When Shae F. and her family were displaced in July, they started staying with friends while she looked for a new place to live. In her search for affordable housing, she found Allium Place.
“I thought it was too good to be true,” Shae said. “I applied, and… they reached out to me this year. And I was like, ‘Oh, this is real.’”
Affordable Homes & Communities began welcoming its first residents to Allium Place earlier this year. Shae and her two teens, ages 17 and 18, moved into a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in early April. Now they each have their own room and enjoy having space for themselves.
“I think just having a door you can close and have privacy is probably the thing we missed the most [prior to] our transition to here.”
Shae F
The new community offers 168 affordable apartments and co-locates rental and homeownership housing options with 24 condos and three single-family homes from partner Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland. Allium Place is in the final phases of construction, and once completed, it will include onsite childcare and onsite Resident Services.
Shae said that she and her kids love their apartment and its brand-new features, like the in-unit washer/dryer and stainless steel appliances.
“It is such an amazing place. One, just being brand-new everything makes you feel more like royalty,” Shae said. “My mental well-being is better as well, just knowing I have a stable place to stay.”
Her kids have grown up in Montgomery County and know their way around, so Shae said it’s the perfect location — and only one bus ride away from work. She also appreciates the secure entry and safety features.
“The key fobs with the extra security — I love that part because I do have two teens,” she said. “I feel more comfortable knowing that they’re safe and no one’s just walking in the building.”
Resident Braeden R., who has two young kids ages seven and nine, likes that Allium Place is close to their school. Her family moved into a three-bedroom, two-bathroom in early February. She said it’s a blessing for the kids to have their own rooms.
“They come from sharing a room,” Braeden said. “We had one bathroom, so my daughter just told me the other day, ‘Mom, we don’t have to say, ‘Five minutes in the bathroom!’ We can use this one [or] use that one.’”
Coming from a difficult situation, Braeden found a fresh start at Allium Place.
“It was almost to a point where I did not know how I was going to get out. And it’s one thing to be by yourself, but then you have two other people that you’re responsible for. That in itself, that mental state, is just so hard. So when I heard about this, I was like, ‘This is God speaking to me.’”
Braeden
The community is also a fresh start for Shae and her kids.
Shae shared that Allium Place has changed her life, giving her family “a space of stability and security.”
“I want to spread that word so others can also benefit,” Shae said. “I just want to let everyone know that this is very true, and it’s very real.”
2230 North Fairfax Drive
Suite 100
Arlington, VA 22201
703-486-0626
1501 Saint Paul Street
Suite 111
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-685-0366