Elderly Housing Capital Improvement Project

About Fellowship Square
Fellowship Square improves the lives of extremely low-income seniors who struggle to make ends meet by providing them with affordable housing and supportive services. Fellowship Square has three properties in Virginia (Hunters Woods Fellowship House & Lake Anne House in Reston and Lake Ridge Fellowship House in Woodbridge) and another property in development in Loudoun County. More than just a roof over our seniors’ heads, we provide a multitude of programs and services to enhance their quality of life and help them age with dignity. Fellowship Square envisions communities where all people have access to safe, quality living accommodations and services, regardless of their financial circumstances, so they can live comfortably and with independence for as long as they are able. 

The Project: Hunters Woods Fellowship House

Project Summary
This project will replace failing capital infrastructure systems in an affordable senior housing community serving extremely low-income seniors in Fairfax County, Virginia. These upgrades are crucial to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of the 306 residents who call Hunters Woods home.

Why This Project Matters

Addressing Urgent Needs
The Hunters Woods Fellowship House, built in 1979, was constructed around its original boiler, and while the boiler has undergone multiple repairs over the last 45 years, replacement parts are no longer available, and it has reached the end of its lifespan. Expert contractors informed Fellowship Square leadership that the failing boiler not only is at risk of breaking down beyond repair but also increases building energy costs and poses a safety hazard to seniors should it fail during frigid winter temperatures. Replacing the boiler at Hunters Woods will be particularly expensive and complex because the building was constructed around the boiler, requiring contractors to carefully dismantle and manually remove the existing unit, and assemble the new boiler on-site within the building’s boiler room. 

In addition to the boiler, several other critical pieces of Hunters Woods’ infrastructure require prompt replacement to ensure the building operates at maximum efficiency and seniors’ health is prioritized.  For example, the building’s water pump ensures consistent water pressure for residents’ daily needs, hygiene, and emergencies, while the generator maintains power during outages to support critical systems like medical equipment, elevators, and heating, and the Pull Station and Fire Alarm System enhances emergency response by providing immediate fire and health alerts for swift evacuations and aid, potentially saving lives.

Supporting Vulnerable Seniors
This funding is necessary for the health and safety of Hunters Woods’ 306 current residents and a critical investment in affordable housing for future Virginia seniors, ensuring the state remains a welcoming place for seniors and their families to live and thrive. In Fairfax, the fifth wealthiest county in the nation, extremely low-income seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes, are extremely vulnerable to skyrocketing rents, stagnant housing production, and the rising costs of healthcare; falling through the cracks and contributing to rates of homelessness, food insecurity, emergency room visits, morbidity, and mortality. These seniors often come to Fellowship Square with no alternatives for subsidized independent living, at risk of resorting to dangerous living conditions.
 
Virginia’s Aging Population
Resources for housing Virginia’s aging population are scarce in relation to the scope of the problem – the problem will only become more acute in the coming years. Of Virginia’s 8.6 million residents, nearly 1.9 million are aged 60 or older, however, by 2030, the population over age 60 is expected to grow to 2.2 million—close to one in every four Virginians. This project ensures Fairfax County remains a welcoming place for seniors and their families to live and thrive.
 
Alignment with Fairfax County Goals
This project aligns with Fairfax County’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan, which prioritizes affordable housing for low-income seniors. Hunters Woods Fellowship House residents have an average annual income of $13,907, far below the county’s extremely low-income threshold. This funding is essential to maintaining a critical resource for Fairfax County’s most vulnerable seniors.

For questions or additional information, please contact:
Christy Zeitz
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Address: 11260 Roger Bacon Dr, Suite 20, Reston, VA 20190
Phone: 703-981-1119
Email: [email protected]