Amazon has announced a $147 million commitment for affordable housing units in Washington, D.C., and nearby Maryland and Virginia communities.

Awarded through the company’s Housing Equity Fund, the commitment will create and preserve 1,260 affordable housing units, primarily in partnership with minority-led organizations. Supported projects include the construction of 179 new affordable units developed by National Housing Trust in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Ward 8; the preservation of 320 affordable units by Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners for households earning between 30 percent and 60 percent of the area median income; a new development by Manna, Inc. with 90 units of affordable housing in Ward 2; and a collaboration between A. Wash & Associates, Inc. and Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures, both Black-led real estate development organizations, on a newly constructed development with 130 affordable units. The latest announcement brings Amazon’s total commitment to create or preserve affordable housing in the D.C. area to $992 million.

“We’re proud to work with a diverse set of experienced partners to create and preserve much-needed affordable homes that help keep long-term residents in the community while bolstering our diverse and historic neighborhoods,” said Catherine Buell, director of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund. “By working with these diverse development organizations, we can create long-lasting and inclusive affordable housing closer to public transit and other amenities that will improve quality of life for residents. We’ll also help ensure families across Washington, D.C., are not displaced from their communities.”

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