By Will Schick | wschick@alextimes.com
A new apartment building that includes 52 units of affordable housing opened on Tuesday on the site of the former Ramsey Homes in the Parker-Gray Historic District.
According to a news release from the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, the new four-story building, which has been named Lineage, pays tribute to the property’s history.
Originally constructed to provide 15 two-bedroom apartments for temporary Black laborers working in the city’s war industry in the 40s, the property had been long used as an affordable housing site until it was demolished in 2019.
The new building, which features one, two, and three-bedroom units, is expected to house families with a varying range of income levels and offers on-site parking in an underground garage, according to the release.
Former residents of Ramsey Homes who had been relocated due to construction have been given priority to move into the new building, according to the release.
The construction of the new development was made possible through a combination of low-income housing tax credits and financing provided by Capitol One and Enterprise Community, according to the release.
The new building is seen as a much-needed development in a city where the demand for affordable housing remains high, according to a statement from Keith Pettigrew, CEO of ARHA.
Pettigrew said in the release that the agency received 45,000 applications within three days of opening its waiting list.
