Ms. Carmen Romero
Carmen Romero became President and CEO at APAH in July 2021.
Prior to becoming CEO, Ms. Romero led the Real Estate Development team in creating and preserving more than 1,800 new affordable housing units in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Montgomery counties.
Today, APAH’s portfolio consists of 22 affordable apartment communities in four jurisdictions across the region, totaling 2,800 units, with more than than 4,500 individuals and families who call an APAH apartment home. APAH has delivered several innovative, award-winning affordable housing properties, including Terwilliger Place, Queens Court, Gilliam Place, Columbia Hills, and The Springs.
In her first year as CEO, Ms. Romero supervised two projects that delivered in 2022: Lucille & Bruce Terwilliger Place, a 160-unit affordable property born out of an innovative partnership with American Legion Post 139, and a joint venture with E&G Group to develop APAH’s first property in Loudoun County, Loudoun View Senior Residences, which consists of 98 units of affordable senior housing.
Real estate milestones in 2023 included closing on three large-scale projects: 500+ units at The Exchange at Springhill Station in Tysons Corner, Riggs Crossing Senior Residences in Washington, D.C. and Marbella in Arlington. APAH was also awarded the RFP for Crystal House in Arlington, which will consist of at least 655 affordable units.
Most recently, Ms. Romero oversaw the creation of APAH’s new strategic plan, which will guide the organization from 2023 to 2027, and is responsible for its implementation. She has increased the size of APAH’s Resident Services and Accounting teams to align with APAH’s real estate portfolio growth.
Prior to joining APAH in 2011, Ms. Romero was a Director of Real Estate Development and public-private partnerships at Clark Construction. She began her career at Marriott International.
Speaking at the Following:
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Innovative Partnerships to Leverage Land for More Housing
2:00pm – 3:15pm
Hilton Austin, Governor's Salon D, Floor 4
In many communities, land is scarce and expensive, driving up the cost of housing and limiting the opportunity to build more homes in areas of opportunity. This panel will discuss successful partnerships that have leveraged the real estate owned by houses of worship and schools to build more housing while also investing in those communities. The panel’s speakers will each bring their experience developing strategies and partnerships to unlock underutilized land. Examples include Austin’s Independent School District, St. Austin’s partnership with Greystar, and Enterprises’ faith-based development initiative.