Community Housing Partners (CHP), which provides affordable and sustainable housing throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, joined the City of Alexandria and project partners on Sept. 23 to celebrate the opening of Witter Place Apartments, a new 94-unit affordable housing community in Alexandria, Virginia.
Located at the corner of Duke Street and Telegraph Road and overlooking the Witter soccer fields, Witter Place provides two- and three-bedroom apartments for households earning between 40% and 60% of the area median income (AMI). The community expands affordable housing opportunities in Alexandria while providing residents with convenient access to recreation, transportation, shopping, and employment.
During her remarks at the ribbon cutting, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins commented on the beauty of the building’s architecture, public murals, and interior spaces.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins
“When I think about these projects, every single one of us in this room, we are not in the business of just building needs. We are building homes—homes that will be beautiful and places where people can create new memories and new stories,” she said. “I picture people sitting around their kitchen table, sharing their ideas, sharing what school was like or work was like, sharing their dreams and the opportunities they will have to see those dreams come to life in Alexandria. And to me, that is beautiful.”
Gaskins, who previously spoke at last year’s groundbreaking event for Witter Place, also highlighted the many state and local partners who came together to make this new apartment community possible.
“Thank you to the many partners who helped bring this project from vision to reality,” she said. “Thank you for recognizing that beauty is at the center of when we build housing and beauty is at the center of what we attempt to create. I can’t wait for every family to start moving in, and for their dreams to be realized as well.”
Other speakers at the ribbon cutting included Joseph Schwenker, Senior Development Officer at CHP; Geoff Boyle, Chief Investment Officer at Burke & Herbert Bank and Trust; and Peter Mahoney, Senior Advisor at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).
A Community Designed for Living
Witter Place is CHP’s first development in Alexandria. Designed with comfort, accessibility, and sustainability in mind, the property features a community room and business office, fitness center, resident telehealth room, outdoor courtyard, underground parking, and indoor bicycle storage. Witter Place includes 10 mobility-accessible apartments and two apartments designed for residents with visual and hearing impairments.
The development also includes public art designed specifically for the community. Artist Yulia Avgustinovich created a large-scale mural inspired by Alexandria’s history, architecture, natural environment, and community. The colorful design incorporates local landmarks, Virginia symbols, and regional wildlife. (Read more about public art at Witter Place Apartments.)
The Alexandria Beautification Commission presents the 2026 award.
The Alexandria Beautification Commission selected the Witter Place mural for a 2026 beautification award in the public art category. The award was presented to Avgustinovich and Schwenker during the ribbon-cutting celebration.
CHP Real Estate Development led the project, with Moseley Architects and Winstanley Architects providing architectural services and Harkins Builders serving as the general contractor. The $55 million development was funded through Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Virginia Housing, the City of Alexandria, DHCD, NeighborWorks, Burke & Herbert Bank and Trust, and Hudson Housing Capital.
CHP has also partnered with Neighborhood Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Northern Virginia, to help Witter Place residents connect with high-quality, affordable healthcare. Through the partnership, residents can access telehealth services including medical care, behavioral health, and nutrition counseling, depending on their healthcare needs. Witter Place provides Wi-Fi for telehealth visits, as well as a private room and tablet or laptop that residents can use during working hours if needed.
Founded in 1975, Community Housing Partners (CHP) provides quality-built, responsibly managed, service-enriched homes for low-income individuals and families across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Through its mission to create homes and communities that are healthy, sustainable, and affordable, CHP has been a leading advocate of affordable housing development for 50 years. CHP’s activities include real estate development, construction, energy services and training, asset management, property management, realty and homeownership, and comprehensive resident services.