November 2025 E-Newsletter | | AHC Launches Mini Food Pantry With County Support | | |
Earlier this month, Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC) opened an onsite mini food pantry at The Terraces at Arlington View community, made possible through a grant from Arlington County. The pantry served 60 households on its first day.
“Our residents were telling us what they needed, and I’m grateful we were able to create this resource for them," LaNia Dixon, AHC Resident Engagement Specialist, said. "For families facing financial challenges or without reliable transportation, having food assistance on site removes real barriers to getting help and shows them we’re here for them.”
| | Award-Winning Allium Place | | |
On November 17, AHC's Allium Place in Silver Spring received the Innovation Award from the Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition (MAHC). The award recognizes the community as a model of bold thinking and transformative action in affordable housing.
Developed in partnership with Montgomery County, Harkins Builders, and Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland, Allium Place is a co-located, 195-home affordable community that brings together 168 rental apartments and 27 homeownership opportunities.
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AHC was also proud to join our partner Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS as they received the Outstanding Project Award – Residential Project Under 200 Units from the Lambda Alpha International George Washington Chapter for their work on Allium Place.
| | ICYMI: NBC4 Featured Goodwill Partnership | | |
NBC4 recently featured our exciting new partnership with Goodwill of Greater Washington. Together, we’re reimagining Goodwill’s longtime Arlington flagship site into a first-of-its-kind mixed-use community — combining 128 affordable apartment homes, a new Goodwill retail store and donation center, onsite childcare, and workforce development programs all in one place.
Mary Claire Davis, AHC Vice President of Real Estate Development, shared with NBC4, “This is a project that’s supported roundly by Arlington County, by the community at large. And when the community comes together and decides it’s a priority, we can do things like this.”
| | Volunteer During the Holidays | |
Fight food insecurity - Volunteer at a food distribution on Monday mornings in Arlington.
Donate Holiday gift bags and cards - Read about these at-home projects and sign up online.
Volunteer at Holiday Events - Help decorate, serve food, and build community at resident holiday parties.
Pick-up Toys - We're looking for volunteers with a truck, SUV, or minivan to pick up toy donations on weekdays in December. The pick-ups will be near Fredericksburg, VA, in Montgomery County and Baltimore County. Email [email protected] for more information.
| | AHC Staff Take the Stage at Recent Panels | | |
Cindy Rozón, Senior Director of Resident Services, represented AHC at the Maryland Economic Development Association’s Fall Conference, "Talent is the Driver: Building Communities Where People Want to Live and Work."
Cindy participated in a panel exploring how housing, childcare, and community amenities contribute to a strong and resilient workforce, highlighting AHC's ongoing efforts to help ensure that working families have access to stable housing and the dependable childcare they need to succeed.
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AHC’s Melanie Ficke, Program Manager, was a panelist during the "Where Home & Homepage Intersect" virtual event, hosted by Arlington County’s Digital Equity Initiative and Housing&.
The conversation highlighted how affordable housing developers like AHC and True Ground Housing Partners are integrating digital connectivity into their communities — through in-unit WiFi, creative financing models, and partnerships that help close the digital divide.
| | New Partnership Supports Aging in Place at Charter House | | |
Residents at Charter House, an AHC senior community in Silver Spring, Maryland, recently completed the four-part Aging 360 pilot program this fall — a new partnership between Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC) and At Home with Growing Older (AHWGO).
Made possible through a Thome Aging Well grant, the program brings a different approach to aging in place — one that goes beyond home safety to address social connection, mental health, and confidence building.
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| | | From Volunteer to Ms. Mag | | |
When Magdalena Mallory started volunteering at AHC's Afterschool program at Greenspring Overlook last spring, her high energy and connection with students quickly stood out. By September, AHC hired her as a Program Assistant.
Now known as Ms. Mag, she monitors sessions, leads activities, and cooks meals for K-5th grade students in the community. What Magdalena enjoys most is celebrating each child's unique accomplishments.
| | Award-Winning Partnership Opens College Doors for Arlington Teens | | |
A groundbreaking partnership between Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC) and Arlington County's Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has earned the Virginia Parks and Recreation Society's Best New Program award for providing free college tours to first-generation students and teens living in affordable housing.
“These college tours, made possible through our partnership with Arlington Parks and Recreation, give students the exposure and access they need to make informed decisions about their futures,” Milenka Coronel Samey, AHC Director of Education, said.
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| Celebrating Student Artists | | |
We're proud to celebrate four AHC student residents from Gates of Ballston, Fort Henry Gardens, and Virginia Gardens who won top honors in Arlington County's Committed Affordable Housing (CAF) Art Awards. Hector (6), Kelly (8), Brianna (9), and Damary (12) all took home cash prizes and plaques for their outstanding artwork.
“This is like looking into my home, the love my parents give is at the center,” Damary wrote in her artist statement. “AHC is a place that feels like a family. Even though we come from different places, we all come together.”
| | AHC has officially kicked off our critical year-end fundraising effort. Thanks to a generous $15,000 matching gift from an anonymous AHC supporter, every donation made between now and December 31 will be MATCHED! | | Thank you for helping us plant seeds of opportunity for even more individuals and families. Let’s keep growing – together. | Another Way to Give: Donor-Advised Funds | | |
A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) lets your company or an individual recommend grants to nonprofits like AHC through a sponsoring organization.
You may need the following information to establish a DAF grant to AHC:
- Legal Name: AHC Inc. dba Affordable Homes & Communities
- Tax ID Number: 54-1026365
- Address: 2230 N Fairfax Dr, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22201
| | Thank You to Our Corporate Partners | | | | | |
Klein Hornig LLP
MainStreet Bank
McGuireWoods
Shulman Rogers
Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh
| | AHC’s Corporate Partners play a vital role in serving our residents. From financial literacy workshops to afterschool programming, AHC provides resident services that make lasting change. To join us, please contact [email protected]. | | | | |
