On Tuesday, August 16, State and County Officials joined Mission First Housing Group to celebrate the Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting for The Lewis Apartments, a large senior affordable housing development at 2901 Toles Park Drive, Suitland, MD.

Mission First’s CEO Thomas Queenan and SVP of Real Estate Development Sarah Constant were joined by Ed Barnett of Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Angie Rodgers of Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development, Stephen J. Paul of The Redevelopment Authority of Prince George’s County, Nic Cober of CJR Development Partners, Jeanne Fields of Fulton Bank, N.A., Kelly Mahoney of R4 Capital; Lisa Bolden of L.A. Bolden Company and Gloria Lawlah of White Rose Foundation to offer their remarks and congratulations on the project. Many new residents, project partners and community members also came out to celebrate.

“The Lewis is another example of the high-quality, affordable rental housing supported by the State of Maryland,” said Ed Barnett.

In 2016, the Prince George’s County Redevelopment Authority (RDA) selected Mission First Housing Group and its partners, The Henson Development Company and L.A. Bolden Company, to develop The Lewis Apartments – a brand-new senior (age 62+) 137-apartment housing community.

The Lewis Apartments is named for John Lewis, the late civil rights leader and long-time politician. This six-story building is part of a vibrant pedestrian-oriented neighborhood created through the Towne Square at Suitland Federal Center redevelopment, an initiative of the Prince George's County RDA that includes townhouses, retail and residential development.

“We decided, when we did the planning, that the senior housing was central to the (Towne Square at Suitland Federal Center) project, with direct access to amenities” said Stephen Paul.

The Lewis features sleek kitchens with brand-new, stainless-steel Energy Star appliances and granite countertops, and an open concept living space. Residents enjoy a rooftop terrace, yoga room, fitness center, party room and club room. Laundry rooms are located on each floor, with adjacent lounges. The building is energy-efficient which results in healthy homes with low utility costs.

The Lewis Apartments provides affordable housing for seniors with 72 apartments at 50% AMI rents, 45 apartments at 60% AMI rents, 16 apartments at 80% AMI rents and 4 apartments that are unrestricted or market rate.

Once complete, the Towne Square at Suitland Federal Center will offer a mix of residential, retail and cultural arts facilities. Residents of The Lewis Apartments and neighbors will enjoy shopping, outdoor activities, public art, performances and more.

Check out more event photos and read quotes from our honored guests on Twitter at @MissionFirstHG.

In Spring, Mission First received a grant from Middlesex County, New Jersey’s Division of Arts & History. The grant supports a partnership with New Brunswick, NJ-based, coLAB Arts, in a project meant to share the lived experience of homelessness. The project is based at Imani Park and Amandla Crossing, two Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) communities providing housing and services to formerly homeless individuals and families, in Edison, NJ. 

The project, led by Dan Swern, Co-Founder and Producing Director, is part of coLAB Arts’, oral history project, 37 Voices, an initiative that combines journalism, oral history, research and theater to change the narrative around economic vulnerability in New Jersey. The work at Amandla Crossing and Imani Park includes a mix of creative workshops and oral history interviews with residents to amplify their histories and experiences of homelessness in the County.

“I felt, especially coming out of post-COVID isolation, that bringing the work of coLAB Arts to our community in Edison would be uplifting and inspirational to the residents.”, says Mission First Director of Program Management Melissa Mascolo. “Artistic expression brings people and communities together and has the power to transform. Working with coLAB Arts for the oral history project presents a unique opportunity to further engage and empower individuals and families with lived experience of homelessness, to tell their story first hand.”

Swern and his team at coLAB Arts will use the stories collected to form the basis of a script for a dramatic piece performed by professional artists. The project will culminate with a public convening that celebrates the communities through art and performance. Project artists and participants become collaborators, together unpacking lived experiences, not only to inform artist works but create a living archive. 

“We believe the first act of social change is to listen,” says Swern. “The voices of vulnerable people are rarely incorporated into their own history. Oral history is our way of understanding, through firsthand account, how racial and social justice issues directly impact the individuals in our community.”