Image of young girl smiling and wearing a backpack. Yellow rounded rectangle graphic with "OUR YEAR IN REVIEW" written in dark teal. Below that, "2023 IMPACT REPORT" in white text.

Opening Doors,
Building Opportunities

Our Mission

The residents of Affordable Homes & Communities are at the heart of all we do. We build opportunity by creating quality homes with holistic resident services. We drive change through innovation, genuine partnerships, and responsible investment.

Our Vision

A world where all people share the same opportunities regardless of income, race or other qualities; where housing is integral to a healthy, welcoming, and equitable society; and where affordable homes are available to all.

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MESSAGE FROM PAUL BERNARD, PRESIDENT & CEO

I’m proud to share that in 2023 Affordable Homes & Communities continued to open doors and build opportunities!

We did that by working together with our dedicated staff and board, donors, financial allies, community partners, housing advocates, volunteers, and local government leaders. Thank you.

Our report showcases how we invested in our current communities in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. We created more than 500 homes in new communities, developed innovative partnerships, and expanded our services, resulting in nearly 15,000 touchpoints with residents.

In 2023, we also embraced the opportunity to reimagine, build on our past successes, and set a vision for expanding our impact. We rebranded as Affordable Homes & Communities, established an updated mission, vision, and values, and developed a bold strategic plan for the next five years.

We remain committed to our belief that affordable housing is critical economic and social infrastructure. That belief reinforces our mission to build opportunity by creating quality homes with holistic resident services.

Please take a few minutes to read through this report and our many achievements. With your support, we will continue to keep residents at the heart of all we do.

Paul Bernard
President & CEO
Affordable Homes & Communities

Image of Paul Bernard smiling outside in blue half-zip jacket and light blue dress shirt.
Light blue circle graphic with "8,425" written in large, white text. Below that, "apartments in DC, MD, VA" in teal text.
Gray circle graphic with "526" in teal text and "added in 2023" written below in dark teal text.
Yellow circle graphic with "54" written in large, white text and "communities" below in teal text.

Building & Preserving Homes

Image of the exterior of The Terraces at Arlington View (East).
Image of family (mother, father, young son, and young daughter) outside in front of green trees.

The Gussepe family was the first to move into their new home at The Terraces.

The Gussepe family was the first to move into their new home at The Terraces.

GRAND OPENING IN ARLINGTON

AHC held a ribbon-cutting for the $40.8 million redevelopment of a community located on the eastern end of Columbia Pike, in Arlington, VA. The Terraces at Arlington View has 77 beautiful homes – including 15 hard-to-find three-bedroom apartments. This sustainable building has 190 solar panels, an extensive green roof, EV charging stations in the garage, free Wi-Fi, and onsite resident services.

Image of 12 adults smiling in front of balloons as the ribbon is cut in front of The Terraces at Arlington View (East) building.
Image of the exterior of The Westerly with construction cones and barricades at street level.
Image of the outdoor courtyard at The Westerly with tables, chairs, a green space, and a firepit.

THE WESTERLY WELCOMES
NEW RESIDENTS

In the late fall of 2023, the first residents began moving into the Westerly in Washington, D.C. This mixed-use, mixed-income development in southwest D.C. (near The Wharf) includes 449 beautiful apartments, 136 of which will be affordable homes — for individuals or families earning 30-50% of the Area Median Income for our area.

Check out a virtual tour of the new community below.

GROUNDBREAKING PARTNERSHIP WITH GOODWILL

Goodwill of Greater Washington and AHC announced a new partnership in 2023. Together we are developing a critically-needed affordable housing community with 128 apartments, onsite childcare, and a brand-new retail store and donation center on the site of the existing Goodwill store on Glebe Road in Arlington, VA. The initiative is expected to start construction in 2025.

INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT ON TRACK IN SILVER SPRING

Construction at the Randolph Road community in Montgomery County, MD, is well underway! The development is an innovative partnership between AHC and Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland. The new community will offer nearly 200 homes, affordable at various incomes, and include rental and homeownership opportunities. The community will have onsite resident services programming and childcare.

Our construction camera shows our progress in real time. Watch the time-lapse of our work below.

