In partnership with tenant associations and its development partners, Somerset Development Company has redeveloped and preserved the affordability of seven properties in the District of Columbia, four in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, two in Ward 4, and one in Southeast Washington, DC. As part of the renovation program, Somerset has built community centers equipped with computer labs, playgrounds, and space for community activities. Somerset’s goal is to bring community service programming onto each property to address the social, cultural, and educational needs of the residents and to empower residents in the decision-making process. To that end, Somerset has partnered with tenant associations and resident councils, assisted in the creation of non-profit organizations for fund-raising, and established Tenant Service Funds to ensure the provision of on-going tenant services.

The goals of our programs are the following:

• To improve academic achievement for those in school
• To provide job skills for those capable of entering the job market
• To improve the quality of life for those who are retired or disabled

A representative of Somerset Development is a co-chair of the Resident Services Working Group, one of the committees of CNHED, an organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting the ability of nonprofit community development organizations to improve the quality of life in the District of Columbia. The Resident Services Working Group works to connect housing, economic development, and community by defining resident services as part of the Continuum of Housing, continuing peer sharing and training on a regional and local basis, developing working partnerships with the City to provide workforce development for residents, and developing a working partnership with the City to provide youth services to residents.