Press Release

Celebration Marks Opening of Allium Place, a 195-Home Affordable Community in Montgomery County

June 27, 2025
A group of people stand in front of new apartment buildings, holding a large green ribbon and oversized scissors, celebrating a ribbon-cutting ceremony on a sunny day.
Modern apartment buildings with balconies surround a central green lawn courtyard, landscaped with plants and pathways, under a clear blue sky. A few people walk and relax in the outdoor communal space.
A man speaks at a podium under a white tent, with banners for Habitat for Humanity and affordable housing beside him. Audience members are seated and listening in the foreground.
Children play on a swing while a group of adults and other people gather and talk under a canopy at an outdoor event on a sunny day. One child in white stands nearby, watching the others on the swing.
A diverse group of adults and children smile and pose at an outdoor ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of modern apartment buildings on a sunny day.
A modern apartment complex with two-story buildings, landscaped lawns, walking paths, young trees, lampposts, and outdoor seating areas on a sunny day. People are visible in the distance.
Seven people stand in a row outdoors cutting a green ribbon with large scissors during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of modern apartment buildings.
Three men in business attire stand together smiling; the man in the center holds a red folder with a gold crest. Behind them is a banner about creating quality homes with holistic residential services.
A modern apartment complex with multiple mid-rise buildings, landscaped gardens, and a children’s playground featuring slides and climbing equipment under a clear blue sky.
Modern five-story apartment building with red, white, and dark gray exterior panels, large windows, balconies, and young trees planted along the sidewalk under a clear blue sky.
A man wearing a gray suit, lavender shirt, and purple striped tie stands at a podium with a microphone, speaking. He has short hair and a name tag on his jacket. A white background is behind him.
Group of five smiling people stand together; one woman holds up an official Montgomery County Council certificate. A sign behind them reads “Building Opportunity by Creating Quality Homes and Holistic Resident Services.”.
An older man in a light blue shirt shakes hands with a woman in a brown hijab outdoors, while a young woman standing between them smiles. Buildings and trees are in the background.
A man in a gray suit and cap talks with a woman in a sleeveless polka-dot top at the Allium Place affordable housing ribbon-cutting, an outdoor Habitat for Humanity event; a banner and people are visible in the background.
Person wearing sunglasses and a black tank top speaks at the podium, smiling, during the Allium Place affordable housing ribbon-cutting. A bird tattoo is visible on their left arm, with a poster of two women in the background.
Two people smile at the Allium Place affordable housing ribbon-cutting event. The woman on the left wears hoop earrings and a black I Am An Immigrant T-shirt, while the man beside her sports glasses and a white shirt. Others mingle under a tent behind them.
A group of people stand in front of new apartment buildings, holding a large green ribbon and oversized scissors, celebrating a ribbon-cutting ceremony on a sunny day.
Modern apartment buildings with balconies surround a central green lawn courtyard, landscaped with plants and pathways, under a clear blue sky. A few people walk and relax in the outdoor communal space.
A man speaks at a podium under a white tent, with banners for Habitat for Humanity and affordable housing beside him. Audience members are seated and listening in the foreground.
Children play on a swing while a group of adults and other people gather and talk under a canopy at an outdoor event on a sunny day. One child in white stands nearby, watching the others on the swing.
A diverse group of adults and children smile and pose at an outdoor ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of modern apartment buildings on a sunny day.
A modern apartment complex with two-story buildings, landscaped lawns, walking paths, young trees, lampposts, and outdoor seating areas on a sunny day. People are visible in the distance.
Seven people stand in a row outdoors cutting a green ribbon with large scissors during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of modern apartment buildings.
Three men in business attire stand together smiling; the man in the center holds a red folder with a gold crest. Behind them is a banner about creating quality homes with holistic residential services.
A modern apartment complex with multiple mid-rise buildings, landscaped gardens, and a children’s playground featuring slides and climbing equipment under a clear blue sky.
Modern five-story apartment building with red, white, and dark gray exterior panels, large windows, balconies, and young trees planted along the sidewalk under a clear blue sky.
A man wearing a gray suit, lavender shirt, and purple striped tie stands at a podium with a microphone, speaking. He has short hair and a name tag on his jacket. A white background is behind him.
Group of five smiling people stand together; one woman holds up an official Montgomery County Council certificate. A sign behind them reads “Building Opportunity by Creating Quality Homes and Holistic Resident Services.”.
An older man in a light blue shirt shakes hands with a woman in a brown hijab outdoors, while a young woman standing between them smiles. Buildings and trees are in the background.
A man in a gray suit and cap talks with a woman in a sleeveless polka-dot top at the Allium Place affordable housing ribbon-cutting, an outdoor Habitat for Humanity event; a banner and people are visible in the background.
Person wearing sunglasses and a black tank top speaks at the podium, smiling, during the Allium Place affordable housing ribbon-cutting. A bird tattoo is visible on their left arm, with a poster of two women in the background.
Two people smile at the Allium Place affordable housing ribbon-cutting event. The woman on the left wears hoop earrings and a black I Am An Immigrant T-shirt, while the man beside her sports glasses and a white shirt. Others mingle under a tent behind them.

Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC), Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland, and Montgomery County celebrated the grand opening of Allium Place, a 195-home affordable community that represents one of the largest new construction affordable developments in the County’s history. The ribbon-cutting held June 26, 2025, marked the completion of a multi-year project built through an innovative public-private partnership.

Located at 4024 Gannon Road in Silver Spring, Allium Place includes 168 affordable rental apartments and 27 Habitat for Humanity homeownership opportunities on 6 acres of former County land. With 85 large, family-sized homes, a future childcare center, free high-speed internet, and a half-acre public park, the $96 million development tackles key housing challenges in the region.

“Allium Place is more than housing — it’s a foundation for opportunity. By transforming public land into deeply affordable homes, we’re building economic infrastructure that supports families and strengthens Montgomery County’s future.”

– Paul Bernard, AHC President & CEO

Co-Located Housing Innovation

Allium Place brings together deeply affordable rental and homeownership on a shared site—an innovative model that maximizes public land use and promotes economic diversity. More than half the rental homes are affordable at 30%–50% of Area Median Income (roughly $44,000–$82,000 for a family of four). Habitat’s homeownership model includes zero-interest mortgages, with buyers paying no more than 30% of their income on housing costs.

“Allium Place lays the groundwork for generational transformation through co-locating rental and homeownership opportunities,” said Jeffrey Dee, President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland. “By creating this economically diverse community of homeowners and renters, we are showing families, and in particular children, that homeownership is possible.”

Community Features

  • A future onsite childcare center for 40–50 children, funded through $1.6M in federal/state grants.
  • A community center and fitness center
  • Onsite resident services focused on education, financial wellness, and health
  • A half-acre public park with playground
  • Free broadband internet through the County’s MoCoNet initiative
  • Energy-efficient design (NGBS Silver, Energy Star, WaterSense) and EV charging stations

The community is named for Maryland’s allium flower, symbolizing the growth and flourishment expected in this transformative development.

Public Land Redeveloped with Purpose

Allium Place sits on a site once home to the County’s Department of Recreation administrative offices, and before that, a theater and an elementary school. In 2019, Montgomery County issued a competitive RFP to reimagine the property for affordable housing. As part of its commitment to housing access, the County transferred the land to the development team for just $2, prioritizing long-term community benefit. The County also provided generous funding support.

“With the opening of Allium Place, we’re creating stability for families, expanding paths to homeownership, and showing what it looks like to use public land to serve public needs,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “This project was part of my initiative to put unused and underused public land toward affordable housing. When families don’t know if they can afford next month’s mortgage or rent, it affects everything: children’s education, health outcomes, job stability, and community ties. This is what it looks like to work with strong partners and treat housing as a human right. My appreciation to AHC, Habitat for Humanity, and our Department of Housing and Community Affairs for getting us to this point. Allium Place embodies the kind of housing work we are committed to—deeply affordable, family-friendly, and rooted in community.”

With 99-year affordability guarantees for the rental units and Habitat’s proven homeownership model, Allium Place will serve Montgomery County families for generations. By creating stable, affordable homes, Allium Place helps sustain the local workforce and strengthens the county’s long-term economic resilience.

Allium Place also overcame increased industry-wide construction costs and interest rates through a layered financing structure (view details).

“Today’s milestone celebrates the transformation of a former school to 168 affordable apartments with wraparound services for residents and a childcare facility,” said Ed Delany, Senior Director for Community Finance at Capital One. “Allium Place is the product of a longstanding relationship between Capital One and AHC, and we are proud to have originated multiple sources of capital for this property.”

Key Project Partners

The design and development team included: Bonstra | Haresign Architects, Parker Rodriguez Landscape Architects, Johnson Bernat Associates (civil engineer), Kimley-Horn (traffic engineer), Harkins Builders (construction), Lerch Early Brewer (zoning attorney), and Klein Hornig (tax credit attorney). Hudson Housing Capital syndicated the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that were purchased by Capital One, which also provided construction debt and permanent financing. Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development issued tax-exempt bonds and gap funding.

Habitat’s partners also include the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust, Sandy Spring Bank, WesBanco, The Harbor Bank of Maryland, and Federal Home Loan Bank Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Program.

For more information about apartment rentals at Allium Place, visit the leasing website.

Media Contacts
Jennifer Smith

[email protected]

571-556-7403

Jeff Dee

Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland

[email protected]

202-997-5425

Scott Peterson

Montgomery County

[email protected]

240-255-8462

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