartments in the Lyttonsville neighborhood of Silver Spring. Staff connected with residents there, holding a pool party with free food, face painting, college scholarship resources, and information booths. Donaldson and BLOOM partnered with us for this event. 

MHP also held a block party at Worthington Woods in Washington, D.C., where we distributed backpacks to residents. Activities included free dental care through a mobile clinic, career counseling services through partner Career Catchers, face painting, ice cream, music, and more.  

Thank you to EVERYONE who contributed to this major effort! We could not have done this without your support. Read more here.

Strengthening Neighborhoods

Long Branch Festival

The most perfect weather on the planet set the stage for this year’s Long Branch Festival. The amazing entertainment lineup, food options, vendors, activities, decorations, and crowd energy did not disappoint.  

On Sept. 13 and 14, Flower Avenue Urban Park came alive with almost 5,000 visitors, some newbies and some die-hard Long Branch Fest fans. Attendees enjoyed food from local eateries, including El Gavilan, El Golfo, Love & Flour Bakery, Koma Café, Ocean City Seafood, and more. There was something for everyone on the stage, including Eric Energy for kids, Zumba for fitness seekers, and diverse international bands like Cubano Groove and Cheik Hamala Diabate of West Africa. 

Discover Long Branch aims to support businesses in Long Branch, and this popular annual festival brought la fiesta once again. 

Clarksburg Fire Fund Update

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Clarksburg Fire Fund. With your help, we raised $14,444. Those funds have been distributed directly to impacted families. 

On August 17, 2024, a fire devastated a multi-unit apartment building in the 12000 block of Clarksburg Square Road in Clarksburg, MD. At the request of Montgomery County, MHP collected financial donations to help affected families. While this is not an MHP property, we maintain close ties with the community through the many affordable housing properties we have developed in Montgomery County and are playing a role by managing financial donations to help impacted residents. 

Upcoming Events

Looking for more Long Branch excitement? Upcoming events include an October 11th movie night and a November 3rd 5K fun run. Discover details about these and other monthly events here.

We’re Hiring

MHP is seeking qualified candidates to join our dynamic team in Silver Spring. With a mission that matters, MHP employees make a difference and enjoy a range of professional benefits.

Do you have at least three years of grant writing experience? You might be a fit for our featured job: Grants Manager. Learn more here.

With competitive pay and benefits, a positive and inclusive workplace culture, and a mission to help people in the community, MHP is a great place to grow your career!

 

The Neighborhood Monthly eNewsletter – August 2024

Housing People

Construction in Progress

Get up to date on MHP real estate! The gears are turning this summer on affordable housing. MHP has 3 properties under construction:

Worthington Woods in D.C.’s Ward 8 is undergoing a major renovation. Once apartments are updated, we will begin work on the community center and playground. This vast community contains 394 apartment homes with solar panels throughout.

Frederick apartments in Gaithersburg are also undergoing major renovations. This unique property is home to 78 apartments with green space, a renovated playground, and a community garden! A new name and look will be coming soon.

Residences at Forest Glen (pictured above) is a ground-up redevelopment in Silver Spring. The expansive, modern property will contain 189 apartment homes and be completed by 2025. Soon, the management company will begin accepting applications. Updates will be posted here.

Empowering Families

Adventure Seekers

MHP’s summer programs served more than 400 children and teens. Staff planned, facilitated, and supervised more than 25 trips to fun locations throughout the region. Many kids stated that field trips were their favorite part of the summer. We visited museums, parks, mini golf, splash pads, farms, and more.

Thank you to all the donors and partners who make our free programs possible and ensure that low- and moderate-income children can partake in all the things that make summer special. We could not run these programs without your support.

Expo Showcases Student Work

If you could design your own car, what would it look like?

What’s your idea of the perfect cupcake?

This summer, the Greenwood Community Center hosted a camp that invited students to invent, create, write, and explore. Their work culminated in an end-of-summer expo, showcasing their unique ideas, talents, and humor. MHP staff were invited to judge the many project elements and provide feedback. Three original films completed the expo and left spectators laughing in their seats at ghosts, zombies, and other characters. Watch this video to see their work in action.

Strengthening Neighborhoods

AAP Seminar Success

This month’s Apartment Assistance Program (AAP) seminar featured record attendance! Landlords and property managers who own less than 50 units learned about the AAP and all the resources it provides. Technical assistance, current and upcoming legislation, best practices, and financial assistance were just a few of the topics discussed during the 2-hour seminar. Guest speakers from Building Consultants, Inc. provided input on the importance of capital needs assessments and how they can be subsidized through the AAP. Attendees enjoyed dinner provided by El Golfo restaurant and AAP members had an opportunity to engage in robust discussions and network amongst one another. Apartment Assistance & Sustainability Program Manager Ali Khademian facilitated this event at the Silver Spring Civic Building.

National Night Out

MHP staff and partners connected with residents at many of our properties for National Night Out including Worthington Woods, Beall’s Grant, and the Lyttonsville business district. Community members enjoyed meeting staff and local law enforcement officers, participating in activities, and checking out flashy vehicles.

