Email from Affordable Homes & Communities Resident Stories, CCR Decision Day, & Real Estate Updates May 2025 E-Newsletter Allium Place Offers a Fresh Start When Shae F. and her family were displaced in July, they started staying with friends while she looked for a new place to live. In her search for affordable housing, she found Allium Place. Affordable Homes & Communities began welcoming its first residents to Allium Place earlier this year. Shae and her two teens, ages 17 and 18, moved into a three-bedroom, two-bathroom in early April. “It is such an amazing place. One, just being brand new everything makes you feel more like royalty,” Shae said. “We love it. My mental well-being is better as well, just knowing I have a stable place to stay.” Read Full Story   Welcoming Homeowners at Allium Place AHC recently joined Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland to celebrate three families becoming homeowners at Allium Place in Silver Spring. During the Home Dedication Ceremony, AHC presented one of the families with a symbolic gift: a decorative key representing ownership and a fresh start. Allium Place is a unique collaboration that brings together affordable rental housing and homeownership opportunities in one vibrant community.   REAL ESTATE RECAP AHC Partner Announces New Project Manna, Inc., announced the successful closing of construction financing for S Street Village, a transformative new community in Washington, D.C., that will bring 90 deeply affordable homes, a renovated church, and Manna’s new headquarters to the Shaw neighborhood. “We’re honored to support Manna on this important project,” said Paul Bernard, AHC President & CEO. “Through the power of mission-aligned partnerships like this, we can come together and tackle economically challenging housing developments – and bring real opportunity to communities.” AHC helped bring the project across the finish line, preserving much-needed affordable housing in one of the most expensive areas of D.C. Congratulations to Manna, DCHFA, and all the partners bringing this vision to life! Arlington County Invests in Goodwill Redevelopment The Goodwill redevelopment project is moving forward, thanks to milestone funding from Arlington County. The project includes 128 affordable apartments, a childcare center, and a brand-new Goodwill retail and donation center. At its May 10 meeting, the Arlington County Board allocated $13.69 million in funding for the $78.6M project. The allocation includes a $7,630,465 million loan from the County’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) and $6,057,000 in federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) grant funds. Read More   THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AHC at Bisnow Affordable Housing Summit Mary Claire Davis, AHC Vice President of Real Estate Development, spoke at the Bisnow DMV Affordable Housing Summit on a panel exploring how innovative use of public and private financing tools can be used to bring affordable housing projects to life. “To do new construction these days, we have to focus on mission-aligned partnerships,” Mary Claire said. “We really can’t take the risk of taking down a piece of property to do new construction because the timeline is too long.” She shared two project examples of creative ways to cut costs and make projects pencil against all odds. Read Bisnow’s article with key takeaways   Serrano Stop on Community Tour Last month, we welcomed Arlington County’s Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee and guests to the Serrano Apartments as part of the 2025 Community Development Tour. Attendees got to see AHC’s Resident Services program in action — including a financial literacy workshop led by our partner Edu-Futuro. It was a meaningful opportunity to share how our adult programming, supported by the Community Development Fund, helps connect residents to resources that support long-term stability, economic mobility, and self-sufficiency.   NEWS NUGGETS CCR Seniors Celebrate Decision Day Seniors in our College & Career Readiness (CCR) program celebrated their next steps at our Decision Day event, joined by proud families and supporters — including staff from Arlington Public Schools. Students announced plans to attend college, trade schools, and join the military. Congratulations to all our students! Huge thanks to Hope Multiplied, Northwest Federal Credit Union, and DMV Latinos@Amazon for helping make the event a success. Watch Video Building Community With AHC Welcome Baskets When resident Tonesha Nolan moved into Fort Henry with her three young children, she received a gift that made her feel at home — a welcome basket assembled by AHC volunteers and delivered by onsite Resident Engagement Specialist Grace James. “Ms. Grace was very nice when she brought the basket,” Tonesha said. “I was happy because most of the stuff that was in the welcome basket were things I actually needed. It was very helpful and came in handy.” This year, AHC is ensuring that every new resident receives a welcome basket from onsite Resident Services staff to support a smooth transition into their new homes. Read Full Story ICYMI: Volunteer Appreciation Event From mentoring and tutoring to food distributions and welcome baskets, AHC volunteers help transform lives every day. We celebrated their incredible dedication at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Event, where we recognized 5-, 10-, and 15-year volunteers and introduced our first-ever Rising Star Award for newer volunteers already making an impact. Thank you to Back Room Ceramics, Cultivating Life LLC Therapeutic Horticulture, Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe, Simona Cafe, and Vacation Lane Pottery for donating items for the event's raffle. Read More & Watch Video   GET INVOLVED Volunteer Opportunities Help our students finish the year strong. We're seeking tutors and mentors at education centers across Arlington and Baltimore. Fill out this interest form to be connected to students who could use your help. Every month, about 100 families move into AHC homes. We like to welcome them with a basket of household supplies (see story above.) This is a great volunteer project for groups and families. We're planning community-building events like produce box distributions and Bingo, as well as many other one-time volunteer opportunities. Learn more and sign up. Contact [email protected] for more information. Summer Camp 2025 AHC will be holding fun, enriching, in-person summer camps for elementary school students. Volunteers assist staff with indoor educational activities, snack time, outside play time, field trips, and pool days. Volunteers will read, play, and build relationships with students, and can develop and lead activities. College students and adult volunteers are welcome and appreciated (must be age 14+). Learn more and fill out an interest form. Help us get the word out! Share this email with anyone looking for a summer volunteering opportunity.   Give the Gift of Summer Camp In less than two months, we'll kick off our learning-focused summer programs for elementary-age students and teens. This year, AHC is thrilled to expand our reach — we anticipate serving 350 campers, our largest group yet! At AHC Summer Camp, kids enjoy games, swimming, and field trips while keeping the lessons learned in school front and center. We also host a College Bootcamp for AHC teens with guest speakers and workshops that include topics like goal setting, career discovery, and accessing college resources. Help ensure more young people from low-income households can count on a summer they’ll never forget. Donate Now Calling All Corporate Partners Does your company want to give back to the community and provide volunteer opportunities for your employees? Our Corporate Partners provide critical funding to ensure AHC’s Resident Services can provide essential social services and education programs in AHC communities. Contact Annie Sweeney to learn more about our partnership program, the impact of your investment, and support opportunities. Thank you to our 2025 Corporate Partners who are leading the way. Join them today! Our 2025 Corporate Partners Benefactor Builder Sustainer Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, LLC Enterprise Community Partners John Marshall Bank Paradigm Management     703-486-0626 | 2230 N Fairfax Dr. Arlington, VA 22201 www.ahcinc.org | DONATE NOW! Jobs at AHC AHC | 2230 North Fairfax Drive Suite 100 | Arlington, VA 22201 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice