Community Lodgings secures $2.5M state award to advance Elbert Ave. affordable housing development
The HOME-ARP grant helps Community Lodgings finalize financing for a 94-unit project in Arlandria-Chirilagua, with construction set to begin this spring
Community Lodgings has been awarded $2.5 million in state funding to redevelop its Elbert Avenue Apartments in the Arlandria-Chirilagua neighborhood, a critical piece of financing for a project that has been years in the making.
The award comes through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s HOME-ARP Developer Subsidy Program, part of a $21.5 million round of funding distributed across 10 projects in nine localities statewide. The one-time funding, made possible through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, is designed to fill gaps in permanent financing for affordable rental developments.
For Community Lodgings, the grant arrives at a pivotal moment. The CLI Elbert Avenue Residences project — a 94-unit development that will replace the existing 28 aging apartments on the site — was approved by the Alexandria City Council in February 2023 and is currently in the final site plan stage. The project secured state opportunity tax credits in 2025 and is now actively finalizing its financing package, which includes $3.45 million in city investment. Construction is anticipated to begin this spring.
The Elbert Avenue site has served low-income families since 1993, when Community Lodgings began operating apartments there to help stabilize families exiting homelessness. The buildings, originally constructed in the 1940s, have long needed significant repairs. The nonprofit’s board began exploring redevelopment options in 2019, choosing to build an entirely new structure rather than pursue piecemeal fixes. The project utilizes the city’s RMF zoning designation.
The new development will offer one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments to households earning at or below 60% of the area median income, with 10 units receiving rent assistance through the City of Alexandria’s Pilot Rental Housing Subsidy Program and supportive services provided in partnership with the city’s Department of Community and Health. Community Lodgings has said all current residents will be relocated to comparable housing during construction, with relocation costs covered.
The redevelopment is central to Community Lodgings’ mission to lift families from homelessness and instability to self-sufficiency, and to keep the Arlandria-Chirilagua neighborhood accessible to all. The organization, which also operates two learning centers in Alexandria, has engaged the surrounding community through a series of public meetings held since 2022.