In 2025, True Ground Housing Partners broke ground on The Sweeney, a 432-unit affordable housing community in the National Landing neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia.
The development is made possible through a unique collaboration with Arlington County and Amazon, which has its East Coast headquarters just three blocks away. Amazon donated the development rights to the county, which then selected True Ground to develop the housing.
The Sweeney will be the first 100% affordable housing built in the neighborhood in the last 45 years. While significant on its own, the development’s impact will go beyond its walls as the first step of a larger, multi-phase development that will create a district with housing at all income levels.
“It’s special because it shows that employers and corporations like Amazon can invest in affordable housing in creative ways,” says Carmen Romero, president and CEO of True Ground. “It showcases scale with a 432-unit building for families in an area of opportunity, near transit, near (Reagan) National Airport, and near jobs.”
The $230 million project leverages both 9% and 4% low-income housing tax credits, Amazon’s Housing Fund, and key state and local financing.
The Sweeney propelled True Ground to No. 46 on the AHF 50 developers list this year, but the nonprofit marked a number of other milestones, including opening the 93-unit Riggs Crossing Senior Residences. The development is the organization’s first property in the District of Columbia, demonstrating its geographic growth.
In another move, the organization recently acquired an office building in Montgomery County, Maryland, to unlock future opportunities to redevelop the site with affordable housing.
Formerly the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, the nonprofit rebranded a few years ago to reflect its evolution. In addition to expanding its footprint and tackling larger projects through new public-private partnerships, True Ground has made it a point to invest in resident services.
A third of the 60-member team is dedicated to resident services, according to Romero, who has been with the organization for 15 years. Before taking the helm in 2021, she led its real estate development efforts.
True Ground’s CORES (Certified Organization for Resident Engagement & Services) team works to build relationships with residents and connects families to enrichment programs and community resources that help them thrive. Leaning into resident services has helped the families living in True Ground’s 25 properties as well as the organization, which has a notably low—about 1%—eviction rate for nonpayment of rent, with an economic occupancy rate of 97%.
In 2025, True Ground supported more than 93% of its 6,000 residents through programs that strengthen financial wellness, health and wellness, education, and economic mobility.
More housing development and resident services are planned for this year.
“The moment requires a lot to meet the magnitude of the housing challenge we are in, especially when you consider the K-shaped economy,” Romero says. “The people we are serving are at the bottom of that K—$47,000 a year household incomes, and 25% of our residents are seniors living on a fixed income. … Those of us who have the capacity to create housing in scale have to push.”