Tall staircases rise from the ground at 7000 Carnation St. in South Side – the first major feature of the 218 new income-restricted apartments that will rise on the 5-acre site.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney and other officials Tuesday joined developer John Gregory of Lynx Ventures to highlight the $53 million development the company is undertaking as an example of the city’s commitment to provide more affordable rental and ownership units.

Mayor Stoney said developments like this one are essential to address the housing crisis so many are facing because “the rent’s too damn high, and we know we need more housing, period.”

The mayor noted that all of the Carnation Street units will be reserved for people making 50 to 70 percent of median income. “That means folks who make $15 to $25 an hour. That’s a huge deal,” he said.

Council President Michael J. Jones, who represents the area in the 9th district, called this development “a reason to celebrate.”

Dr. Jones said the development would provide stable housing for people just starting jobs, but also for public school students for whom stable housing is a challenge.

“Imagine being a child who has to transfer schools because your mom couldn’t find a good place to live,” he said. “This project right here will help avert one particular challenge that our young people can face by providing nice housing in a place they can be proud of, a place that is clean and a place that is safe.”

The development is one of eight privately built affordable housing communities in which the city last year invested $6.34 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act(ARPA) funds and that are to deliver a total of 769 affordable apartments.

At this event, Mayor Stoney also announced the second round of awards for affordable housing for which his ad- ministration is seeking council approval to spend ARPA dollars. The ordinance that was introduced Monday proposes to award about $2 million to three projects that would rehabilitate 167 existing units and provide about $6 million to nine new developments that plan to deliver another 938 affordable units. A majority of the

developments would be in South Side. On the rehab front, Better Housing Coalition is to receive $1 million to support its plans to overhaul 91 units at Lafayette Gardens on Ruffin Road in South Side; Genesis Properties is proposed to receive $600,000 to improve 62 units at Swansboro Apartments on Broad Rock Road in South Side; and Urban Hope is to receive $450,000 to help it renovate 14 rental properties in Church Hill.

The list of new developments that are recommended to receive a share of the $6 million include Dakota Partners, which plans to add 66 more units to its Brady Square affordable housing development in South Side; Project: Homes, which is planning to build 86 new units at 2100 Bainbridge St. in South Side; and Lynx Ventures, which is planning to create 242 affordable apartments in the former Oak Grove Elementary School on Ingram Street in South Side.

Also on the list are Planet Zero Residences, which plans to include 48 afford- able units among the 237 units that are to be developed on 3rd Street in South Side; Commonwealth Catholic Charities, which is seeking to develop 56 units on Fourquerean Lane in North Side; and Crescent Development, which is planning to develop 276 units in the 4800 block of Walmsley Boulevard in South Side.

ARPA funding also is proposed to go to Enterprise Community Development to support the creation of 43 affordable housing units in the 1200 block of East Brookland Park Boulevard; The Community Builders to support development of a second phase of 72 rental units to replace a portion of Creighton Court’s public housing units; and Dodson Development, which plans to include 49 affordable units among the 163 apartments it plans for the 500 block of Maury Street.