Building a Permanent Home in Anacostia
In 2012, the Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative began an ambitious journey—to transform a long-vacant building on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE into a vibrant, 20,000 square-foot headquarters serving the community.
The organization purchased a former bowling alley, Masonic lodge, and furniture store, reimagining it into a space that would provide lasting value to the community it has served for more than two decades. After years of planning and support from board members, staff, community activists, business leaders, philanthropists, and government partners, that vision became a reality in Historic Anacostia.
The first floor now offers new opportunities for Ward 8 residents, featuring a full-service Busboys and Poets restaurant, bookstore, and additional retail space. Beyond construction jobs, the location is expected to create approximately 100 long-term employment opportunities for local residents.
The second and newly constructed third floors house more than 70 FSFSC employees, enabling the organization to expand its programming and continue strengthening families for years to come.
A $14.6 Million Investment in Community
This state-of-the-art facility was made possible through District gap funding, including a $3 million mayoral grant, $8 million in revenue bonds from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, and more than $2 million from the DC Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program.
This innovative project is the first in the nation to combine PACE financing with tax-exempt funding—reducing energy costs and making sustainable development more accessible for nonprofit organizations.
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