A major affordable housing provider plans to transition near-all of its Arlington properties to new management firms by the end of the year.
Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC) has hired two new management groups to oversee its D.C.-area properties, including 23 apartment buildings in Arlington. The nonprofit, which has faced complaints of poor living conditions at some of its Arlington communities, says it hopes to improve residents’ experiences.
AHC is handing the reins to North Bethesda-based CAPREIT and McLean-based KETTLER, with a goal of completing the changes by the end of 2025. Each of these firms will handle about half of Arlington’s AHC properties.
The nonprofit currently employs Paradigm, Drucker + Falk, Harbor Group Management and Habitat America as property management companies. These firms will not be returning to AHC’s properties, with the exception of Paradigm at Historic Ballston Park.
“The intention all along was to look at the four [firms] and do something different — to look at the four, and then shrink down to, perhaps, two,” AHC President Paul Bernard said. “[It is] something that would be easier for us to manage, and something that we thought would be probably a lot more effective [and] efficient for our residents.”
AHC ceased all property management responsibilities in 2022 after hiring third-party firms to handle its entire portfolio. Before then, the nonprofit grappled with reports of poor and unsafe living conditions for years at Serrano Apartments on Columbia Pike.
More recently, Bernard responded to similar concerns from residents at another AHC property, The Shelton in Green Valley, during a Tenant-Landlord Commission meeting in July.
Addressing previous incidents, Bernard said “every year, we try to get better in terms of what we do.”
“The change wasn’t for change’s sake,” Bernard said. “It’s always, can we be better at all of what we do, and how we deliver to residents.”
Some properties have already begun to announce the forthcoming changes. Last month, residents at Westover Apartments received a letter from AHC obtained by ARLnow stating that the property will switch from Harbor Management Group to CAPREIT.
“This partner was chosen because they share our mission and commitment to resident experience and customer service,” the letter reads. “CAPREIT also has deep affordable housing expertise and enhanced resources for maintenance, property upkeep, and improvements.”
The changes in management firms will not result in rent increases, Bernard said. “Some” property staff members are expected to stay in place, although the new firms may evaluate and make changes as they see fit.
Bernard, who became AHC’s president in 2022, said the changes come as the housing provider looks to shift from a “transactional to relational” approach.
He said CAPREIT and KETTLER “aligned more with [AHC] mission-wise.”
“We want to be at a place where a resident will feel as though they’re a part of a community — not just renting a box,” he said.
CAPREIT owns and operates at least 40 residential properties in several states and along the East Coast, including Square 50 Apartments and 770 C Street Apartments in D.C.
KETTLER’s management portfolio includes 77 properties across seven states, with a heavy presence in the D.C. area. According to its website, it currently manages three Arlington buildings: The Fields of Arlington, Garfield Park and Acadia at Metropolitan Park.
AHC owns the following properties in Arlington.
- The Apex, 2900 S. Glebe Road
- The Shelton, 3215 24th Street S.
- Fort Henry Gardens, 2470 S. Lowell Street
- The Macedonian, 2229 Shirlington Road
- The Spectrum, 5055 S. Chesterfield Road
- Virginia Gardens, 1718 S. Taylor Street
- Taylor Square, 4235 S. 16th Street
- The Shell, 870 S. Greenbrier Street
- Serrano, 5535 Columbia Pike
- Arbor Heights, 5203 8th Road S.
- Harvey Hall, 860 S. Greenbrier Street
- Key Gardens, 5121 Columbia Pike
- The Terraces at Arlington View West, 1429 S. Rolfe Street
- The Terraces at Arlington View East, 1420 S. Rolfe Street
- Goodwill of Greater Washington, 10 S. Glebe Road — slated for redevelopment into affordable housing
- Gates of Ballston, 4108 4th Street N.
- The Jordan, 801 N. Wakefield Street
- Historic Ballston Park, 351 N. Glebe Road — jointly owned with Paradigm, which will continue to manage this property only
- The Ashtons, 5701 10th Road N.
- Westover Apartments, 5819 Washington Blvd
- Woodbury Park, 2306 11th Street N.
- The Frederick, 2230 Fairfax Drive
- Colonial Village West, 2111 Key Blvd
- Key Boulevard, 1537 Key Blvd
- Hunter’s Park at Cherrydale, 2021 N. Nelson Street
