The project to build affordable housing at St. Nicholas School is moving into an exciting new phase. One that brings design, partnerships, and community voice into closer alignment.
Led by Saint Mark's Cathedral in partnership with Redwood Housing, this project is rooted in a straightforward but powerful belief: housing is about belonging. It's not just about creating homes. It's about building a community where people can live with dignity, connection, and stability.

At its core, this project is about people and place. It's about:

• Restoring connection in a neighborhood that's been shaped by change and displacement
• Space for belonging across generations and backgrounds
• Community voice in how housing is designed and lived in
• Building something shared, not just something built

Real Momentum on the Ground

The Affordable Housing Committee at St. Mark's is celebrating real progress. Since selecting Redwood Housing as the development partner and signing a Memorandum of Agreement, the project has hit several key milestones. A Joint Development Agreement is in place. Perkins Eastman has been brought on as architects. The plan calls for 136 units focused on families and intergenerational living, with a commitment to contributing to on-campus carbon neutrality goals by 2030.

A big piece of this work is the Community-Based Organization (CBO) being formed as a trusted foundation for lasting community relationships, building trust, fostering meaningful engagement, and addressing past housing inequities. Construction starts early 2028, and the committee continues to refine designs and engagement strategies that reflect Saint Mark's core values.

Read more in "Updates from the Affordable Housing Committee," featured on page 4 of the Spring 2026 issue of The Rubric. Written by John Hoerster, the committee's Chair.

This level of progress doesn't happen alone. It requires the right partner. Our development partner shares this vision and brings the experience to make it real.

The Team Behind the Work

Redwood Housing is the development partner selected to work alongside Saint Mark's and the community. They're an impact-focused development and investment organization that invests in people, properties, and neighborhoods.

Redwood approaches development with intention and creativity. They look for solutions that last and fit the context in which they're working. That structure lets them challenge industry norms and push the boundaries of what's possible in affordable housing. They care about making a real difference: through design, development, management, and long-term stewardship.

But the housing itself is only part of the story. This project also reflects Saint Mark's commitment to healing and justice. Work that's happening through the Community-Based Organization being built alongside the development.

The Deeper Work: Healing and Justice

In her article, "Building Community: Our CBO Journey Begins," which appears on page 6 of the Spring 2026 edition of The Rubric, CBO Consultant Kendall Clawson calls the affordable housing project a "glimmer of hope…and a gift" for the neighborhood.

She makes it clear that this is more than construction. It's a homecoming for the Black community in Capitol Hill, aimed at addressing redlining and systemic displacement. By inviting the parish into a truth-telling process," she points to a real opportunity for Saint Mark's to model courage and restore what's been lost through housing justice.

Get Involved

This work is still taking shape. Ideas are being refined, and your input matters.
We invite you to:‍

• Learn about the history driving the project
• Take the survey
• Join the newsletter to stay in the know

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