Aid comes as pandemic-era rental relief programs end

ARLINGTON, VA (March 16, 2023) – Today, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) announced that the Arlington Presbyterian Church (APC) congregation has committed $200,000 to help low-income residents facing eviction remain in their homes at four APAH-owned properties along Columbia Pike. This funding will help eliminate outstanding rent balances for as many as 200 APAH residents and their families. The timing of the gift is critical, as multiple pandemic-era safety net programs that provided relief to struggling renters have ended.

“These relief programs provided lifelines for vulnerable residents to ensure their housing needs were met, and right now, low-income households everywhere are experiencing hardship now that the safety nets are no longer available,” said APAH President and CEO, Carmen Romero. “APAH is committed to ensuring that its residents have a stable place to call home and we are grateful to have a partner like Arlington Presbyterian Church who shares our mission. Our hope is that APC’s generosity inspires more community partners to join them in helping our neighbors remain housed.”

The funds will be made available this Saturday, March 18, during a dedicated resident-only event. The goal is to eliminate outstanding rent balances at Gilliam Place, Buchanan Gardens, Columbia Hills, and Columbia Grove. APAH Resident Services staff, members of Arlington Presbyterian Church, Arlington County Government, as well as Arlington Thrive will be onsite to assist residents, determine their needs, and provide critical financial relief. The partnership underscores APAH’s commitment to provide stable, affordable homes to those who need them most.

“Our faith mandates us to put the well-being of our neighbors at the center of all we do,” said Arlington Presbyterian Church Pastor, Ashley Goff. “We care deeply about our Gilliam Place and Columbia Pike neighbors, and if we join our partners in the work, we can generate real power for change together. This gift is one way in which we live out this narrative and our core values.”

Community organizations, businesses, and individuals interested in supporting APAH’s mission and its residents can visit www.apah.org/get-involved/donate/ways-to-give/ or email giving@apah.wpenginepowered.com.

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About APAH

Founded in 1989, APAH helps more than 2,300 households live in stable, secure, affordable rental homes. APAH has nearly 400 affordable apartments under construction and an additional 1,500 in its development pipeline. As a CORES Certified Resident Services provider, APAH delivers comprehensive services to youth, families, and seniors across its 20 properties. In 2020, APAH was named one of the nation’s Top 50 Affordable Housing Developers by Affordable Housing Finance magazine. The organization was named 2021 Developer of the Year by the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND). In 2022, APAH’s Queens Court Apartments received HAND’s Best Large Affordable Housing Project award and the Urban Land Institute’s inaugural Terwilliger Center Award for Innovation in Attainable Housing. Lucille and Bruce Terwilliger Place was named Best Affordable Housing Development at the 2022 Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference and received a Multi-Family Residential Award of Excellence at the Best of NAIOP Northern Virginia Awards 2022.