Community Project Support
Name of project: Culpepper Garden Senior Affordable Housing Revitalization Project, Arlington Retirement Housing Corporation, Arlington, Virginia
Location: Arlington County
How much funding are you requesting? $2,465,610
Culpepper Garden is the only nonprofit affordable housing community offering both independent and assisted living options in Arlington. We provide homes and services for nearly 400 residents. We serve some of Arlington’s lowest income seniors, many of whom have cognitive and physical disabilities, filling the significant gap for older adults between living at home and nursing home care. 70% of Americans will require assisted living care in their lifetime, but when that care is unavailable or unaffordable, older adults go into nursing homes that are more isolating and costly.
In Arlington, inflation has pushed apartment rents to rates impossible to afford on a fixed income. Since 2019, Arlington County rent has risen 4% to an average of $2,258/month. Many Culpepper Garden residents have little to no savings and are on a fixed income of less than $2,000/month. Some lack family support, making it incredibly difficult for them to apply for services. These individuals inhabit a particular niche in Arlington that is critically filled by Culpepper Garden.
Through HUD vouchers and private donations, we heavily subsidize rents and cost of care for residents, who on average pay just $268/month in rent at our assisted living facility. We are proud that no resident has ever had to leave Culpepper Garden because they could no longer afford their cost of care – we have always been able to make up the difference. However, these sacrifices have meant maintenance budgets are low and operating margins are thin. Unfortunately, budget constraints have not allowed the organization to make necessary investments in renovating housing units and improving ADA accessibility in indoor and outdoor spaces.
We have identified several renovations that would be life-changing for Culpepper Garden residents and staff, however our current funding levels will not support the level of updates needed. Of highest priority are new windows across two affordable apartment buildings, two new ADA-accessible crosswalks, and the remodeling of the main entry to the Assisted Living facility to accommodate an access checkpoint.
Of secondary priority are a couple of renovations to affordable housing units: including cabinet replacements in our units’ small kitchens; bathroom updates like flooring, faucets, lighting, and vanities; two replaced electric doors; and a functional elevator for the assisted living apartment building.
Lastly, we request funding to extend a paved, ADA-accessible sidewalk around the property and the construction of two small outdoor pavilions for residents to spend time outdoors. These two small but meaningful renovations will significantly improve accessibility to the outdoors with beneficial effects on residents’ mental and physical health.
In Arlington, the sixth wealthiest county in the nation, extremely low-income older adults are vulnerable to falling through the cracks. In the past year, Culpepper Garden’s waiting list has tripled – with the pandemic and inflation depleting seniors’ savings and consuming a greater percentage of their fixed monthly income. These seniors, and their caregiving families, often come to Culpepper Garden with no alternatives for subsidized independent and assisted living. Culpepper Garden is the only organization in Arlington filling this large gap in housing and care for individuals who would otherwise likely incur sizable costs in nursing home care they do not need.
Our residents are long-time Virginian residents, taxpayers, and workers ranging in age from 62 to 102 years old. Prior to admission to Culpepper, 99% resided in Arlington or surrounding communities. Our residents are diverse: 12% are Asian American, 19% are Black, 19% are Hispanic, and 59% are White.
This project is a significant benefit to the Commonwealth of Virginia as it uniquely bolsters both affordable housing supply and elder care in the region. The Culpepper Garden Senior Affordable Housing Revitalization Project provides meaningful updates for safety and accessibility to Culpepper Garden living facilities, allowing us to provide the best care and housing possible. By improving Arlington’s affordable housing supply, we can ensure the area remains a welcoming area for seniors and their families to live and thrive.