Image of construction at Randolph Road site.
WATCH OUR PROGRESS

THE SPIRE EARNS BEAUTIFICATION AWARD

The Alexandria Beautification Commission selected The Spire for its contribution to the city’s beauty through community revitalization, native plantings, and environmentally sustainable practices. The Spire was one of only three awardees from 70 nominations!

Image of the exterior of The Spire with green trees and plants in front.

Photo by Yanique Revers

Photo by Yanique Revers

KEY MILESTONE IN
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE
HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

AHC staff and partner Reston Strong, a volunteer-led community action group, completed an in-depth training program with the Supportive Housing Institute of Virginia.

This milestone qualifies the partners to receive a $300,000 grant. It will help fund predevelopment efforts to create permanent supportive housing for chronically unhoused individuals in the Reston community.

Rendering of the proposed project with Goodwill and AHC featuring an affordable housing building, retail store, and green space.
Dark teal circle graphic with "$16m" written in large, white text at the top of the circle and "invested" in yellow text below.
Dark teal circle graphic with "$16m" written in large, white text at the top of the circle and "invested" in yellow text below.
Dark teal circle graphic with "$16m" written in large, white text at the top of the circle and "invested during 2023 in portfolio-wide improvements" in yellow text below.
Dark teal circle graphic with "$16m" written in large, white text at the top of the circle and "invested during 2023 in portfolio-wide improvements" in yellow text below. Yellow piggy bank graphic below that with a light yellow coin going into the piggy bank.
Image of three adults (one man and two women) smiling and holding plaques and awards.

David Brotman (left) and Cindy Rozon (right) with AHC and Sarah Selvaraj-Dsouza (middle) with Reston Strong.

David Brotman (left) and Cindy Rozon (right) with AHC and Sarah Selvaraj-Dsouza (middle) with Reston Strong.

AHC RECEIVES $10 MILLION TO FUND GREEN RENOVATIONS

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $10 million to Lansdowne Gardens, located in southwest Baltimore County. The funding will allow AHC to expand its planned renovation work and substantially improve energy and water efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and move the community to net-zero energy and emissions. The renovations will help AHC directly improve the lives of residents in this community of nearly 500 homes.

NET-ZERO HOMES PLANNED IN BALTIMORE

In 2023, AHC partnered with Urban Green LLC to begin planning for-sale homes in northeast Baltimore City. The project will include homes appealing to first-time homebuyers, with an initial phase of 10-15 homes. The development will use a microgrid and achieve net-zero energy efficiency. While minimizing climate concerns and utility expenses, the development hopes to increase neighborhood values, building wealth for legacy homeowners in a long-disinvested area.

Image of sign that reads "LANSDOWNE GARDENS LEASING OFFICE 410-247-411" at Lansdowne Gardens community.
Rendering of community of homes in Baltimore. Each home has solar panels on the roof, and there is green space in the center of the community.

Helping Communities Thrive

FOUR CORNERSTONES OF RESIDENT SERVICES

Rounded teal rectangle with white text, "Health & Wellness" and light blue graphics of a doctor, broccoli, and pea pods.
Rounded teal rectangle with white text, "Health & Wellness" and light blue graphics of a doctor, broccoli, and pea pods. Next to that, a yellow rounded rectangle with "Education & Youth Development" in white text and gray graphics of a lightbulb and a person putting blocks together.
Rounded teal rectangle with white text, "Health & Wellness" and light blue graphics of a doctor, broccoli, and pea pods. Next to that, a yellow rounded rectangle with "Education & Youth Development" in white text and gray graphics of a lightbulb and a person putting blocks together. Below that, a light green rounded rectangle with "Economic Mobility" in white text and gray graphics of a hand holding a bag of money and a money plant.
Rounded teal rectangle with white text, "Health & Wellness" and light blue graphics of a doctor, broccoli, and pea pods. Next to that, a yellow rounded rectangle with "Education & Youth Development" in white text and gray graphics of a lightbulb and a person putting blocks together. Below that, a light green rounded rectangle with "Economic Mobility" in white text and gray graphics of a hand holding a bag of money and a money plant. To the left of that, an orange rounded rectangle with "Community Building & Engagement" in white text and light blue graphics of a group of people with speech bubbles and two people hugging and waving.
Teal circle graphic with "14,846" in yellow text and "touchpoints with residents" below that in white text.
Light yellow circle graphic with "550" in green text and "evictions prevented (VA, MD, DC)" in dark teal text below. Gray graphic of a person in front of a house and a key to the right of the text.
Light green circle graphic with "800+" in teal text and "households supported with eviction prevention services" in dark teal text below.
Light blue circle graphic with "50" in large, orange text and "property management and Resident Services team members trained on AHC's comprehensive eviction prevention protocols" in dark teal text below.
Two images side by side with rounded corners. The first is an older man in a wheelchair adjusting a canvas and holding a pencil. Other people are working on their art behind him. The other image is of a medical professional wearing a mask and looking down. A resident with a mask is sitting in a chair facing her. There is a red box with a medical sticker on it in front of the medical professional.
A woman is smiling and holding a certificate of completion.
A father and daughter read a sheet of paper and a workbook is spread across the table in front of them.
A group of teens are running outside at the Girls on the Run 5k. They have Heart & Sole t-shirts on with paper runner numbers attached to them.

