Fisher House Re-Opens after a $9.5M Makeover

By Anuradha Kher, Online new EditorArlington, Va.–The Fisher House apartments, a 33-unit rental community for individuals and families earning 60 percent or less of area median income in Arlington, Va., recently re-opened after undergoing a two-year rehabilitation of its four three-story buildings. The renovation process retained original building materials and details matching the period layout of 1941, when the community was built.The $9.5 million Fisher House restoration project was financed in part with $3.6 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credit and Federal Historic Tax Credit Equity from Enterprise Community Investment, $3.5 million in financing from the Virginia Housing Development Authority, $830,000 in state historic tax credits from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and $795,000 in funding from Arlington County.The newly opened Fisher House features upgraded apartments with new kitchens, bathrooms, windows, heating/cooling systems and energy-efficient appliances. Half of the units have expanded wings with additional bedrooms and bathrooms to accommodate larger families.“Affordable housing is a vital factor in keeping families intact and able to remain in the neighborhoods where they live, work and make positive contributions to the local community and economy,” says Charles R. Werhane, vice chairman and CEO of Enterprise.Fisher House is named after Joseph L. Fisher to honor his lifetime of public service, including working to provide housing grants for low- and moderate-income families, seniors and persons with disabilities, tax relief for low- and moderate-income working families.“Affordable housing affects all of us, including our children, our aging parents and our employees,” says Nina Janopaul, executive director of the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, which bought Fisher House in 1991. “Preserving and renewing affordable communities for a diverse population keeps Arlington healthy, vibrant and growing.”