News from AHC Inc. l January 2020

Developing affordable homes and helping communities thrive since 1975.

SOLD! Another Family is Moving Into a Renovated MonteVerde Rowe Home

Good news! Another row house in AHC's MonteVerde Rowe development in Baltimore's Park Heights neighborhood has welcomed a new family. The owner is an employee of the Baltimore City Public Schools.This is the ninth home AHC has renovated and sold on the block. One more AHC home is currently on the market and another is undergoing renovation. AHC also renovated a home on an adjacent street that is currently being rented.

Once a crumbling block of mostly abandoned row houses, the street is now coming back to life with first-time homebuyers who are bringing new vibrancy to the community. The fully renovated two- and three-bedroom homes combine their historic charm with modern design standards and current technology.

The block of homes leads to AHC's MonteVerde Rowe Apartments, an affordable community for more than 301 seniors.

New Resident Services Programs in 2020

We are excited to report that AHC's Resident Services' menu of services is growing in 2020 thanks to new opportunities, funding and donations.

Our newest building, The Apex, on South Glebe Road in Arlington, is opening its doors this spring. The education team is already starting to plan how they can best serve the 256 families at the property and surrounding community. So far our plans include providing afterschool and teen tutoring in the fall with some modified programming for children in the space over the summer.

We are also expanding opportunities for residents in Green Valley at The Shelton with two new programs - teen tutoring and workforce training.

And, thanks to The Potomac School's generous donation of eight Mindstorm Robotic kits and four chrome books, students at two of our community centers are learning block chain coding. The robots are made out of Legos and can master challenges like going through a maze or picking up a ball. AHC volunteers have been trained to teach the teens starting in February. Our teens (and volunteers) are super excited!

Photo: Volunteer John Kauffman shows Fort Henry students the Lego Robotics.

Alexandria Housing Summit Brings Together Residents and Advocates

The City of Alexandria held their first-ever Housing Summit last weekend and AHC was delighted to participate. It was great to see so many familiar faces in the exhibition hall, including The Campagna Center, our education partner at two of our apartment communities in Alexandria.

AHC's President and CEO, Walter D. Webdale, represented nonprofit developers in the closing session, which highlighted regional challenges and solutions to housing affordability. Other speakers included Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey and Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson. Some of the solutions discussed include zoning changes, more density and height, and intentional regional partnerships and programs.

Link to program presentations and more information about the Housing Summit

Read more: Alexandria residents discuss housing affordability at summit, WTOP, 1-11-20

Generous Donors Helped Make Holidays Bright for AHC Families

We are truly grateful for the outpouring of support our residents received throughout the holiday season. Generous individuals and community partners, including Full Circle Montessori School, eight Marymount University sports teams, Rotary Club of Arlington and the Crystal City Pentagon Rotary Club provided gifts for needy AHC families.

Long-time supporter St. Peter’s Episcopal Church also donated Christmas trees to Woodbury Park residents and gifts for all our afterschool children.

Our Virginia Gardens students were thrilled when Santa unexpectedly dropped into their classroom. It's possible their screams of delight even reached the North Pole.This is the second year Delegate Patrick Hope has donned his red suit and beard and read a holiday story to our students.

Gates of Ballston students were also excited to see Santa during a special holiday celebration provided by Amazon Web Services, Wakefield High School and Barrett Elementary. The amazing generosity included tables filled with gifts for children and teens of all ages.

Earlier in December, AHC was chosen to participate in a national campaign to promote the AmazonSmile program during the holidays. Amazon’s generous donation to AHC included school supplies, educational board games, and computers. Read more here: https://www.arlnow.com/2019/12/11/amazon-makes-holiday-donation-to-local-affordable-housing-group/

Martin Luther King Day of Service

AHC was fortunate to participate in Volunteer Arlington's MLK Day of Service in several ways on Monday.

The Arlington Rotary Club hosted a service project for volunteers to make blankets that were donated to AHC and A-SPAN. We received 80 beautiful blankets that will help keep our afterschool students warm. We are grateful to the 175 volunteers who participated in the project!

AHC also joined the Alliance for Housing Solutions and APAH to host an “Affordable Housing 101” panel to discuss programs and volunteer opportunities. Attendees learned more about the need for affordable housing in Arlington and the challenges of creating additional living opportunities in our area.

Supporters of the Combined Federal Campaign

can pledge to AHC via CFC #77198. Thank you!