Wesley Housing, a longtime nonprofit developer in northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, is merging with the Virginia United Methodist Housing Development Corp. (VUMHDC).
The addition of VUMHDC’s 1,919 units across 34 properties will nearly double Wesley’s existing portfolio.
Wesley Housing president and CEO Kamilah McAfee announced the merger at the organization’s recent 50th anniversary celebration.
This move represents Wesley Housing’s first major expansion beyond the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region in its 50-year history. As one of the region’s leading nonprofit affordable housing developers, the organization will use its experience and expertise to drive its mission across its new footprint throughout southern and southwest Virginia.
Combined with its existing properties, Wesley Housing will have ownership in more than 4,300 units and provide various levels of supportive services to approximately 4,500 low-income individuals living across its owned and operated communities.
Wesley Housing’s 40 corporate team members will manage and hire consultants to oversee the organization’s real estate development, asset management, resident services, finance, and marketing/communications functions, while Amurcon Realty Co., VUMHDC’s partner, will continue to manage the acquired properties’ on-site operations.
“This merger presents a unique opportunity for strategic growth, allowing us to leverage VUMHDC’s existing assets while serving thousands of hard-working adults and children who would otherwise struggle to afford to live in their chosen communities,” McAfee said. “We look forward to further establishing relationships with local jurisdictional representatives, businesses, nonprofit service providers, and funders that will be critical to our successful growth across the commonwealth.”
VUMHDC president Larry Dickenson and two VUMHDC board members will join Wesley Housing’s board of directors in 2025.
“We are very excited about merging our resources, assets, and market brand with Wesley Housing,” Dickenson said. “The merger will produce a truly statewide company able to compete on a scale with major regional developers to continue our primary mission of expanding the supply of affordable housing for all Virginia residents.”
Beyond preserving VUMHDC’s affordable housing communities, Wesley Housing anticipates this merger to spur continued expansion. The organization intends to develop more communities across these new markets and will continue to champion equitable, inclusive, affordable housing across Virginia and Washington, D.C.
