As we look back on 2024, we see a year that is defined by purpose, partnerships, and progress. Throughout the year, Columbia Residential embraced opportunities to expand and preserve affordable housing, building upon our mission to advance lives and strengthen neighborhoods. We’d like to share a few of the milestones from 2024 that not only delivered meaningful housing solutions but also set the stage for an even more inspiring 2025.

Expansion and Preservation

We kicked off 2024 by celebrating the full lease-up of James Allen Jr. Place in Southwest Atlanta. This beautiful community provides 129 apartment homes for senior and disabled residents with amenities that include a movie theater, community room, computer room, and workout room.

Over the summer, we celebrated the opening of two transformative developments that together provide nearly 500 affordable and mixed-income residences. Both developments reflect our unwavering commitment to fostering growth and creating places where individuals and families can thrive.

The first of these is Columbia Senior Residences at 2100 Memorial in Houston, Texas, in collaboration with the Houston Housing Authority. This 197-unit development addresses the pressing housing needs of a community severely impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. This development also plays a pivotal role in rebuilding and strengthening the Six Ward neighborhood, offering much-needed housing options to senior residents.

The second community is in Florida. Our partnership with the Tallahassee Housing Authority culminated in the completion of Columbia Gardens at South City, which introduced 290 new apartment homes within a dynamic, growing community.

We reached a significant milestone in partnership with the Chattanooga Housing Authority, the City of Chattanooga, and the Chattanooga Design Studio by receiving a $50 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant award from HUD. This award for the One Westside Redevelopment will act as a catalyst for revitalizing the Westside neighborhood. In addition to securing bonds and tax credits—our first “twinning” allocation in Tennessee—this award lays the groundwork for transforming this historic area into a vibrant and sustainable community.

Our commitment to preserving affordable housing remained a top priority in 2024. Through strategic preservation initiatives, we are ensuring long-term housing stability for countless families and seniors. By preserving over 600 units in our aging properties, such as Columbia Heritage Senior, Columbia Highpoint Senior Residences, and Legacy at East Lake, we are making significant progress in maintaining affordable housing options in the communities we serve.

Property Management

The Resident Services team successfully maintained our CORES (Certified Organization for Resident Engagement & Services) designation, which recognizes organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment, capacity, and expertise in providing exceptional resident services coordination within affordable housing.

This rigorous process involved a thorough evaluation of our resident services program models, resident engagement efforts, measurable outcomes, data collection and evaluation methods, staffing structure, and training and development initiatives. Achieving this recertification underscores our dedication to enhancing the lives of our residents and continuously improving the quality of services we provide.

In partnership with Dash and Dwell, we successfully relocated seniors back to their homes at James Allen Jr. Place. We also provided essential support in the relocation efforts of the seniors of Cosby Spear Highrise, ensuring a smooth transition as we prepare for the upcoming $60 million renovation of that community.

Industry Recognition

In recognition of our impact, Affordable Housing Finance magazine ranked Columbia Residential #33 in the Top 50 Developers and #46 in the Top 50 Owners of affordable and mixed-income housing. This recognition emphasizes the strength of our team and the success of our partnerships across our footprint as we continue to lead the way in affordable housing development and ownership.

James Allen Jr. Place in Atlanta received the Redevelopment Award of Excellence from the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA). This prestigious award, presented through our partner, Invest Atlanta, recognizes our innovative approach to community development and the lasting, positive impact we have made in the affordable housing sector.

The Department of Community Affairs recognized The Commons at Imperial Hotel in Atlanta with the Award for Supportive Housing and Wrap-Around Services, highlighting our commitment to providing holistic solutions that foster long-term stability and success for residents.

A Legacy Continues

Our late founder, Noel Khalil, was dedicated to service, promoting education, and creating opportunities for others. It is with his philosophy in mind that we awarded the inaugural Noel F. Khalil Scholarship. The $12,500 scholarship fund was distributed to five outstanding students from Columbia Residential communities, with each student receiving $2,500 to assist in furthering their education. This scholarship program demonstrates our ongoing commitment to fostering educational opportunities for the next generation of leaders.

Strategic Leadership Additions

We welcomed several remarkable new leaders to the Columbia Residential team. Ken Clark, Chief Operating Officer, brings a wealth of finance and operational experience to lead the corporate operations of the company and ensure our continued success.

Yoshonda Stafford, Vice President of Compliance, will help us maintain and strengthen our commitment to regulatory excellence and adherence to industry best practices.

Robert Fink, Chief Development Officer, will lead our strategic real estate development initiatives as we expand our portfolio and seek new opportunities for community impact.

Ashleigh Adesanya, Controller, will play a critical role in overseeing financial management and reporting, ensuring the fiscal health of the organization.

Ruben Ramirez, Director of Construction for Trinity Construction, an affiliate of Columbia Residential, will drive the growth of our construction projects, overseeing the execution of high-quality developments.

These additions to our leadership team are an exciting step forward, bringing fresh perspectives and ideas that will help propel us into the future.

On The Horizon

As 2025 unfolds, we are excited about the initiatives and developments that are on the horizon. One of the highlights will be the highly anticipated opening of The View at NODA in Athens, GA, which will introduce 120 new mixed-income apartment homes to North Downtown Athens in partnership with Athens-Clarke County Government, Athens Housing Authority, and Jonathan Rose Companies.

We are also looking forward to celebrating the opening of two senior communities this year. The Link at Columbia Senior Residences will offer 80 high-quality, amenity-rich apartment homes with easy access to transit, retail, and services. The Legacy at East Lake is a newly renovated community that will provide 149 beautiful apartment homes in the historic East Lake community.

Finally, we are excited to begin a $5 million OPB funded preservation project at Columbia Tower at MLK Village in collaboration with Atlanta Housing. This initiative will preserve units that provide supportive services for our residents through our partnership with Hope Atlanta.

With these notable developments on the horizon, our team members and partners are more inspired than ever to continue creating places that foster connection and affordable living for all.