Photo by Girls on the Run of NOVA

Photo by Girls on the Run of NOVA

INTEGRATING ONSITE HEALTH & WELLNESS SERVICES

More than 150 residents at MonteVerde, an AHC community in Baltimore for seniors and non-elderly residents with a disability, participated in art therapy, nurse practitioner visits, occupational & speech therapy, blood pressure screenings, nutritional cooking classes, mental health workshops, and arthritis & health management workshops. In November 2023, partner National Capital Treatment & Recovery started providing educational services. This partnership is possible thanks to the Thome Aging Well grant.

NEW! WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM

Barbara, a long-time resident of Barclay Greenmount Apartments in central Baltimore, was one of the participants in this inaugural program. “These classes were very fulfilling for me. The entrepreneur class taught me how to start a business, and I told them I’d like to sell bracelets I make to earn extra money. [Another] class showed us ways to save money, and I started a Christmas savings account to use in 2024. The mental health class taught us about mindful breathing, going to counseling, and receiving other services.”

BUILDING STRONGER BONDS

Participants in our Strengthening Families program with Edu-Futuro celebrated their successful course completion. The seven-session program at Serrano taught parents and youth skills to communicate better and cope with stressors. AHC families worked together and supported each other, strengthening their relationships.

STRENGTHENING BODY & MIND

To celebrate the end of this season of Heart & Sole, 6th-8th grade participants ran a 5k in the fall. We’re proud of these teens for strengthening their minds and bodies through the program with Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia.

A large group of teens, volunteers, and staff smiles for a photo outside for the Girls on the Run 5k. Some of them are wearing Heart & Sole t-shirts, and all have a runner number attached to their clothing. There is a gray graphic of runners above the image.
Two adult volunteers organize food at a food distribution.
An older man has a soft smile and is sitting at a desk with a keyboard and a computer.
A mother and daughter smile for a photo at an AHC graduation celebration. The edges of the photo have a teal gradient.
An Arlington County police officer points at a book and reads with a young student.
A young boy smiles and holds an open book. The image has a teal gradient around the boy.
Light yellow rounded rectangle with "Over 1,500" in teal text and "residents in MD and VA received food assistance in 2023" in dark teal below. There is a teal graphic of a large group of people below that.

Through our partnership with the Arlington Food Assistance Center, we’ve expanded our reach to provide free weekly groceries at an additional six communities in Arlington.

INCREASING DIGITAL EQUITY AT MARYLAND COMMUNITIES

Last year, AHC installed 26 computers and five printers at five of AHC’s Maryland-based communities: Charter House, Greenspring Overlook, Barclay Greenmount, Union Rowe, and MonteVerde. This is another critical step toward our goal of breaking down the digital divide and building equity across all our properties.

A computer lab at Union Rowe with four computers and a printer.

Norman has lived at MonteVerde for more than 20 years. In 2015, he began teaching free computer classes there. This talented volunteer resident also hosts “Meet the Tech” hours to answer residents’ questions and even helps with smart TVs and smartphones.

READ MORE
A pill-shaped yellow graphic with "81" in large, white text and "juniors and seniors participated in the College & Career Readiness program" in teal text next to it. There is a gray graduation cap graphic to the right of the text.

