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AHC Celebrates Grand Opening of 108 New Affordable Rental Apartments in Arlington

ARLINGTON, Va., May 9 PRNewswire — AHC Inc., the largest nonprofit developer and owner of affordable housing in Northern Virginia, celebrated the opening of The Frederick, a nine-story building with 108 new apartments for low- and moderate-income residents yesterday afternoon. The homes are affordable to households earning less than 60 percent of the area median income (AMI). The project's innovative components — extensive services for residents, unique mixed-use, mixed-income development, and location in one of Arlington's most urban and metro-accessible neighborhoods — add up to one of the region's state-of-the-art affordable housing projects.

The Frederick contains 54 one-bedroom units, 46 two-bedroom units, and eight three-bedroom units to meet the needs of larger families. In addition, eight units were constructed to be fully accessible to persons with disabilities. The building is currently home to a significant number of Housing Choice Voucher households that typically earn only 0-30% AMI. The building has been 100% occupied since completion.

"The addition of 108 spacious new affordable apartments that are conveniently located near metro and buses is a big plus for Arlington," said Representative Jim Moran (D-VA). "I commend AHC for their ongoing efforts to provide affordable homes for moderate- and low-income residents in our increasingly expensive and desirable community."

The Frederick is named after Lou Ann Frederick, AHC's Executive Director from 1978 to 1998. A tireless advocate for affordable housing at the local, state and national levels, Lou Ann laid the foundation for AHC's rental and homeownership programs, and also initiated comprehensive onsite educational services for residents.

"Along with building homes, AHC takes a holistic approach to building futures," said Walter D. Webdale, President and CEO. "We are proud to offer a new affordable community that can provide a strong foundation for productive, successful lives — spacious, bright apartments large enough for families; close proximity to employment, transit and shopping; and a wide variety of programs to support and nurture families and children through our Resident Services programs."

Now in its 15th year, AHC's Resident Services program serves 1,800 residents annually through six community centers in Arlington. The Frederick's new 3,000-square-foot community center will also serve low- and moderate-income residents of the adjacent Woodbury Park garden apartments.

Resident Services' growth could not have been possible without strong and steady support from community partners. The Freddie Mac Foundation is the largest sponsor of Resident Services. Recently, the Foundation awarded AHC a $500,000 grant to help further expand AHC's programs for families and children.

"AHC has been leading the way for years in providing vulnerable children and families with both a home and critical resident services to keep them in their home. AHC's work complements our efforts to make home a place where children and families thrive. With this investment, we are ensuring more families receive high quality resident services, enabling children to succeed in school and life and families to be independent," said Ralph F. Boyd, Jr., chairman and CEO, Freddie Mac Foundation.

AHC's Resident Services program includes after-school programs for children, tutoring and leadership training for teens, and parenting and life skills programs for adults. With the Freddie Mac Foundation grant, AHC will increase the number of residents served, including 50 more children in after-school programs and 92 more students with homework assistance and social enrichment programs. The Foundation's investment will also support a new project targeted to younger teens at several AHC properties. In addition, the grant will help more parents living in AHC properties to receive important weekly and monthly learning opportunities, including classes for new English speakers, technological literacy, and behavior management techniques and communicating with children. AHC expects these classes to reach 276 parents over three years.

Also at the celebration were Congressman Jim Moran, County Board Chairman Walter Tejada, AHC Chairman Andrew Keyes, County housing officials, and representatives of AHC's financing, design and construction partners on the project: AHC Management LLC, Andy Stern's Office Furniture, Inc., Architects Collaborative Inc., The Bush Companies, RBC Capital Markets, Virginia Capital Advisors, Virginia Housing Development Authority, Wachovia Bank, and WDG Architecture/Interiors.

AHC Inc. is a private, nonprofit developer of low- and moderate-income housing. Founded in 1975, AHC produces and preserves affordable rental housing; provides homeownership services; and offers social services to improve the quality of residents' lives. AHC owns and operates 28 rental properties, providing affordable housing for more than 6,000 low- and moderate-income residents. AHC's homeownership programs have helped more than 1,300 families rehabilitate and repair their aging homes, assisted 300 families to buy their first home, and built more than 50 new affordable homes. http://www.ahcinc.org

Created by Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation is dedicated to making home a place where children and families thrive. As the largest corporate funder in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation have invested more than $357 million in organizations serving the community. http://www.FreddieMacFoundation.org

SOURCE Freddie Mac Foundation

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