From King-Lincoln Bronzeville to Lancaster, AHT's lending dollars helped open the doors on four new developments this summer, and the stories behind each one reflect what community-centered housing investment can truly accomplish.
This summer, the Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County had the honor of attending ribbon cuttings and grand openings for four projects we are proud to have supported. Together, these developments represent hundreds of new and rehabilitated homes, multiple first-time and emerging developers, and investments that stretch well beyond Columbus into the broader region we serve.
But before we celebrate the projects themselves, it is worth stepping back to explain what makes AHT's lending dollars go as far as they do.
AHT is a Community Development Financial Institution, or CDFI, which means we are designed to fill financing gaps that conventional lenders cannot or will not fill. What sets us apart is our ability to deploy capital strategically across multiple funds, each purpose-built for a different need.
Our Housing Action Fund (HAF) pools investments from financial institutions, corporations, and foundations to provide flexible loan products for affordable housing development throughout Franklin County. Our Regional Impact Fund (RIF) extends that reach across an eight county region, bringing AHT's resources to communities beyond Columbus that face the same affordability challenges with fewer financing options available to them.
Because we can layer these funds alongside other public and private financing sources including tax credits, federal programs, city and county investments, and construction lenders, a single AHT loan can unlock a project that would otherwise not pencil. Our dollars do not just fill gaps. They make deals possible.
This summer's projects are a testament to exactly that.
Whitethorne and Whittier | Dream Living LLC
EDAP alumni Gamal and Amalea Harding celebrated the completion of a seven unit acquisition, rehabilitation, and new construction project across two Columbus properties, proof that investing in emerging developers produces lasting results.
Dora Lofts | Blueprint Development LLC
Aaron McDaniels, a graduate of EDAP's inaugural cohort, opened 18 newly constructed apartments in the Woodland Park neighborhood, all affordable at or below 80% of Area Median Income. Named for two women whose lives embodied strength and family, Dora Lofts is Aaron's third completed project with AHT and among his most meaningful.
The Diehl | Kelley Companies
At 700 E. Long St. in King-Lincoln Bronzeville, developer Michael Kelley partnered with the Diehl family to transform the site of a historic funeral home into an 89 unit community rooted in jazz history, family legacy, and neighborhood pride. The Diehl is a powerful example of what happens when housing development is treated as an act of stewardship.
Reserve at Hunter Trace | Fairfield Homes, Inc.
Supported through AHT's Regional Impact Fund, this 95 unit community for adults 55 and older in Lancaster brings quality, dignified housing to Fairfield County, with all units affordable at or below 60% of Area Median Income.
None of this happens without the partners who make AHT's work possible. We are deeply grateful to the City of Columbus and Franklin County for their foundational and ongoing support, and to the financial institutions, corporations, and foundations that invest in our funds and trust us to deploy those resources responsibly and effectively. Your commitment is what allows us to show up for developers, neighborhoods, and families across our region and to keep doing it year after year.
To every team that cut a ribbon this summer: thank you for letting AHT be part of your story. We cannot wait to see what comes next.