In June 2023, AHC celebrated 37 graduates of AHC’s College & Career Readiness (CCR) program. The graduates received $13.3 million in gift aid and scholarships – a new record for the CCR program and nearly double the amount from the prior year. All the students are the first generation in their families to reach this educational milestone.

Two images overlapping. The first is a circle-cropped image of a student in a graduation cap and holding a certificate with her mentor. The other is a rounded rectangle image of a group of high school seniors throwing their caps at a graduation celebration.

Volunteer mentors and tutors play key roles in the CCR program.

Volunteer mentors and tutors play key roles in the CCR program.

TUTORING PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHES, EXPANDS

AHC, the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD), and the Life Enrichment Center partnered to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring to elementary-aged students at AHC’s Afterschool program. The program supports positive youth development through education and relationship building. The program also expanded to include more Arlington public safety staff and AHC sites, reaching more kids.

ABC7/WJLA also covered this story on the local news. Check it out below.

USING AI TO ADVANCE READING SKILLS

AHC piloted an artificial intelligence (AI) program, Otto Learning, with 100 of our youngest students. Otto uses voice recognition AI to provide immediate feedback when practicing letter sounds and sight words.

Four students smile for a photo and hold their arms around each other.

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING KICKS OFF

The Afterschool and Teen Tutoring programs began using the Positivity Project curriculum to help students learn about positive psychology’s 24-character strengths. Students learned to identify strengths in themselves and others, to harness the strengths they have, and to build others.

A teal graphic with a gray outline of a person holding a book.
A yellow circle graphic behind a screenshot of the AHC resident newsletter, "Residents in the Know." To the right of the screenshot, there's a graphic of a yellow circle with a gray grid on it and yellow circles on it (like the round Internet symbol).
A group of nine women (AHC staff and residents) smiling for a photo. The residents are holding certificates.
Two images overlapping. The first image is a rounded rectangle and is of six resident volunteers standing in front of two garden beds. The other image is circle-cropped and shows the residents building a garden bed. There are two gray graphics of a person gardening and shoveling dirt.

NEW! ADVANCING COMMUNICATION WITH RESIDENTS

In 2023, AHC launched resident newsletters for communities in Maryland and Virginia. The newsletters are delivered electronically and in multiple languages; print versions are available onsite.

AMBASSADOR COMMITTEE RAISES RESIDENT VOICES

During 2023, resident volunteers on the committee worked tirelessly with AHC staff and residents to capture neighborhood feedback and implement recommendations. The Ambassador Committee was a pilot in 2023, and residents represented 10 Virginia properties.

GROWING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

A new community garden sprouted at The Apex, thanks to a NeighborWorks grant from the Community Leadership Institute. An AHC resident, College & Career Readiness program graduate, and George Mason University student spearheaded the operation with Resident Services and other GMU students. Residents helped build garden beds and prep them for the winter.

Resident Engagement & Appreciation

ALL COMMUNITIES, ALL YEAR LONG

Resident Services gathers resident voice to impact decisions made at individual communities. Surveys were completed at 11 sites in 2023, with surveys collected from 631 households! The information helps create property services plans and shapes approaches and tactics for resident engagement.

Orange pill-shaped graphic with a yellow sun graphic with "175 youth" in plum-colored text in the sun. To the right of that, "Join Summer Fun + Learning" is in light blue text. There is a yellow graphic of a person with a kite to the right of that.
Three images overlapping. Each have rounded corners and a light blue border. The first is of a man helping a young girl with an icing bag, and there are kids in the background watching with cupcakes on the table in front of them. The image in the top right is of two teens and a volunteer making birdhouses. The final image below that is of a group of kids at a pool holding pool noodles.

AWARD WINNERS FROM AHC COMMUNITIES

In 2023, the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND) honored two students from AHC communities. AHC couldn’t be prouder of these inspiring young residents!

A young girl smiles with her parents in front of a purple background with the HAND logo on it. The image has rounded corners.

Hermon Weldegiorgis was the grand prize winner of the Children’s Essay Contest.

Hermon Weldegiorgis (shown with parents) was the grand prize winner of the Children’s Essay Contest.