National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Clarksburg Fire Fund

On August 17, 2024 a fire devastated a multi-unit apartment building in Montgomery County, Maryland impacting dozens of families. According to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, at least 25 apartment units were damaged in the 12000 block of Clarksburg Square Road in Clarksburg on Saturday, displacing approximately 45 residents.

At the request of Montgomery County, MHP is collecting financial donations to help affected families. While this is not an MHP property, we maintain close ties with the community through the many affordable housing properties we have developed in Montgomery County and are playing a role by managing financial donations to help impacted residents.

Please visit our website to learn more and consider making a donation today. Click here.

Join Us for a Tour

MHP provides thousands of low- and moderate-income families and individuals with quality affordable homes where they can thrive. Our Building Dreams tour, a one-hour experience, is a way to see our work first-hand. Each tour is held at an MHP property and explores the heart of all we do.

The tours include learning about our holistic approach to housing. You will walk the property, see facilities like Community Centers where innovative programs are happening, and hear inspiring resident stories.

Let us show you how MHP is fulfilling our mission by housing people, empowering families, and strengthening neighborhoods.

We’re Hiring

MHP is seeking qualified candidates to join our dynamic team in Silver Spring. With a mission that matters, MHP employees make a difference and enjoy a range of professional benefits.

Do you have at least three years of grant writing experience? You might be a fit for our featured job: Grants Manager. Learn more here.

With competitive pay and benefits, a positive and inclusive workplace culture, and a mission to help people in the community, MHP is a great place to grow your career!

 

The Neighborhood Monthly eNewsletter – June 2024

Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope 

Thanks to Manna Food Center, MHP was recently able to provide food for residents in Wheaton, MD and we continue to host monthly food distributions at other properties, including Gilbert Highlands in Takoma Park. Together, we can support our community and make progress towards ending hunger in Montgomery County, MD and beyond. We are proud to partner with Manna and share their goals of fighting against hunger, feeding hope, and helping our neighbors get back on their feet.  

La Verdad Newspaper Highlights Long Branch 

EXTRA, EXTRA! Read all about Long Branch in the new, local, free newspaper, La Verdad.  

MHP staff continue to find creative solutions to support Long Branch businesses. Purple Line construction disruptions have long been an issue, but things have become even more difficult recently. Stores and restaurants near the intersection of University Blvd. and Piney Branch Rd. are being severely impacted and most report that business is down anywhere from 20 to 40%. La Verdad invites the community and visitors to learn more about the wonderful offerings in Long Branch so they can discover new reasons to shop local and eat local.  

MHP’s Community Economic Development Coordinator Paul Grenier has put his writing talents to use for this exciting publication. La Verdad targets business owners and residents alike and serves as a vehicle to promote our community events as well as the local small businesses we support.  

Pick up a copy of the newspaper at Flower Deli, El Gavilan and El Golfo. It includes content in both English and Spanish! 

NeighborWorks Week Success 

This month, MHP hosted our largest group ever for NeighborWorks Week – more than 50 employees from NeighborWorks America attended our Day in the Field event. We were honored to be selected for this opportunity to showcase our mission and impact through a bus tour, property visit, and volunteer activity. As a member organization for almost two decades, we value the leadership of NeighborWorks, the resources they provide, and our shared goals: to create opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. Thank you to this incredible group for beautifying Flower Avenue Urban Park in Long Branch and engaging with our work through tours.  

Karen’s Story 

MHP resident Karen recently testified in support of funding to preserve and expand affordable housing during a Montgomery County Council public hearing. Karen and her husband contracted COVID-19 and experienced financial instability as a result. She told the hearing they fell behind on rent payments for over five months until MHP provided them with $7,000 in rental assistance through designated resources. Here are a few of Karen’s thoughts that she shared: 

“Thanks to the help we received, we were able to start over and continued paying rent on time. With this assistance, my husband, who is the sole breadwinner of our household, can now pay rent on time and without any trouble…Furthermore, the social services provided by MHP have given us access to food assistance, which has enabled our family to thrive and overcome obstacles. I firmly believe everyone should have equal opportunities to reside in financially viable and secure housing. Therefore, I urge the County Council to prioritize allocating sufficient funds for affordable housing. It is time to take action and ensure that everyone has access to a dignified place called home.” 

The Neighborhoods team helps many residents like Karen and is expanding its efforts to include them in direct advocacy.  Watch her testimony here: here.  

Upcoming Events 

With your help, every summer MHP provides more than 700 students with tools to learn and succeed: brand-new backpacks filled with grade-appropriate supplies. 

Backpacks and supplies are needed now more than ever. Help us make that possible for every child in our community. You also can select items from our Amazon wishlist or make a financial donation. Thanks for helping low- and moderate-income students start the school year right!  

We’re Hiring 

MHP is seeking qualified candidates to join our dynamic team in Silver Spring. With a mission that matters, MHP employees make a difference and enjoy a range of professional benefits.  

 Do you have at least three years of grant writing experience? You might be a fit for our featured job: Grants Manager. 

Learn more here. here.  

With competitive pay and benefits, a positive and inclusive workplace culture, and a mission to help people in the community, MHP is a great place to grow your career!