Beacon House is located on the campus of Edgewood Commons, an affordable housing community located in DC’s Ward 5.  

Ward 5 is extremely diverse in character, history, and people. Ward 5 is home to several universities, including Catholic University of America, Trinity University, and Gallaudet University. The Ward is also home to the rolling hills of the National Arboretum as well as Lincoln’s Cottage, which sits in the Old Soldiers Home. 

Significant economic development is occurring across Ward 5. A comparison of the 2005-2009 and 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, show that the median income for families Ward 5 is up 21%. Despite surrounding growth, few residents of Edgewood Commons are reaping the benefits of this change. Within Edgewood Commons the average annual household income is roughly $12,000, only 56% of parents have high school diplomas, and 36% of adults are unemployed (CPDC, 2016).   

A majority of the children we serve live within Edgewood Commons. Despite their familial and economic backgrounds, and despite the systemic racism they face — our youth are 96% African American and 4% Hispanic — our youth prove each year, that with support and encouragement that they can graduate from high school with plans for college, trade school or a career. 

As a placed-based organization that has been located in Edgewood Commons for three decades, Beacon House has become a part of the fabric of the community in the Edgewood neighborhood.  

Kyia, a Beacon House parent, recently described Beacon House as “part of the glue that holds Edgewood together.”