Enterprise Community Development is the largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in the Mid-Atlantic region and the sixth largest in the US. According to the company, its $1.25 billion portfolio spans 115 communities and 13,000 homes serving more than 24,000 residents in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia.
Part of a national organization that focuses on all aspects of affordable housing, from concept to operation, the company aims to build aesthetically pleasing, sustainable and inclusive communities. His commitment to accessibility, innovation and community engagement has fostered the development of a successful and growing clean energy practice focused on a number of multifamily assets in the firm’s existing portfolio. This includes solar generation systems totaling nearly 7 MW on nearly 30 existing properties in Maryland and Washington, plus more than 5 MW developed off-site through partnerships.
In addition to overseeing new construction and renovations with both affordable and mixed-income elements, the company seeks to foster participation in project development through programs such as the Accelerator de Construïm, a model through which it works together with community and religious organizations to carry out neighborhood-oriented ideas.
Janine Lind, the company’s president since 2024, spoke with ENR correspondent Jim Parsons about how the company is addressing the challenges of meeting growing regional and national demand for affordable housing amid the complexity of strained financing resources. Their conversation has been edited and condensed.
A look at some of Enterprise Community Development’s most recent projects:
Ranleagh Court and Waverly Winds, Columbia, Maryland.
Totaling $112 million, the projects transformed two 1960s complexes to create more than 200 energy-efficient units with numerous amenities. Harkins Builders Inc. was the contractor.
Edgewood Commons V, Washington, DC
Part of the larger Edgewood Commons campus, the recently completed project offers 150 units focused on accessibility to support independent living for seniors and features 18,000 square feet of service and amenity space.
New projects on the horizon in Virginia
In December 2025, Enterprise Community Development received more than $7.4 million in funding from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Affordable and Special Needs Housing Program to advance a 96-unit affordable housing community in Waynesboro and rehabilitate the 60-year-old, 106-unit Coralaine Gardens Apartments in Fairfax County. Construction start dates for the projects have not been announced.
What is the market outlook for public and mixed-income projects? What has made them more difficult to do?
It is certainly more complicated and challenging today. Interest rates and construction costs that spiked during COVID-19 haven’t really come down, although in recent years we’ve seen prices hold from the original bids. However, there are still pressures on the supply chain, as well as higher operational and insurance costs. Unlike a market-type building, where you can have two or three sources of capital, we need several additional layers to fill in the gaps. Fortunately, the demand and need for housing is such that everyone at the local, state and national levels wants to find ways to build affordable housing faster, lower our costs, and collaborate in public-private partnerships to make projects happen.
Enterprise Community Development has also increased the number of renovation projects in its portfolio. Is it a new focus for you?
If we focus too much on new construction, we risk losing affordable units to existing buildings that need improvements. Preservation of existing properties will be a focus for us over the next five to ten years, and we have been working with governments to set aside funding for these projects.
“We are very committed to the Mid-Atlantic.”
—Janine Lind, President, Business Community Development
Do you work with the same pool of contractors for your MidAtlantic projects or can any company participate?
We have a mix of long-standing partners, but we always welcome new partnerships. We have several programs aimed at small BIPOC developers, and we are looking to do the same with our construction partners. We are also looking for our general contractors to work with smaller minority businesses to help them succeed in this business. Knowledge of the local market is also very valuable to us. Permissions, rights, and design reviews can be difficult to navigate at times. You have to understand this [in order] to work effectively and not cause more complexity or delays.
Your company has made a strong commitment to incorporating clean energy and other elements of sustainability into its projects. Is this easier or more complicated in recent years?
Enterprise Community Development works to partner with public and private stakeholders to help accelerate meeting the energy needs of low-income housing communities, both inside and outside our portfolio. Unfortunately, many clean energy incentives are currently being phased out at the federal level, but electricity prices continue to rise. To that end, we are committed to continuing to strive to green and decarbonize, pursuing partnerships for off-site solar, maximizing the incorporation of electric vehicle charging stations, building battery resiliency centers across multiple properties, and implementing energy-efficient retrofits across the portfolio where possible. Technology is changing, so we strive to keep up with new products. We want to try new things, but we also want to make sure that implementing them is the right thing.
How is the Let’s Build Accelerator initiative helping to create more opportunities to develop affordable housing projects?
It is rewarding for us as an organization to provide advice, training and technical support to help these developers raise their capital and stand by them throughout the project. All communities need new housing and everyone can play a role.
Is there a recent project that you think demonstrates what Business Community Development brings to their work?
We are about to celebrate the “reopening” of Park Heights Place, a building that serves seniors in Baltimore. The project had a complex financing structure, as well as added complexities to improve efficiency and quality of life through interior and building system upgrades, while remaining occupied by seniors. We have gathered our partners to make it as easy as possible for residents.
What are the company’s future plans?
We are very committed to the Mid-Atlantic. This year, we have eight new construction and renovation projects totaling just under 700 units. This is in addition to the 10 projects under construction or on lease that are delivering more than 1,000 units. We are also looking to increase mixed income communities in Maryland, Virginia and Washington.
What is the most important construction-related lesson learned from your experience in this industry?
Solid pre-construction planning and this process at home. Engaging teams and getting them on board from day 1, when you’re conceptualizing a new community, is really critical to project success. Collaboration and strong partnerships are also important. Building relationships and bringing them into your world is really critical to being successful in this industry.
