Championing affordable housing, nonprofit growth, and small business development in underinvested communities through strategic financing that closes capital gaps and fuels lasting impact.
With investment from City First Bank, So Others Might Eat (SOME) expanded its reach and deepened its impact in Ward 7 of Washington, DC. SOME’s whole-person approach—providing housing, healthcare, job training, and critical support services—empowers individuals and families experiencing poverty and homelessness to achieve long-term stability and well-being.
City First Bank facilitated $24 million in financing to redevelop the YMCA Anthony Bowen into a modern, mixed-use facility—preserving its legacy as a vital community resource. The revitalized Y anchors a 170-unit apartment building with underground parking and retail, and offers a full-service fitness and wellness center, child-care facility, indoor swimming pool, Internet café, and rooftop terrace. This investment enabled the Y to provide subsidized and fee-free services for low- and moderate-income families along the U Street corridor.
Barry Farm is today known for the 432 dilapidated housing units built in 1943 by the National Capital Housing Administration. However, the African American community traces its history to 1867 when the Freedmen’s Bureau acquired 375 acres of land in Southeast DC. This land was divided into smaller plots and purchased by African Americans over time.
Since 1976, Bread for the City has been a vital lifeline for homeless and low-income families in Washington, DC—particularly in the Shaw neighborhood, which faced decades of disinvestment following the 1968 riots. Bread for the City now serves over 100,000 clients, offering food, clothing, medical and dental care, legal services, and case management. City First Bank invested in Bread for the City’s expansion through two major facility build outs.
Thurgood Marshall Academy emerged in response to decades of underinvestment in the area. At the time, the community faced significant challenges—including limited access to high-quality educational resources. The school was established to help close opportunity gaps and provide students with a rigorous, college-preparatory education grounded in law and civic engagement. City First invested in the acquisition and rehabilitation of Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School Educational Facility.