A teal pill-shaped graphic with "Volunteers" in yellow text and "Providing services for residents is AHC's secret sauce. Volunteers are the key ingredient" in white text below. There are two images below that. The first is of a volunteer reading with a kid. The second is of two volunteers holding holiday gift bags and a poster of the AHC logo. Each image has rounded corners and a gray outline.
A collage of four images. The first image is of four men grilling food outside at a park. The image below that is of a group of volunteers holding holiday gift bags. To the right of that is a larger image of a volunteer wearing reindeer ears with a young resident holding a gingerbread house. The image below that is of a group of volunteers smiling in front of Christmas trees. All of the images have rounded corners and a gray outline.
Two images overlapping. The first is of a young boy reading Dr. Seuss. The second is of four kids in green shirts holding a handmade poster with "Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence" written on it. They are at a park. The images have rounded corners and a light blue border.
A teen stands at a podium speaking into a microphone. The podium is purple with the HAND logo on it.

Toromo Funsho, an incoming first-year student at the Univ. of Virginia, was a GenerationHAND Scholarship awardee and gave remarks to the packed audience.

Toromo Funsho, an incoming first-year student at the Univ. of Virginia, was a GenerationHAND Scholarship awardee and gave remarks to the packed audience.

An orange circle graphic with "1,200" in white text and "volunteers" in dark teal text below.
A yellow circle graphic with "6,900" in white text and "volunteer hours" in dark teal below.

Housing Industry
Leadership in Action

A woman smiles holding an award in front of a blue backdrop with "Advocacy, Capacity Building and Education" written on it.

CHANGING THE GAME THROUGH EDUCATION

The Virginia Housing Alliance awarded AHC staff member Milenka Coronel Samey a Game Changer Award in 2023. The award recognizes innovators in the affordable housing space. Milenka’s work creating and curating AHC’s College and Career Readiness (CCR) program earned her the accolade.

AHC IN THE NEWS

NPR’s “Marketplace Morning Report” featured Affordable Homes & Communities in a story about the effects of rising insurance rates on affordable housing. Paul Bernard, AHC President & CEO — and co-chair of the Housing Partnership Insurance Exchange in the Housing Partnership Network — shared insights. The reporter also toured an AHC property with Josh Childs on our development team. Listen below.

ADVISING ON HOUSING IN MARYLAND

During the year, AHC Greater Baltimore’s Mary Claire Davis served on the Maryland Governor’s Executive Policy Committee, advising housing policy and priorities for the state of Maryland.

HELPING WITH HOUSING SOLUTIONS IN GEORGIA

This past fall, Paul Bernard chaired an Urban Land Institute Advisory Services program on how Atlanta Housing, the city’s housing authority, can best use its vacant and undeveloped land to pursue its goal to develop 5,000 new affordable homes. Exchanging expertise and best practices benefits affordable housing in our own region and beyond.

SHARING BEST PRACTICES
& APPROACHES

In 2023, AHC’s Stefanie Bass presented at multiple conferences about the organization’s trauma-informed practices and plans for the future. During the year, Stefanie trained 75 new AHC and property management staff on basic trauma awareness and response.

Thank You to Our 2023 Donors!

Affordable Homes & Communities is grateful for the many renewed and new supporters who help make the Resident Services program possible. This list acknowledges financial gifts of $100+ made between Jan. 1, 2023 – Dec. 31, 2023.

VIEW OUR LIST OF DONORS
An image with a yellow rectangle and a circle image of a teen in a graduation cap hugging a volunteer.
An image with a yellow rectangle and a circle image of a teen in a graduation cap hugging a volunteer. To the right of that, a circle-cropped image of a family of four (a young daughter, a toddler daughter, a mother, and a grandmother).
An image with a yellow rectangle and a circle image of a teen in a graduation cap hugging a volunteer. To the right of that, a circle-cropped image of a family of four (a young daughter, a toddler daughter, a mother, and a grandmother). To the right of that, a circle-cropped image of a young boy smiling and holding a backpack.
An image with a yellow rectangle and a circle image of a teen in a graduation cap hugging a volunteer. To the right of that, a circle-cropped image of a family of four (a young daughter, a toddler daughter, a mother, and a grandmother). To the right of that, a circle-cropped image of a young boy smiling and holding a backpack. To the right of that, a teal circle graphic with "FIND OUT MORE" in yellow text and "AHCINC.ORG" in white text below.

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